COPPER AND MARBLE CANDLEHOLDER DIY

Happy 2014!  Having just returned from my beautiful hometown of Cape Town, South Africa, I am inspired and excited to begin planning my new ventures and adventures for this year.  To kick it all off, I want to share a project that will help ward off the winter blues. I have been in love with copper and marble elements for a while now and decided to combine the two to create a few accessories for my home.  Below are some images that have inspired me. 

Clockwise: 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5

These marble and copper candleholders were created using simple oven-bake clay and leftover copper piping we had lying about.

Supplies:

2 oz. white oven bake clay

2 oz. grey/granite oven bake clay

1” copper pipe

Method:

1: Cut and condition the clay.  I used about 1 part grey/granite to 4 parts white clay.

2: Roll the clay into long snake-like shapes.

3:  Press granite clay into white and fold clay in half.  Fold in half again.

Repeat steps (2) and (3) two more times.

4: Once clay is sufficiently mixed, roll into a ball.

5: Shape clay into a square by flattening the sides, top and base.

6: Insert copper pipe into the center of the clay.

7: Bake following packaging instructions.

I hope these candleholders bring a little light and warmth to your home this winter.  Nicole

MARBLED NECKLACE DIY

With Christmas around the corner, why not forgo the mad shopping dash by making family and friends personalized homemade gifts?  One of the presents I’ve decided to make this year is this pretty faux marbled necklace.  These necklaces require only a few supplies and you can make several simultaneously.  For the full tutorial (in English and Spanish) hop on over to Marta’s blog, 2ndfunniestthing. 

FALL FASHION REPURPOSED: Crop top and high-waisted skirt DIY

With temperatures dropping in San Diego, I started riffling through my closet for some autumn-appropriate clothing.  Finding very little that excited me, and even less that still fit, I was feeling  defeated.  I was resigned to the fact that I’d be raiding my husband’s side of the closet for the next few months.  That was until I stumbled upon a dress I picked up in a thrift store a few years ago: a double-breasted knit dress.  I no longer wore it, and I had long contemplated getting rid of it, but the dress still had potential.  I love to reimagine or reinvent something that I already own, giving it a new life and saving it from the landfill.  This dress seemed the perfect candidate.  I decided to make it into a little cropped top and high-waist skirt, similar to one I saw Solange Knowles wearing.  (Yes, the girl who wears khakis and hiking boots for a living occasionally reads fashion blogs!)  

There was only one problem: I had never sewn anything more than a hem, so this was going to be a steep learning curve.  It turned out it wasn’t so hard after all and I’m thrilled with the end result.  My new (old) outfit is perfect for San Diego’s mild autumn.

Supplies:

Knit dress

8” wide coordinating knit fabric (length approx. = waist measurement + 1” seam allowance)

Thread

Chalk

Scissors

Step 1:

Try the dress on and use chalk to mark your real waist.

Step 2:

Cut the dress in two at real waist marking.

Step 3:

To make the top more fitted I added 2 darts to the front and 2 to the back. 

I used a pattern block to mark the location of my darts.  If you don’t have one available, this handy youtube demonstration will show you how to mark and sew them in the right place. 

Step 4:

Mark and sew two pleats in the front of skirt and two darts in the back. 

Step 5:

Cut two strips of the black knit fabric, one 2” wide (edging for top) and the other 6” wide (waistband).  Calculate the length of strips required by measuring the total length of cut edge of top or skirt and adding 1” for seam allowance. 

Step 6:

Fold strips in half and iron flat.  Fold raw edges in towards center and iron. 

Step 7:

Sandwich the raw edge of your top within the edging.  Pin and sew.

Step 8:

Sandwich the raw edge of the skirt within the waistband.  Pin, sew and you’re done!

I love my new crop top and skirt.  They are so much cuter than my husband’s over-sized sweaters.