The Morning Doodle 2

Morning doodle time... as always, made possible by instagram. 

A few things from a previous painting class... and doodles on shrink-a-dink plastic (yes that's right- shrink-a-dinks. they're awesome.)

Happy Friday!!

Ombre Bleach Shorts DIY

In my previous post about DIY Ombre Dye Shorts I mentioned that you could also use the technique with bleach! I tried it on a couple pairs of shorts- here are my instructions & do's and don'ts!

Supplies
-1 pair of denim shorts or cutoffs (the thicker the denim the better)
-plastic tub
-bleach
-vinegar
-a yard stick or pants hanger
-gloves
-Make sure you are doing this outside or in a well ventilated area!

Step One: Take your pair of shorts and run them under water. Don't soak them just make sure they are damp all over. I tried two different pairs of shorts (both found cheap at forever 21).
***I learned that THICKER denim with LESS ELASTIC works the best. The stretchier the shorts- the more elastic and less denim that's in them. Bleach will disintegrate the elastic and you'll be left with some really thin shorts.

Step Two: Fill a bucket with bleach. Prepare a tub of vinegar and water for when you're done bleaching (probably not on carpet like I did).

There are two methods to bleaching your denim 

-Method one: The Perfect Ombre-  hang shorts above bleach with hem submerged (either by hanger or string belt loops on a yard stick to balance on a bucket) Make sure hem is submerged evenly (A hair clip in the middle of the hanger helps shorts hang evenly and not droop in the middle). Now let sit for 20-30 minutes. The bleach will creep up the denim (easily because you pre-wet the denim). This gives a more even ombre effect and turns out in a straight(ish) line.

**This method is recommended for strong denim jeans because they sit in the bleach for so long. I originally tried with a thinner, more elastic pair and though they look awesome- they are super super thin now.

-Method Two: The Splash Dye- hang shorts above bleach with hem submerged (either by hanger or string belt loops on a yard stick to balance on a bucket) Make sure hem is submerged evenly. Let sit for five to ten minutes so that the hem is bleached. Then put on your gloves, pick up scoops of bleach and scrunch it onto the denim. You can pour, dribble, flick, splash- whatever you want on the shorts (be careful of your clothes, skin, and eyes!) This makes for an interesting tie-dye look. My personal fav!

before (I cut off the folded hem too):

 after:

Step Three: Once you have finished dying your shorts place them in a bucket of vinegar & water to stop the bleaching process. Then wash your shorts by themselves!

I should really just be a spokesperson for bleach- I'm obsessed.

 (yes I am wearing my skull cutout tank)

helpful hint for avid bleachers: if you accidentally leave on silver jewelry while bleaching (like I always do) no worries- you haven't ruined it! Take off that dark oxidation by placing the jewelry in non-gel toothpaste. Let it sit for a bit and and then use a toothbrush to remove the oxidation! Toothpaste is amazing!!!

Little Boxes

Are you automatically singing the little boxes song in your head now? I know I was the entire time I was making these. (don't know what I'm talking about?  just watch an episode of weeds or listen here, it's addicting.)

Anyway, cute little boxes are the perfect way to snazz up a tiny gift! For my mother's last birthday we got her a charm bracelet and instead of having one jewelry box to open I places a charm in each little box.

Supplies: 

-craft/ scrapbook paper (mine is from a paris-themed pack I found at Joanns)

-scissors

-glue/ glue stick/ glue dots

-pencil

-ruler

-printer

-embellishments (stickers, ribbons, flowers, glitter, whatever)

Step One: Print out a box template. You can find them in pretty much any size or shape by simply googling "box template". You can print out a different template for every size and shape or you can just adjust one using a ruler (which is what I did). Here's a great little jewelry box template: link

Cut out the template.

Step Two: Trace the template onto the backside of the scrapbook paper. I'm awful with strait lines so I always use a ruler as well. If you want to extend the sides of the box so that it is taller just add the same amount of space to each side of the box. A taller box will have the same size lid. Make a box larger by creating a larger inner square. You then must increase the lid the same amount as well (for an easier solution to a bigger box, just print the template larger).

*Try mix & match paper patterns for bottoms and lids! The great thing about buying paper packs is that they usually contain the same pattern in different colors. 

Step Three: Cut the box out of the craft paper. Fold along the four sides of the inner square and the tabs. Really make the folds crisp by laying them on a flat surface and pressing along the fold with the ruler. Glue along a tabs to connect each of the sides and do the same for the lid. Do not place the lid on top of the box (no matter how tempting) until the glue is completely dry. 

Step Four: Put the presents inside the boxes with some cute tissues paper, close em up and decorate! Ribbons and bows are always great for presents but you can also use stickers, glitter, cloth embellishments, buttons, flowers, stamps, twine, more paper- the skies the limit.

Check out my finished birthday boxes below!

Skull Cutout Tshirt DIY

With halloween just a month away I'm really getting into the skull spirit. I've always had a lot of skull print t shirts but when I discovered the skull cut-out tshirt trend I fell in love.

They have beautiful versions at Zara (black) and Urban Outfitters (white)

but if you're anything like me you have issues spending upwards of thirty bucks on a shredded tshirt. 

Easy solution- DIY!

