18 July 2012

DIY: popsicle stick chevron necklace


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reblog on tumblr

e a s y ][ 1-2 hours
cost: $10 range
shop at: your house, your freezer, craft store
read: the instructions once though before you get started.

Myself, and a lot of other people apparently, have been keen on chevrons lately. So, how can one be on trend while enjoying summer treats at the same time? Here's the answer.

SUPPLIES

- 10 popsicle sticks
(from popsicles you've eaten, or fresh ones from the craft store)
- 2 paperclips
- pencil
- ruler
- scissors
- hot glue gun
(or another type of sturdy glue you have handy)
- newspaper or junk paper for spilling glue and paint on
- string or chain/jewelry making bits

optional supplies:
- sand paper
- box cutter or xacto knife
- white paint
- colored paint
- paintbrush
- sharpies

0. Soak the popsicle sticks in warm water for 5 minutes. This makes them easier to cut. If you're using popsicle sticks from actual popsicles, add a few drops of dish soap, as this also cleans them. Pat all of the sticks with a paper towel to get rid of excess moisture.

1. Measure three 1 inch sections on each stick, and mark. Be sure to trim off the rounded ends as well.


2. Cut the sticks using scissors. Sometimes it helps to go over your marks with a box cutter before you use the scissors. Don't worry if you mess up a few cuts, 10 sticks gives room for mistakes.


3. If you have sand paper, this is a good time to sand the edges where you cut. For both sides of piece, I ran it over coarse and then ran it over fine grain.


4. Once the pieces of popsicle stick have dried a bit more, apply white paint to the edges. This is especially helpful if your sticks are stained from, well, obviously, popsicles.


5. Using the hot glue gun, create an "L" shape with two of the stick pieces.


6. Applying more hot glue, layer on another piece.


7. And another. You are essentially creating lots of "L" shapes that nest into each other, so keep an eye on how you position them. Don't worry about being perfect, this necklace's look lends well towards the organic feel.


8. Continue layering until it is just about the right height. I used about 8 sticks' worth.


9. Glue two paper clips to the top. (This is where you'll attach the string)


10. Then, layer on the last two stick pieces. Let the pendant dry, carefully picking off any weird bits of glue.


11. You can use paint or sharpie to add a bit of zip to your necklace. Play around with string or chain and presto, you have a necklace! (Make sure it fits around your head and neck!)

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TIP: Hot glue works best when you let it heat up for a few minutes. If you use it too soon, it's in this weird state where it clumps and dries too quickly. Always work on a surface like newspaper, where it is ok to spill and drip. Also: seems dumb, but it gets really hot, which is hard to believe until it lands on your fingers. Speaking from experience here, haha.

ALTERNATIVE IDEA: Plain unpainted wood has a nice look to it, as it puts the focus on the form of the necklace. But, as always, color creates a nice effect if you pay attention to spacing and what distance people see the necklace from. Lots of colors together can look epic up close and then when you step back it can look muddy.

Be sure to check out my other projects!

If you make one, feel free to post a photo on the September Girls Do So Much fan page!

DIY #18
♥ I worked really hard on this tutorial. It took a long time to prepare.
I wrote out these instructions and took the photos.
So if you see this anywhere else, it's not the original.
7/18/12

16 July 2012

They're up!



Click here to shop!

15 July 2012

a second round of space shoes


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Space Shoes will be available for purchase in my Etsy shop starting tomorrow, around 8:00PM EST.

Women's whole sizes 6-10. $46. I can ship within the United States. ($38 + $8 shipping)

Contact me (orders@septembergirlsdosomuch.com) if you are an interested international customer.

I'm excited to find homes for these kicks!!

20 January 2012

DIY: industrial necklace


reblog on tumblr


reblog on tumblr

m e d i u m ][ 2-3 hours
cost: $20 range
shop at: your house, hardware store, craft or fabric stores
read: the instructions once though before you get started.

Vinyl tubing is officially awesome, because not only can you wrap things around it on the outside, but you can slide things inside and still see them. This project is pretty relaxed because if you make a mistake or want to re-use the pieces for something else, it's really easy to take apart.

The supply list has lots of parentheses because some of the stuff is a bit weirder than usual.

SUPPLIES

- length of ball chain
(I think the one I used was meant for a bathtub drain, but you can also find it in the jewelry section of a craft store)
- plastic gimp
(The stuff you used at camp to make lanyards. I used fluro yellow)
- thin household string or embroidery floss
(I used black and white, then painted the white with a color. It'd be easier to get already colored string)
- neon acrylic paint
(if you want to paint over string like me. I used fluro yellow)

- 1/4" vinyl tubing
- compression unit
- compression sleeves
(They were all next to each other at Home Depot when I found them. A clerk will come over and help if you stand there staring for awhile, haha)

- double-sided tape (for the string wraps)
(scotch brand is good, or you can use the kind mentioned in my foam clutch tutorial)
- liquid household glue (for the string wraps)
- electrical tape or duct tape (I used black)
- scissors
- wire cutters (to cut the ball chain)
- ruler
- measuring tape
- small paintbrush

0. Unwrap and play with the pieces and get familiar with how they work for a few minutes.

1. Measure the circumference of your neck. Add 1" or so to that number. Or, you could take the measurement of a choker-style necklace you have and use that number.

2. Cut a piece of vinyl tubing at that length. (I noticed mine had some funny "NOT FOR ICE MAKER" text printed on it, decided to embrace it, but feel free to be picky and avoid that part when you cut your pieces.) Because it comes all wound up, it lends to the circular shape well.

3. Attach one half of the compression unit to the end of the cut piece of vinyl tubing by sliding in the skinny bit at the end.
 

 4. At the other end of the tube, feed in the ball chain and gimp. I believe I did one after the other, but it might be possible to send them in at once. This step can take a bit of time, but stick with it!

 5. Trim the gimp and ball chain once it's all the way through and hits the compression unit. Slide on the compression sleeves (they look like beads, right?) and slide in the other half of the compression unit.

 6. To finish up, wrap little pieces of tape around parts of the necklace, and doublesided tape (or glue) / string wraps as well. (If you remember the BHBN tutorial, these string wraps are a lot like those.) I find that paint worked well on the string but not so much on the other surfaces.

 7. Doneski! The compression unit is the fastener of the necklace.

BONUS BRACELET


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1. Cut a length of tubing you can fit over your hand onto your wrist. (Use a bangle for reference if needed)

2. Use the techniques from the necklace instructions to decorate! To close the bracelet I used a few layers of tape. (If you're feeling fancy you could pick up a second compression unit and use that as a closure again.)


TIP: This would be a fun project to do with a few friends. One pack of tubing could make several necklaces, just make sure to get extras of the other supplies.

ALTERNATIVE IDEA: If the gimp and ball chain are being difficult, use a pipecleaner (easy to find at craft stores) instead. Black would look great with this necklace, but they come in a lot of colors, if you want to mix things up.

Be sure to check out my other projects!

If you make one, feel free to post a photo on the September Girls Do So Much fan page!

DIY #17
♥ I worked really hard on this tutorial.
It took a long time to prepare.
I wrote out these instructions and took the photos.
So if you see this anywhere else, it's not the original.
1/20/12