DIY Gatsby headband

Difficulty:

Cost:

$5-$10

This post has been a long time in the coming, but finally it's here!

The Great Gatsby was one of the most wonderful movies we've seen this year; the music, the costumes, the hair, Leo... Beautiful.

So it seemed only fitting that we have a Gatsby themed tutorial, and what better to make, but a gorgeous glittery, golden headband!

This is Ali's take on Gatsby glam, the easy, inexpensive way!

Tools:

Scissors

Needle and thread

Sewing machine

Materials:

Black 15mm elastic

3 types of trim

First up, measure the circumference of your head and then subtract 10mm.

This is the total length your headband should be, allowing for elastic stretch. From this total, decide how long you want the elastic section to be, mine was around 9cm long. 

The remaining length is the amount of trim you will be using.

So once you've figured out the measurements, it's time to start sewing!

I started by pinning a length of gold trim onto each end of my white trim as below.

I then sewed these pieces on using my sewing machine, first with a straight stitch, then a tight zigzag for strength.

I then pinned one end of my elastic piece onto the gold trim,

I sewed this on as before, using a straight and then zigzag stitch.

Repeat this step and attach the other end of the elastic to the other piece of gold trim to create a loop.

Lastly, I hand stitched my third piece of gold trim onto the front white piece.

Fin!

Now you have a glamorous headband all you have to do is put on a sequinned dress, curl your hair and we might all start calling you Daisy. 

Good job old sport!

Great Gatsby Themed Red Card Party

Having made the appropriate head-wear, it was only fitting that we have a Gatsby themed event to show it off at!

So when Tom, Amy's boyfriend and Ali's flatmate, decided he would have a Great Gatsby themed Red Card*, we were both super excited! 

With Tom's permission we were allowed to be in charge of decorating Ali's flat for the event, so we invested in some gold and silver glitter and got started!

We had both been collecting glass jars bound for the recycling bin so we had all sizes and shapes of jar from jam to pasta sauce. These are a cheap and eco friendly alternative to buying mason jars, which have become pricey following their rise in popularity. Plus, once the labels are washed off, these jars make an eclectic and beautiful collection of odd shapes and styles, which just look gorgeous together.

We then got to glittering them, following this tutorial.

We had clusters like the one above around the room, and they were all made using recycled glass. The only things you have to buy are glitter and candles, yay! Amy upped the classiness even further with some pink carnations as well, aren't they lovely?

Below is the Great Gatsby himself (AKA Tom), looking mighty dapper with his cigar and martini.

Behind him you can see some black and white balloons Amy and I filled with gold stars and attached to a string which crossed the room. Amy also pulled out a few strings of bunting that she has had for a while, perfect for a bit of old fashioned style. 

And how lovely do these two look, a wonderful Daisy and Gatsby.

Amy complete with a glamorous sequin and feather headband which she made herself.

Here we have Tyler and Ali, looking sophisticated and ever so well put together.

But clearly the most glamorous couple of the night were Nick and Devika, allegedly the next Jay-Z and Beyonce. 

All in all, everyone was looking pretty darned good, and they knew it too. 

Boys sure do like suiting up! 

And then to finish off the night the lads retired outside to enjoy their cigars.

*Red Card: Event organized by one of your flatmates (in this case Ali's flatmate Tom), which all other flatmates must attend, usually involving costumes and alcohol consumption.

Ain't no party like a Gatsby party!

Painted vintage bag

Difficulty:

Cost:

$1 tp $5 depending on the price of your vintage bag

$4 test pot of paint

How adorable is this bag? And so easy, all you need is a steady hand. 

This is one of the quickest ways to bring new life to an old accessory; lightening it up with a playful pattern. We are so pleased with the result! 

Tools:

Paint

A ruler

A paintbrush

A pencil

Materials:

A vintage bag with a surface that you can paint on; leather, vinyl or anything shiny you feel like you can pour water on without it soaking thorough is perfect.
Ali found this gorgeous handbag in a Save-Mart op-shop for $3, and it's genuine Italian leather!

