Stars for Streetlights

How to Make a Constellation Infinity Scarf

2013-05-16T09:10:00.000-04:00

Just popping by to share this post I wrote over on Scarves Dot Net about how to make a constellation infinity scarf! And the space themes continue. ;)

DIY Banana Chips Clay Necklace

2013-05-01T08:18:00.000-04:00

When I was growing up, I was obsessed with Sculpey clay. I used the clay and made everything from teeny versions of my dogs, to little armies of penguins, to an entire farmyard of clay barn animals. (I can't even remember how many of my 4-H projects had clay critters in them. :)) As I've gotten older, I kind of forgot about my love for clay until I received the April For the Makers box.

The All-Inclusive Collection

While I really love the Surfside Necklace tutorial that was included in the box, when I saw this version on their blog from another subscriber, I had to try something like it.

Photo by @Kirimoth

To make my Banana Chips Necklace, (Does it not look exactly like banana chips in jewelry form?) you need two different colors of Sculpey clay and some leather cord.

To make the ombre effect, I mixed the yellow and white clay together in different amounts and kneaded + blended them together. Then I rolled them out so they they were all in equal little tube shapes and cut the clay rolls into equal shapes. I rolled those little shapes into balls, squished them into a banana chip shape on a baking sheet, and then cut a hole in the middle.

After I baked the clay, I strung them on the cord and tied a sliding knot. (If you need a better tutorial for the knot, check out the For the Makers tutorial.) :)

A necklace fit for spring.

I took these photos right on Park Avenue where there are these amazing beds of red tulips all up and down the street.

New York in the spring isn't half bad. ♥

More DIY necklaces:

DIY Sparkly Statement Necklace | Mint Sunburst Necklace | Malachite Statement Necklace | Agate Statement Necklace | Montauk Rock Necklace | Pink Ocean Stones Necklace

Pink Ocean Stones Statement Necklace

2013-04-26T11:13:00.000-04:00

A few months back, I was walking through an Anthropologie store and I saw the most incredible necklace on display. The muted tones, the girly details, the unique shape-- I was swooning harder than a lonely teenage wallflower at a middle school dance.

I have no idea who made this necklace, I couldn't find it anywhere online. It was in the cabinet where Anthropologie puts the more expensive and one-of-a-kind jewelry.

I started by cutting out the necklace pattern I wanted and then I stitched all of my taupe leather scraps into that shape. I *hate* wasting even a little bit of leather, so I was pretty happy that I was able to stitch a bunch of leather remnants together to make this.

The reason I initially decided to make this necklace was because of a few of the rocks I picked up on the beach in Montauk. As I was looking at the little bounty of beach rocks, I saw that one of them looked like the main stone in the Anthropologie necklace. #fate (Also, I only picked up that rock because I thought it totally looked like a dinosaur egg.)

To get the stones attached to the necklace, I used a bit of 7800 Adhesive.

Then I began stitching all the little details around the necklace. I stitched some rhinestone chains to the necklace when Adele, Sean, and I had a picnic in Central Park. There is nothing better than a nice afternoon with your sewing kit in the park. Le sigh. ;)

While I got a lot of the details for the necklace from the trimmings shop in midtown and Michael's, I also used some crystals and a heat setting tool from iLovetoCreate. It is super fun to apply the crystals with this tool, I really loved the sparkly dimension that they added to the necklace. :)

For the clasp and the top beads, I strung together some pearls from this Jewelry Class in a Box and pink glass beads. Then I added the toggle clasp with a jump ring.

I love the way rhinestone chain looks stitched around things.

The beach stone.

The finished necklace.

I wore this necklace for the first time last weekend when we were showing my little sister around the city. These photos were taken right next to the New York Public Library, overlooking Bryant Park. :)

The perfect necklace for a spring day in the city. :)

See more of the necklaces I've been making lately!

DIY Sparkly Statement Necklace | Mint Sunburst Necklace | Malachite Statement Necklace | Agate Statement Necklace | Montauk Rock Necklace

How to Print Instagrams to Look Like Polaroids

2013-04-24T11:03:00.000-04:00

Ever since I was in New York three years ago and my mom mailed me my grandpa's old Polaroid SX-70, I've been obsessed. There's just something magical about the square photo surrounded by that white border that comes out of this plastic machine. In the three years since, I've grown more interested in other Polaroid cameras, Instax cameras, and of course, Instagram.

