DIY Archives | Page 19 of 27 | Life is Beautiful

Anthropologie squeezebox top DIY & sponsorship

March 14, 2011~ DIY DREAM HOUSE

before i get to my DIY project, I have 2 updates.

first is, with receiving over 150,000 page views last month and highs of over

12,000 page views per day, i’ve decided to take in sponsors! i’d love to sponsor

you so please email me for rates at: sarahmchoi{at}gmail.com

and one of my DIY’s was used for a window display at Lily & Iris, a

bridesmaid dress boutique, designed by Mood Events & Production. can you

guess which one it is?

photos taken from salt lake bride & groom

my marjorelle necklace DIY!

isn’t it exciting?

and now on to my DIY project this week:

inspiration: squeezebox top from anthropologie $48

picture from an anthropologie review blog.

i think i literally gasped when i saw this top online. i instantly fell in love and knew i had to have it!

i bought 2 white shirts, one in xs which is my size and one in large. i got the large shirt in round neck for more fabric while i got the xs in a scoopneck.

you’ll need:

2 shirts

scissors

matching thread

pins

estimated time: 1-2 hrs.

project cost: very reasonable(mine was $8 for both shirts)

skill level: advanced beginner to intermediate

1. take the large shirt and cut it into two pieces, a front and the back piece.

2. cut the arms and the neckline off so it’s closest to a rectangle shape.

3. take one of the piece and begin making the pleates.

4. (instruction written above)

and then with the bottom pleated part

10.

11. oopsie, mispelling. it should be “along” instead of “aling”. 😉

12.

13.

14.

15.

and you’re finished! TA-DA!!!

I saved over $40!

pleated puffy shoulder dress DIY

March 7, 2011~ DIY DREAM HOUSE

*first of all, i want to thank you for your advice/encouraging words on my last post. it honestly makes me feel safe to know that there are so many wise mothers out there who understand what i’m going through and i feel like ya’ll got my back in this motherhood thing! and to update, i took one of the advice i got and put it to use tonight and it worked! i walked around the block while holding ana and lied down with her on our bed (jay put a twin mattress in her bedroom since i’ve been sleeping with her lately) and she fell asleep within 2 mins.! it might be that she didn’t nap today and she’s really tired and walking might not work with her tomorrow but i’m taking one day at a time and am so happy! i literally did a happy dance when i sneaked out of her room and closed the door. she has been waking up every 2 hrs. or so but i go lie down with her and wait for her to fall asleep. as i was just lying down with her and watching her sleep, i realized that i always say how i would do anything for her and so what if i have to lie down with her for 2 hrs. every night? if i say i’d do anything for her, what’s lying next to her for 2 hrs. and starring at her beautiful face? i’m foremost a mother and that is my top priority so not having my alone time, or eating, or blogging, or catching up on my tivo’ed shows can wait. being there for her is far more important than all that. so it’s a sacrifice i will gladly make. i used to think(even yesterday as i was lying down next to her) how i was wasting my time and thinking of all the things i needed to do or wanted to do but i’m going to have a new mind set that i’m not wasting my time, i’m doing the most important job i have which is being a mother. i’m being there for her, letting her feel loved and secure, and that sure isn’t time being wasted. so thank you once again for your advice, i will be trying out every one of them to see which one works for my baby.

my inspiration: this picture from my friend/talented photographer’s blog post. i was looking at her blog on my phone back in november when i came across this picture. first glance and the picture being so small on my phone, i thought the fingers on the girl’s arm was a sleeve. i thought, “ooh i love that shirt!” but upon looking further, i realized it wasn’t her sleeve, it was the fingers. haha

and i mixed it up with this puffy shoulder from anne hathaway’s dress. i love this dress!

in my closet: a black sleeveless deep v-neck dress

after:

i highered the neckline also.

i would wear this dress with a black cap sleeve under it

so it wouldn’t show my g’s. 😉

I didn’t do a whole tutorial, i started to but then got too into it that i forgot to do the rest.

but here’s a video of how i made my pleated fabric for the sleeves.

