How To: Floralise Your Storage!

After having such a lovely time with my cushion tutorial for the Hillary's blog competition (the results of which will be popping up here next week on this link!), I thought it'd be fun to share another tutorial with you. This one originally appeared in issue 2 of Judy's Affordable Vintage Digest and is a great way of turning a boring bit of storage into something more fun.

What you will need

Pretty paper - I used wallpaper samples - you can get decent sized squares free from most hardware stores. Decoupage paper would also work.

Spray Adhesive - But do remember to work in a well ventilated area

Paint - I used white, but you can pick whatever you like. One or so matchbox sample pots should be plenty.

Pencil, scrap paper and scissors

A storage box - I got mine from a clear out with the cafe I used to work at shut down, but ikea do this very similar one for £17.

 Step by Step Guide

Firstly, gather all your material on a flat surface, put newspaper down to save from any drips and make yourself a brew - this could take a while!

Pull out your drawers and give them a good clean, especially if like mine, your draw set isn't brand new. Don't worry too much if things are written on the fronts - this will be covered up by the paper later.

Sand down any imperfections with sandpaper, or if you haven't got any handy and your box is cheap MDF like mine, the rough side of a scouring brush should be enough to remove any major imperfections. Don't get too bogged down in this part - the odd flaw will add to the shabby chic charm.

Taking care not to overload your brush with paint, cover the box all over, making sure to paint in one direction. One coat worked fine for me, but if it's looking a little streaky or you're using a thin paint, let it dry and apply another.

Draw round one of your drawers onto paper to make a template. This will be especially important in a few steps if like me, your chest is missing drawers - by tracing the template out on thick cardboard, you can make dummy drawers.

Trim your prettiest papers down to size and work out your arrangement of patterns. I chose a busy spring palette, but ombre effects, block colours and one big images spread over the 6 boxes also works well.

Spray a thin layer of adhesive onto your box, let it settle for a few seconds and then place your chosen paper sample gently on top, smoothing out any bubbles.

Trim down any excess...

Repeat and leave to dry.

 Remember that cardboard from earlier? Follow the sample principle to create dummy box fronts, and then squeeze them into place.

And there we have it! A lovely spring chest to store all your bits and bobs in. I'm currently using mine for stationery and odds and ends, but it'd be a great way to store sewing items, cosmetics or jewellery. 

If you end up making a chest, let me know - I'd love to see your designs! 

How To: Pearl Headband

Hello all! So it's been a while since I've done one of these. But I was just checking my blog stats and it appears that you all like my How To's best of everything on the site! Thanks a lot to all of you who have read so far; hopefully I will be able to tame your crafty appetites will all the little tutorials I have planned.

I LOVE making headbands, namely because they are really easy, cheap and can lift an entire outfit if you match them right. I've never really been one for these massive floral garlands (they make my head look huge) but I did notice a key trend at the festivals this summer for the embellished jewel headband. Whether they be adorned with gems, cat ears or spikes, a bit of hair accessorising clearly never hurt nobody.

If you fancy something a little more ladylike, understated and suitable for day to day wear, have a go at my pearl headband tutorial.

You Will Need

• Plain headband (I bought two of these simple black plastic and elastic ones from Primark for 50p, although any plain headband or Alice band would work)
• Pearl beads (Mine came off some old pearl bracelets I had lying around, although you should be able to pick some loose ones up from a haberdashery or market stall)
• Scissors
• Elastic Cord (thin enough to thread through the beads but thick enough to stay strong)
• Needle and Thread

1)Assemble your materials and de-string your pearls, making sure you have enough for the length of the headband

2)Thread the pearls onto your elastic cord and know at either end

3)Knot the cord through the hole at the end of your hairband, or if using a more solid headband, stitch or fabric glue it into place

4)Copy on the other end. You should now have what looks like two headbands tied together.

5)Using a thread in a subtle colour, do a few loop stitches at intervals along the headband to keep the pearl layer in place

6)Snip any loose threads and voila!

How to: Summer Hair Bow/Head Scarf

Hello! Bit hot isn't it? With summer well and truly kicking and the cafe I work in closed for summer, I have found myself with a lot of crafty time on my hands but not a lot of money. Henceforth, lots of cheap tutorials! This one was inspired by my favourite dress, a forest green button down tea frock that I bought last summer at Leeds festival. drawn to its beautiful print, it was waaaay too long for me so i lopped it off at the knee and kept the spare fabric in a box... until now! inspired by the whole two piece matchy trend I've spotted a lot of people sporting recently, and of course, my love of retro fashion, I thought I'd try my hand at showing you all how to make an easy hair band/hair scarf that takes hardly any time to make.

You Will Need:

• Fabric - check it goes round your head with some left over to make the bow. Exact measurements are pointless - everyone's head size is different You can use whatever thickness you like - I normally find 3 inches gives you versatility to go for an alice band style if you fold it over, or a more traditional 50's housewife vibe if you don't. The fun is in the experimentation!
• Pins
• Needle and Thread (or sewing machine)
• Scissors

1)gather your materials - check that your thread is the nearest matching colour you have to your fabric
Iron out fabric and fold into preferred thickness
2)turn fabric inside out, pin edges for a neat finish
3)use tacking stitches to secure into place
4)sew edges together and sew one end up
5)turn inside out and sew, sew the end up
6)tie round head and voila!