Some of my favorite Polaroids.

When Printic contacted me and asked if I wanted to test out their new app that allows you to print and share Instagram photos, my photo-lovin' self could not say no.

It's super easy to use their app on the iPhone, you can easily go through the photos on your phone or Instagram, choose the ones you want printed for $1 each, and they'll ship to you in a couple days for free. You can also ship them to a friend as a little surprise. :)

If you want to test out Printic for yourself, just leave a comment below with your favorite camera or type of photo to take! Next Wednesday I'll choose one winner using Random.org to win 3 sets of Printics! (27 photos.) :) Open to all countries except Asia right now. (They don't ship to Asia just yet.)

Also: How to Doodle on Photos | How to Choose a Polaroid Camera | Photo Tips and Techniques for Beginners

Good luck!

Montauk Rock Necklace

2013-04-16T09:55:00.000-04:00

A few weeks back I took a little trip out to Montauk where I spent a lot of time on the rocky beach picking up cool stuff on the beach. Shells, sea glass, driftwood, strange pieces of metal... My pockets were pretty full. I knew that I wanted to make a necklace of some kind, but I didn't know exactly what I would want to make. After some arranging and rearranging, I settled on the four perfect rocks and got to work on the Montauk Rock Necklace.

I am so addicted to these necklace projects that take a lot of thought, time, and tedious work. Every night after work or on Sunday afternoons it is so nice to multi-task witha little sewing project and watch things come together. I also love the idea of making something with items that remind me of a special weekend or time. :)

What you need to make this necklace:
-Leather scraps (I used pieces of a leather jacket that I bought at the Goodwill Outlet in Indianapolis.)
-Aleene's 7800 Adhesive
-Rocks
-Gold and silver seed beads. I also used some clear beads that I got at Michaels.

Begin by laying out your rocks and arranging them in a way that you like. Then you can draw a shape for the leather base of your necklace and then cut it out. After you have your leather shape, you need to add quite a bit of super glue to the bottom of the rock. Add just enough so that the rocks are secure, but don't add too much that it oozes everywhere.

After I let the rocks dry for 24 hours, I stitched my 1/2 inch strips of leather to the top of the necklace to be the ties. Then I did a blanket stitch around the whole necklace to make the edges look finished. I also stitched my gold embroidery thread over the tops of the rocks so they'd look like they were being held in place by the thread. Then I started to fill in the blank spaces with the seed beads.

Continue to fill in the necklace with beads. Once you're done, cut out another piece of leather and hot glue or superglue it to the back of the necklace to hide all of your stitching. :)

I wore this necklace last weekend when Sean, Adele, and I had a little picnic in the northern section of Central Park. The necklace matched the bedrock of Manhattan. :)

It was such a perfect afternoon in the park. We read, we chatted, we climbed the rocks a bit, and I worked on another necklace I'm making. One thing's for certain, though. Moving to NYC sure hasn't made us into ladies. ;)

DIY Constellation Cardigan

2013-04-12T08:45:00.000-04:00

Over Christmas, my friend Emily made me this incredible constellation cardigan. (My friend Emily is an incredible painter, by the way.) In elementary school, one of my favorite days of the year was when we had this thing called Star Lab, which was a portable planetarium. Lying on the ground of the gym floor in a giant blow-up dome, it was the first time I remember learning about the constellations. Orion, Andromeda, Cassiopeia, The Big Dipper, The Little Dipper... The coolest thing about the constellations is that there's this intersection of science, beauty, and legends.

Emily got the idea for the sweater from this Anthropologie sweater. :)

Orion Embroidery Kit | Constellation Pillows

If last year was the year of the galaxy dress, galaxy scarf, galaxy shirt 1 and 2 for me... I think this year will be the year of constellation projects. There's something so simple and beautiful about them.

