Dorm Room Pillows (Handmade and Inexpensive!)

Before I went to college, I knew that I wanted to get some cozy and cute pillows to adorn my bed.  What better way to add decoration (and function) to an otherwise bland room?  I had already chosen my dark purple comforter, so I wanted pillows that fit in with that color scheme.  Here is what I came up with:

Birds on a Line

This long bird pillow was inspired by Sukan pillows that I saw on Etsy.  I used:

• Different colored felt sheets
• Black embroidery thread
• Grey fabric
• Pillow stuffing

And here's what I did:

1. Draw a bird shape onto an index card, and cut it out to use as a pattern.
2. Cut out different colored birds from the felt.
3. Cut out two rectangles of the grey fabric, and leave seam allowance.
4. On the back of one rectangle, draw three horizontal lines and mark off 1/2 inch internals.
5. With the embroidery thread, stitch on each interval for even stitches.  Use all 6 strands of thread.
6. Turn the pillow over and place the birds. Have fun and try different arrangements!
7. Pin the birds in place and topstitch around the edge using matching thread.
8. Place both grey rectangles right side together and sew around the outside, leaving an opening on bottom.
9. Flip right side out, and fill with pillow stuffing. Close the opening with a topstitch.

Simple Pillows

The other pillows that I made were much simpler.  I found this really nice cotton fabric that incorporated all of my colors.  To make these two smaller pillows, I just cut out squares of the fabric, and did the last two steps of the last pillow. Super fast and super easy to make!  I got custom pillows for my dorm room that matched my decor and did not break the bank!

DIY Christian Louboutin Shoes: A Tutorial

I first saw Louboutin shoes when I was watching BBC's Sherlock.  It was the episode with Irene Adler ("A Scandal in Belgravia"), and I thought that they were so cool.  However, the original shoes cost around $800, which is about as far out of my price range as you can get.  So, after doing some research, I decided that I would make my own.  It turns out that Mr. Louboutin first painted the soles of shoes red with nail polish, so I did the same.

What You Need:

• Heels of your choice
• Rubbing alcohol
• Masking tape
• White nail polish
• Red nail polish

Step 1: Clean the soles of the shoes with rubbing alcohol.  This will remove any dirt or grease particles.


Step 2: Put masking tape around the edge of the soles, so that no nail polish will get on the actual shoe.  For areas with sharp curves, I found it best to just use small pieces of tape that overlap.

Step 3: Paint one coat of white nail polish.  I used the most inexpensive nail polish that I could find at Target (Sinful Colors "Show Me White).  This coat of white is necessary so that the actually color that you want isn't distorted by the shoe sole color.

Step 4: After the white nail polish is completely dry, paint the soles with two coats of the red polish.  I used Sally Hansen's "Cherry Red" polish.

 Step 5: Let dry completely, and then peel off the paint.  You might have to do some touch-ups near the edges.  Enjoy!

Obviously, you don't have to make these look like Louboutin shoes; you can't paint them any color you want!  I've heard of brides painting the soles of their shoes blue as their "something blue." Whatever you choose, have fun! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Get everything you'll need now

Shapie Decorated Mug: A Tutorial

This craft was also inspired by this post that I saw on Pinterest by A Beautiful Mess. I wanted to make a customized mug with which to drink my tea this September. I really liked the simplicity of the Sharpie on the white mug and the drawn-on teabag.  Here's my version.

Tutorial

What You Need: a white mug (I got mine from the Christmas Tree Shop for $1), and a Sharpie marker

Step 1: Draw your design on the mug.  This is where you can be creative.  I'm a fan of quotes, so I chose to write a quote by C. S. Lewis that reads: "You can't get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me."  I also drew the tag of the tea bag like on the inspiration mug.

Step 2: Bake the mug in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.  After it is finished, let it cool in the oven, because it will be very hot.

That's all there is to it! I would recommend hand-washing the mug just to ensure that the design stays on.  Sharpie markers are not actually meant to write on glossy surfaces like mugs.  If you want the design to stay on better, invest in an actual ceramics marker. However, for a $1 investment, I'd say that this is pretty good.

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