J.Crew sequin rows silk tee DIY

March 1, 2011~ DIY DREAM HOUSE

inspiration: J.Crew sequin rows silk tee in 2 colors $118

project time: 45 mins. per top

skill level: a confident beginner

project budget: $6-7 per top

you’ll need:

3/4 yard of silk/satin fabric (hobby lobby $2.99 per yard)

2 spools of sequin trim for the brown top (1.99 each)

1 spool of sequin trim for the cream top (4.99)

scissors

matching thread

liquid stitch

fray check

(you can’t even tell i photoshopped this photo huh? man, i impress myself with my mad photoshop skills!)

directions:

1. cut the fabric. i didn’t use a pattern, i just traced it while looking at my inspiration.

*you’ll need to keep in mind that the fabric doesn’t stretch. at all. so make sure it’s wide enough.

4. use fray check on the seam of the sleeves. when it’s dry, cut a tiny bit of the fabric around the whole sleeves so it gives a clean, finished edge.

5. put liquid stitch on the shirt horizontally. then put the sequin trim on top of it and press. cut off the excess trim.

6. keep continuing. for the cream top i used 6 rows of sequins and for the brown, 8 rows of sequin trim.

viola! and you’re done my dear!

after:

i saved over $110!

J.Crew sequin stripe boatneck tee DIY

February 21, 2011~ SEWING

my inspiration: J.Crew sequin stripe boatneck tee $78

right when i saw this shirt, i was like “wait! i have a shirt EXACTLY like that!”

so starts my DIY. in my closet:

what you’ll need:

striped top

2 sequin decorative trims (hobby lobby $1.99 each)

scissors

liquid stitch

best part of this is NO SEWING needed! yipee, woohoo, Lord have mercy!

after:

you can’t really tell in certain lighting like this picture below

but with the right angle/lighting you can see a subtle glamour to a casual tee.

i didn’t like the j.crew version at first because the stripes wern’t as prominent since the sequins were on top of it. but now that i did the black sequin on black stripe and how the sequins are not that noticeable, i think i like the j.crew version a lot too. i have another shirt exactly like this tee in red so i might do the clear sequins on that. which do you prefer?

and LAST DAY to get FREE SHIPPING on all the headbands at S.T Collection!

instructions:

1. squeeze liquid stitch from one side to the other.

2. lay the sequin trim on top and press. cut the remaining trim.

3. lay the shirt on a hard surface with the sequin part touching the surface and

put something like a book or something heavy on top of the shirt.

4. let it air dry overnight.

project budget: very low priced

estimated time: 25 mins.

level: beginner

girls’ tulle skirt and modestifying a short dress

February 14, 2011~ SEWING

i have two happy news. i was featured in a great craft blog called u-create and i made it to the top 10 knock-off contest. to be honest when i looked at the other top 9, my exact thoughts were, “oh crap! the other ones are so good and mine sucks!” i felt a little embarrassed i’m not gonna lie! haha, don’t worry i’m not sad by any means, i was just in awe at how amazing the other 9 were and how much time they’d spent on their projects while mine took like an hr. i kept thinking what other project i could’ve submitted instead but what’s done is done and i’m honored to be in the top 10. and the winner gets chosen by votes but i’m not asking you to vote for me, i know i won’t make it, i just want you to check out the other 9, you will be blown away! i think my favorites are the wedding dress and the BCBG dress.

for this week’s DIY, i made two things.
i made a tulle ruffle skirt for my girl and modestified a short dress.

she’s been wearing these necklaces everyday.

i wish i could say the same about the skirt but she doesn’t like it actually

because she says, “it doesn’t spin around like a princess.” 🙁

on to my 2nd project

before the dress was modestified and before the mirror was cleaned. 😉

bought fabric from joann’s
(i didn’t have the dress with me (which i don’t recommend) so i just bought it hoping it was the same color and i was lucky enough to have it be the same exact fabric and color!)