Supplies:

-1 old tshirt, preferably baggy/ oversized

-scissors

-newspaper

-1 sharpie 

Step One: Draw the skull on the back of the tshirt. Place newspaper inside the shirt so that the sharpie doesn't bleed through. Remember to add "strings" through the eyes and nose so that the shirt doesn't just have big holes in it. I looked at a reference skull as a drew it (you can find one here).

remember to vary the size of the teeth, and curve them to give the skull face a rounded shape.

Step Two: Cut out the negative space. Cut slowly and carefully. Make sure you don't cut any of the "strings" and space teeth far enough apart so that the cloth between them doesn't get cut or rip. You want individual little teeth, not blobs. Don't get frustrated- this takes a while. Try to cut off all of the sharpie lines.

You can distress other places on the shirt as well by cutting small holes or lines in the sleeves, sides, or whatever for an especially grunge skull tee.

 Step Three: CAREFULLY pull at all of the "strings", in between the teeth, and everywhere that's thin. The fabric will stretch and curl in a bit, making it thinner. This makes it look more like a naturally worn tshirt than one you cut out. Washing the shirt on a GENTLE cycle will help too.

and voila! Now you're the chicest & creepiest kid on the block. 

It can even double as a spooky halloween decoration! (just kidding- but how cool does that look?!)

The Morning Doodle

Morning doodle post brought to you by Instagram!
We've got some clothing design doodles complete with flowers, restaurant table top scribbles, and a really cute puppy.

Happy Doodling!

Hunger Games Tshirt DIY

Who doesn't love the Hunger Games? Since the DVD has recently been released I thought I'd dig up a picture of the shirt I made for the premier!

Supplies:
-Tshirt of choice
-Fabric paint of choice (I used tulip flat paint- the kind you need a brush for)
-Brushes or sponges (I used sponge brushes)
-Puffy fabric paint
-Adobe Photoshop or even Word (anything to make a stencil in)
-Access to a printer/ paper
-Exacto-Knife or fine scissors


Step One: I made a stencil in adobe photoshop using this outline image:

-link for the logo is here

-And you can download the font "Keep Calm"(for personal use only!) here



Step Two: Then I printed the stencil to size, cut out the type and logo, secured the stencil to the shirt in the placement that I wanted .

Step Three: Carefully fill the stencil with flat fabric paint. I used a sponge brush because I found that easier to control the amount of paint. Once the paint dries you can use black puffy paint (the kind that comes in a squeeze bottle with a fine tip- I like tulip) to outline the text and logo for a crisp finish.

Happy Hunger Games!

Stars & Stripes Shorts DIY

Fourth of July, Olympics, Labor Day- Any day! Show your pride for 'Murica with these easy and fun shorts!!

Supplies:
-1 pair of shorts
-2 sheets of duct tape to make stencils
-bleach (optional)
-vinegar (if you use bleach)
-fabric dye or craft acrylic (I used Folkart craft paint) in Red & Blue (whichever hue you like)
-gold fabric paint (optional)
-paint brushes

Step One: Get a pair of shorts! Buy em, steal em from a sibling, cut up a pair of old jeans- whatever! I bought mine on sale for $4 at Forever 21 and they were originally a medium wash denim.

Step Two: Bleach! Now this step is entirely optional- if you only want to paint your shorts then just skip on ahead. I wanted really white stripes & stars however without the stiffness of paint covering the entire thing. So put on a pair of protective gloves, fill a container with bleach, head outdoors or in a well ventilated room and dip in those shorts- A little bleach goes a long way (especially on cheaper fabrics like my forever21 shorts) so pay attention. If you don't want to bleach the entire pair try using a paint brush to place bleach in the sections you want to make white (I wanted the back of my shorts to remain blue so I chose to paint on the bleach in selected areas). Have a bucket of water and vinegar ready and dunk your shorts in when you're done bleaching- this will stop the bleaching process. Wash em with a bit of detergent to make sure all the bleach is gone!

Step Three: Make Stencils. I used duct tape sheets (you can find them at any local craft store- they come in normal colors too but I thought why not tie dye) and cut them as stencils for the shorts. You'll need straight strips for the stripes (about 3/4 an inch thick) and a bunch of stars (try drawing them on the tape before cutting them out). I used an exacto-knife for the stars and then placed them on a piece of plastic wrap. 

Place your stencils on your shorts and put plastic or paper between the legs to protect the back side!

Step Four: Paint! What we're really trying to do is stain the shorts, not load them with heavy paint. This will give them a more natural/ uneven look. You can use fabric paint or craft acrylic paint (I like Folkart, Americana, and Martha Stuart). Mix with water until the stain is at the desired amount. I used very little paint for a whole cup of water (you can always paint on more layers if it's too light- but if you go too far the denim will forever be crunchy, yuck).

I added about twice as much water to this cup before painting.

Now paint the striped side red and the star side blue!! Be very careful when painting around the stencils not to lift the edges- once the adhesive gets wet it will no longer stick to the denim. Try painting away from the edge of the stencil instead of towards it so you don't disrupt the edge.

Step Five: Wait for the paint to dry completely and then carefully remove the stencils! I wanted a little more sparkle to my step so I outlined my stars with a gold fabric paint.

Wash them by themselves with a little detergent before wearing- it'll get off any excess paint, make them softer, and set in that faded stars & strips look.

I love my american flag shorts!