To make the constellations, it's really simple. Emily just did a running stitch in the shapes of the constellations with white seed bead accents around it. There's also this tutorial that is a bit more detailed if you need more help. :)

Also check out these amazing star charts. Already planning the decor for my next apartment. :)

A Weekend Trip to Montauk

2013-04-05T08:22:00.001-04:00

A couple weekends ago, Sean and I took a little driving trip with some friends to get out of the city. We went to Montauk, the little town on the easternmost tip of Long Island. While the Long Island Railroad goes out to Montauk, if you're thinking of taking a little trip there, I'd recommend a car so that you can get out to all of the parks on Montauk Point.

My favorite part was walking around the tip of the island and checking out the lighthouse, the rock beaches, and the mud cliffs.

There was lots of beach hiking, exploring, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind quoting.

"Took a train out to Montauk. I don't know why. I'm not an impulsive person. I guess I just woke up in a funk this morning." --Joel

And waking up and walking to the chilly beach the next morning wasn't so bad at all. :)

Check out more of our little out-of-city treks-- like the trip to Sleepy Hollow and Beacon, NY. ♥

DIY Mint Blue Sunburst Necklace

2013-04-03T09:24:00.000-04:00

These days I am really enjoying working on multiple projects at once. While these projects take a chunk of time, they're so fulfilling by the time I am done with them. It all starts with taking a little visit to the craft shop or the trim shops in the fashion district, gathering supplies, and then spending time just pondering what to do with the supplies. Sitting on the train deciding what colors to put together, running in the park thinking of the fabric to use, or just looking at the cool details of what people are wearing on the street.

♥Some of the time consuming statement necklaces I've made previously: sparkly one, this earthy one, and this one from For the Makers...)

Some of my inspiration for this necklace. This Everjade necklace from Anthropologie, and this bib necklace from this Etsy shop. (The necklace isn't listed anymore.)

To make a statement necklace like this, you need:
-Some gemstones to glue for the middle of your sunburst
-Dome studs (I used blue studs I found in a trimming shop, but you can always paint the dome studs whatever color you'd like.)
-Some clear glass seed beads
-And some rhinestone chain

I started by making the bib shape that I wanted with fabric. Then I put the gemstone in the middle, surrounded it with the dome studs, and then stitched the rhinestone chain around that.

I continued adding sunbursts...

Added some more rhinestone chain...

And then stitched in the seed beads to fill everything in. I noticed that the necklace started to curl up a little bit, so I hot-glued a leather backing to keep everything flat.

I used leather from an old leather jacket that I bought at a Goodwill Outlet store in Indianapolis. :)

I wore the necklace for the first time when I went to Brooklyn last weekend to visit a friend. :)

♥♥♥

DIY Galaxy Shirt #2

2013-03-27T09:11:00.000-04:00

Over the past year, I've majorly geeked out over making galaxy print clothes. First there was my galaxy print dress, then the galaxy print collared shirt, and then the galaxy print scarf. I've tried a few different techniques and they're all pretty awesome, but I really like the subtlety of this technique. (Inner space geeks rejoice!)

To make the galaxy shirt, you need a black 100% cotton shirt, bleach, and some fabric spray paint. I bought a black 100% cotton shirt from H&M, but when I tried to bleach it, nothing happened. I did a bit of research and it turns out that there is a chemical finish on cheap cotton to make it last longer. (:///) It seemed to wear off (a little) after I washed it a few times, but the bleach wasn't doing the awesome things that it did on the galaxy dress I made. Look for a black cotton shirt at the thrift shop and it will react to the bleach much better.

To make the galaxy design, I chose some space-like colors with a little glitter paint on the right. With this technique, you just spray all of the colors in layers-- blue, then purple, then pink, then a splash of grey, and then some glitter... And let it dry! (Repeat on the other side.)

I almost have a complete wardrobe to go back to Space Camp. :)

Disclosure: I am not a paid representative of ILoveToCreate.com, but I think they're great. :) A huge thanks to Alexa from ILoveToCreate.com for sending along the paint!