Method:

Start by cleaning your bag with water and a soft cloth.
Any dust or grime can make it hard for the paint to stick to the bag, so you want to get it all off. Be gentle though, make sure you don't rub so hard the colour comes out of the bag, if you found it in a thrift store chances are it's pretty old so handle with care!

Once your bag is dry, use a pencil and a ruler to sketch your design onto the bag.
You can do whatever you like here, how cute would a bag with a family of elephants painted onto the front be?
Ali went for the classic stripes and polka dots look, which is awful easy and full of class!

Now it's time to paint!

The better quality the paint, the longer it will last. I used a Resene testpot, which is good quality house paint. You can get a test pot from most house paint shops for a few dollars, and they come in almost any colour you can think of.

Then start painting!

That's it, you're done!

Once the paint has dried you will have a completely functional, super cute new bag, yay!

Happy painting,

Winter Woolies

Difficulty: 

Cost:

$1 to $10 depending on the price of your jersey

OK, we know that winter is almost over but this tutorial has been coming for a while.
However, we feel that the weather is always going to be sneaky and we will bet our socks that there is an unseasonable cold snap just around the corner. If not, perhaps we can just consider this post as an early winter gift to all our readers in the Northern Hemisphere!
These amazing beanies were so easy to make, we couldn't believe how quickly we managed to whip them up.

Tools:

Scissors

Needle and thread

Materials:

One thrifted jersey

Method:

Begin by measuring the circumference of your head.
You will need to take a few centimetres off this measurement  to make sure that the beanie fits snugly and won't fall off.
The amount you take off will depend on the amount of stretch in your knit. If it is really stretchy, take 5cm off the total, if not, only take off 2cm.
Cut up one side of your jersey to the armpit and then cut your circumference length in a straight line across the middle of your jersey. 

You should now have a big rectangle of jersey with the neat hem of the jersey along the bottom. 

Fold this rectangle in half.

In the middle of your folded rectangle, snip into the fabric at the top end. This end is the bit that doesn't have the jersey hem. This snip should be about six centimetres deep and will create a slouchy fit. It can be longer is you want a beanie that has more of a snug fit; the longer that this cut is, the shorter your beanie is going to be.
Don't worry if this doesn't make sense yet, keep reading and all will fall into place!

Use this cut to make a V shape. From two centimetres on either side of the cut, cut on an angle to the bottom of the original cut. This should create an even V shape in the middle of your jersey rectangle. 

Next, the rounded shape of the beanie will begin to form. From the top of one side of the V cut a rounded shape, like the one seen in the photo below.

Then fold your beanie in half again and following the round shape you have just cut, cut the same shape on the other side of the V. 

You should now have the pattern for your beanie and you are ready to sew. 

Then, pin the top rounded seam together. 

Sew along the seam, sewing to the top of the arc. We decided to hand stitch our hats because we weren't sure how well the machine would pick up the stitches on the knits that we used. 

Next, pin and sew the two V shaped seams.

The final seam that you should sew is the longest one, going along the length of your beanie. 

Turn your beanie inside out and you're finished! 

Happy winter!

Diamonds wall art - with free printable!

Difficulty:

Cost:

$0

Diamonds are a girl's best friend. And so are free printables! 
This beautiful little project is as easy as pie, and can be customized to match any living space.
These wonderful diamonds are perfect for a flat as you can make them as colourful as you wish, they are sure to brighten up your day! 

Tools:

Scissors

Gluestick

Materials:

Old magazines

Free printable pages

Method:

Start by printing out the first of the two file links at the bottom of this post.

Then cut out the pieces of the diamonds you have printed.

Next place each piece on a pretty part of your magazine and cut around it to make an identical, but coloured version.

Now it's time to print the second file linked to the bottom of this post.

Then glue each piece onto this page, in the same diamond shape and placement as the first page. 

Place the remainder of the first page (with the the cut out diamonds) underneath to help with piece placement.

And you're all done!

Easy as that, and the result is a stunning and unique piece of wall art to brighten up any room.

Happy shining, 

Free Printable Links

Page One

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6SymDStaiH4US13ZXZUd25Rb2s/edit?usp=sharing

Page Two

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6SymDStaiH4LThtRk1iM3ZDTGc/edit?usp=sharing