What do you think? ignore my frizzy hair, this heat is playing havoc with it and it is badly in need of a good relaxer!

Pretty cute eh? you can experiment with all sorts of thicknesses or even add bead embellishments or embroidered patterns, even better if you can match them to a dress or top. They're great for tucking your hair up in a rush, or if you're like me, hiding your frizzy roots! For a better example, see here for the one I wore (with matching dress) when I interviewed Alt J in Leeds )also a cheeky plug for my other music blog, safetyinsound.com)

How To: Frilly Lace Socks

I love socks, I love frills. Inevitable combo for a tutorial? I think so. Ever since Topshop introduced the various beauties you can see above, plus plenty more besides, frilly socks have been a must have accessory  Jellie Shoes, Mary Janes, Wedges, Heels... you name it, they work with it. Teamed with a cute dress and satchel, they are the epitome of schoolgirl chic that manage to cover up those pesky holes in the toes of your tights with ease.

However, I for one refuse to pay £3.50 for one humble pair of socks. Sorry Topshop. Call me a tight wad, but I am a student, and £3.50 is equivalent to two ready meals and half a malibu and cranberry on student night.

With that in mind, and having been inspired by various sock DIY's on blogger and pinterest, I thought I'd try my hand at making my own whimsical foot friends. Armed with some plain coloured socks from Primark (£2.00 for 5 pairs in assorted colours) and a bit of lace I had knocking around in my sewing box, here is what I came up with.

Not bad eh? Without further edo, here is my step-by-step tutorial. Geddit?

You Will Need:

• 1 pair of socks (whatever colours you fancy, I went with a bluey/purple to complement the blue lace I was using)
• Lace trim (The lace I used here was just what I had in my sewing box, and with hindsight, it would have looked better if it was a bit fatter. Aim for lace trim that is about 15-20mm wide. Crochet trim would also work well. You will need less than 50cm but buy a metre, because these are super easy to make and you will get addicted!
• Pint Glass (to stretch your sock around to make sure you don't rip the seams when you put the socks on. If you are sewing the socks using a sewing machine, skip this step - you can use the sewing machines built in arm)
• Needle and Thread/Sewing Machine
• Pins - to keep your lace in place (in the face space base... the rap career starts here)

1)Gather your material together for an instagram worthy 'before' picture

2) Stretch the sock over a pint glass - this will keep the ankle nice and wide whilst you attach the frill, which will help it bunch nicely when you wear the socks, without splitting the seams.

3)Pin the lace into place (still rhyming!) - you want to get it perfectly in line with the top of the sock, with the frilly scallops facing downwards.

4)Use a simple loop stitch to sew the lace onto the sock, making sure to pull the thread nice and tight. Sew all the way round and fasten

5)Repeat steps 2-4 until you have two matching socks

6)Pull 'em over your tootsies and get wearing! Can't say I'd go out wearing these colours socks with my red Topshop shoes (clash overload) but you get the idea.

So, as you can see, there are only three real steps to this and the whole thing takes less than 20 minutes by hand - hardly brain busting. With eBay boasting crazy amounts and types of lace, ribbon and crochet for next to nothing, and trusty Primark offering a myriad of multi-coloured multipack socks, there really is no excuse to skip the high street versions. I love Topshop even more than the next person, but when the alternative is this easy, I'd rather have creative control over my ankles.

How To: Make A Simple Hair Bow

Seen as I'm off uni for the summer, but am pretty skint, I thought I'd start trying out some small, easy and cheap craft tutorials to share with you all on here. I'm definitely no Kirsty Allsopp when it comes to sewing just yet, but in my experience of crafty blogs, it's sometimes nice to see a tutorial that actually makes you think 'I can do that...right now!' without having to rush out for loads of materials you'll only use once or any complicated techniques. So here goes, with hopefully the first of many...

You will need:

• A rectangle of fabric, whatever size and pattern you like or have. I thought gingham would be cute for summer and you can make loads which will all have exactly the same print. For a small bow, I used a rectangle approximately 15cm long and  8cm wide
• Scissors
• Needle and Thread
• Kirby Grip to attach it to hair. Or else a brooch pin/ hair elastic will work just as well depending how or what you are wanting to attach it to.

1)Cut a rectangle of fabric to relevant measurements.

2)Fold the fabric in half longways, and then fold each end in on itself until you have what looks like a garden gate- two flapping 'door's. This will make a smaller, shorter, tighter rectangle which will form your bow. Stitch up the middle to seal this into a small package.

3)Pinch the rectangle in the middle and loop a few stitches to tack it into place

4)Using a spare scrap of fabric or bit of ribbon, sew a simple band around the middle to keep it in place and hide any ugly stitches. This could look quite nice if you used a contrasting fabric too - get creative!

5)Slide a kirby grip into place, or loop some elastic through the band.

6)Wear away! This could also look nice pinned to a cardigan or attached to a ribbon to make a  simple belt to accessorise a plain belt.