DIY Stenciled Number Box

2013-03-24T09:10:00.001-04:00

Around the apartment, I leave little craft trails. Beads on the table, pom poms in the windowsill, a rhinestone chain in the bedroom... The list goes on. I needed a little knickknack box to keep all of my in-progress crafts corralled. When I received some paint and these Handmade Charlotte stencils from Plaid, I considered many things to stencil around the apartment, but I settled on making this number storage box.

The Handmade Charlotte stencils are really neat because they were designed by Charlotte over at the blog Handmade Charlotte and then Plaid made them. She has a few different stencil designs, but I received the "Family Message Center" set.

To start, I took a really sturdy shoe box and reinforced it to stand the test of time. (And me stuffing craft stuff inside.) After reinforcing the sides with tape, I painted over the whole box with the black Folk Art paint.

Then I started the stenciling. I am not a numbers or math person, but when numbers and math take the form of a craft, I'm totally fine with it. ;) I really like the look of numbers and letters as a pattern, so I decided to cover the box in everyone's favorite irrational number, Pi. I considered doing the numbers from LOST or repeating a date or something, but I was working on this around March 14th, so I just went with Pi. :)

I don't use stencils very often, but I did find that the sponges are much easier to use than a paintbrush. With a paint brush things get a little messy. :/

The final box in the corner! (Where most of the stray crafts used to roam.) I think stark black and white looks really cool in a room. :)

I contemplated painting an actual message center on the fridge, but as a renter, I decided that's probably not the best idea. (Although putting contact paper down on your fridge and painting on top of that would work!) I also made this little message center on the refrigerator with the Handmade Charlotte stencil and the chalkboard paint.

For more crafty stencils and inspiration, follow Plaid on Facebook, Plaid on Twitter, and Plaid on Pinterest.

Disclaimer: I wrote this post as part of a sponsored campaign with Plaid and The Blueprint Social. All opinions in this post are my own.

DIY Hair Pom Pom

2013-03-22T13:54:00.001-04:00

From headbands to bows, I really love little knickknacks that you can put in your hair. (And I've always loved the whimsical creations of the ladies over at Ban.do. :)) I've never made a pom pom out of anything but yarn, so I wanted to give it a shot and makes some hair pom poms!

To make the pom poms, you need a little pom pom maker. You can also make a pom pom from a fork, but I really like using the little pom pom tools. I think it makes a much more uniform pom pom. :)

Instead of yarn, I used little strips of fabric to make a different kind of pom pom. I think it makes the pom pom look a bit more sophisticated instead of a 1970s craft project. :) (If pom poms can ever be considered sophisticated. Ha.)

With a pom pom maker you can just wrap the fabric around the tool and then snip all the way around. Then you wrap another strip of fabric around all the snipped pieces of fabric and tie them together. (The tool makes this SUPER easy and fun.) Before you snip the ends of the fabric you used to tie everything together, tie a bobby pin to the pom pom. Then snip the longer fabric pieces you used to tie everything together so that they're even with the rest of the snippets.

And that's it! :) Here's to a weekend full of crafts, cocktails, and good friends.

DIY Two-Tone Pants

2013-03-18T09:08:00.000-04:00

The other day I was sitting on the train going to work and I had a flash of sewing genius. I've made a two-tone sweater by cutting apart two cardigans and stitching them back together, but why haven't I done this with pants? So after work I bopped over to the Forever 21 and H&M in SoHo to try and find two identical pairs of pants in the the perfect color combo. I didn't want to choose colors that contrasted too much (blue+orange, red+green, purple+yellow) for fear that I'd look like some Harlequin-like character, so I decided to go with cobalt and navy.

Some cool Upper East Side steps. <3 To make the two-tone pants you need: -Pants (I used these pants from Forever 21.)
-Seam Ripper
-Sewing Machine (This is mine. I love it so much.)
-Pins

To start, you need to rip out all of the seams that connect the two legs together. This gets a little tricky up at the top near the waistband, but just be careful and take it apart stitch by stitch. (You might have to take off one of the belt loops, but you can sew it back on later.)

If you use a pair of pants with a front zipper, you can just cut an opposing "J" about an inch below the zipper. You'll just match the opposing sides up later.

Then you need to match up the seams on the different pant legs. I found that it was easiest to first stitch the back waistband in place and then stitch the front "J" that you cut, and then match up the rest of the seams for the pant legs.

Since I don't have a serger, I stitched a zigzag stitch to strengthen the seams between the two pant legs. I also stitched the pockets shut on the pants so that the pants would lie nicer when you're wearing them. I *hate* how trouser-like pants have pockets that buckle out. :)

And that's it!

I can already tell these pants are going to be well-worn and well-loved. Good thing I have another two pant legs to use on another project. :)

What It's Like to Work at a Startup

2013-03-13T10:43:00.000-04:00

I don't talk about many things outside of crafts, New York City, and photography on this blog, but I've got a pretty amazing job worth talking about. I work at this little startup based in Chinatown, NYC called BarkBox. BarkBox is a subscription box for the pups of the world. Each month we ship out a box of fun and funky toys, treats, and dog goodies to the most well-loved pups in America and Canada. Like all startups, everybody at BarkBox is a jack-or-jane-of-all-trades, but my main job at BarkBox is managing The BarkPost and our Facebook page. I write dog stories, GIF roundups, and sometimes I'm even a ghostwriter for our office pups.

(I've also done quite a bit of customer support as well. And dogs are always allowed on the desk. ;))

I stumbled upon my job in a bit of a strange way-- a little over 8 months ago, I answered this tweet:

After a few phone interviews, a trip out to New York, and some emails, I accepted my current job at BarkBox and then moved out to New York City from Indiana. A pretty crazy route to get to where I am now.

One of these awnings is the quirky entrance to BarkBox in Chinatown.

The door to our office.

As a kid, I was obsessed with crafts, Nancy Drew, and dogs. Well, all animals, really. I grew up in the part of the rural Midwest where if you found an abandoned kitten and asked, "Mom, can I keep her?" the answer was usually yes. Going to Grandma and Grandpa's house meant there were lambs to catch, an ancient Beagle to pester, a Coonhound to avoid, a Border Collie to tease, and a Rat Terrier to (unsuccessfully) woo. At that age, I wanted to be a vet. I was (*ahem* am) a squeamish person around blood, but my 10-year-old self knew I wanted to work with dogs somehow. As I grew older, I kind of lost sight of the whole working-with-animals thing and I got into journalism, photography, writing, and the Internet. Who knew there would be a job that combines it all?

Working at BarkBox means:

Cutting plastic pups in half is a legitimate form of work. (DIY Dog Photo Stands)

Coffee breaks = pup poop breaks. #dirtytruth #literally

The CEO horses around a bit...

...The office paper shredder has teeth...

...Someone is always looking for a snuggle...

...the dogs are aspiring food bloggers...

...and they send mail...

...and the humans pose like dogs in photos.

This is one of our office dogs, Scout, on a day when the heat was broken.

My favorite guest office pup, Bruce Willis the Brussels Griffon.

And an unboxing video with my pup back home in Indiana, Bridget. #ruv

PS-- And if you're thinking of getting your pup a BarkBox or you've got an awesome dog picture or story, just shoot me an email at stacie(at)barkbox.com and I'll see if I can rustle up a coupon for you. :)

How to Style Curly Hair (Take 2)

2013-03-08T09:29:00.000-05:00

Around this time last year, I wrote this post on how I styled my curly hair. In that time I have learned a lot and my routine has changed quite a bit for the better. (And I've never received more helpful comments on a blog post. :))

This past year I've started using alcohol-free and sulfate-free products and I feel like my hair is so much healthier. While I will never get bangs again, (The horror!) it doesn't really feel like a battle to get ready anymore. I do wear my hair up most of the time, but I just let it do its crazy thing. Here's what I use:

1. L'Oreal Alcohol-free Styling Spray (Occasionally when I have to use a curling iron.)
2. Moroccan Moisture Argan Oil Cream (Definitely my favorite.)
3. L'Oreal Alcohol-Free Curl Defining Gel
4. L'Oreal Alcohol-Free Root Lifting Spray
5. L'Oreal Alcohol-free Curl Activating Mousse
6.Devacurl Light Defining Gel (Occasionally)

Extras: (Not pictured.)
-My shampoo
-My conditioner

I also take these hair and nail vitamins (when I remember, ha). When it comes to washing and styling my hair, I actually only was my hair about twice a week in the winter and three times per week in the summer. On the days where I don't wash my hair, I barely have to do any work-- I just add a bit more of the Moroccan cream, let it dry, and I'm good to go!

As ladies, I feel like we are marketed to relentlessly on TV, in magazines, and when we walk into the store to buy products. But I'm sold on the alcohol-free stuff. I've really seen a change in my hair since I started using the alcohol-free products-- my hair feels less dry and damaged and I can go a couple more days without a wash. (And I've tried to use the curling iron/blowdryer as little as I can.) All this being said, as my sixth-grade self that battled bangs and humidity can attest, I know that having curly hair is a lifelong learning process. :)

Day Trip to Sleepy Hollow

2013-03-05T09:04:00.000-05:00

This past weekend Adele had to be at a photoshoot, so Sean and I took a little trip on the Metro North up to the village of Sleepy Hollow, New York. Like many of the little adventures we've gone on, we found out about Sleepy Hollow through Atlas Obscura. Sleepy Hollow has the oldest church in New York and is also the setting and inspiration for Washington Irving's short story, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." (Irving is actually buried in the Sleepy Hollow cemetery as well.)

We took the Metro North up to Tarrytown, which is right next to Sleepy Hollow. I really love taking the Metro North, especially the Hudson line. The train runs right along the Hudson River and you really feel like you are moving away from the city and getting out.

The Tappan Zee Bridge.

You can see the city through the bridge. :)

The Sleepy Hollow cemetery.

Downtown Tarrytown. While there weren't as many antique shops in Sleepy Hollow or Tarrytown as I thought there would be, it was still a really nice trip to get some fresh air and be amidst buildings that are less than 3 stories tall. :)

DIY Malachite Statement Necklace

2013-03-01T09:13:00.000-05:00

Lately a lot of my projects have been from or related to my For the Makers boxes. You might be thinking, "Jeez Stacie, talk about them enough on here?" (*ahem* This necklace, this lariat necklace, this headband...) But they're really that cool. :)

This necklace is from the February box.

You need:
-An odd number of beads in shades of green, black and gold (Or whatever colors you'd like.)
-tiny gold beads
-rope
-grey skinny rope
-gold end caps
-black embroidery thread
-glue (Superglue or hot glue)
-thread for stitching everything together
-Beading needle and sewing needle

Start by measuring 2+ feet of rope and then find the center.

With your beading needle parallel to the ground, stitch through the middle of the rope and add your first bead. (Leave a bit of thread hanging out the back so you can tie a knot.

Add a gold bead and thread back through your main bead.

Tie the thread together at the top to make it all secure.

Continue with the rest of the beads making whatever design you'd like.

With your embroidery thread, divide the thread into 15 12'' strands. (5 per braid section.)

Braid the thread together making sure to keep it flat and thick. (If you braid it all and it is thin, you can scrunch it up a bit.) :) Also make sure your braided thread is longer than your bead section.

Stitch both the smaller rope and your braided thread to the top of the rope with the beads.

Wrap the unfinished ends in a bit of embroidery thread. (A little dab of glue here and there help keep everything in place.)

Glue your end caps on the end of your natural rope. I used a mixture of hot glue and superglue to do this. The hot glue secures the rope immediately while the E-6000 superglue keeps it there for good.

The final product. :) (If you have any trouble with my tutorial, be sure to check out the other tutorial over on For the Makers.)

Instax Post: The American Museum of Natural History

2013-02-27T11:07:00.001-05:00

A few months back I went to the Museum of Natural History for the first time. The museum is one of the most famous NYC museums full of fossils, a planetarium, ocean life, bones, and a gigantic (fake) blue whale. It was really cool to see all of the dinosaur fossils and walk around the exhibits, but the AMNH is a really old-fashioned museum. It feels like some of the exhibits haven't been updated since the 1950s... and as a huge Mad Men fan, that's okay too. :) I will say that I think Chicago's Natural History Museum is a bit better. :)

I definitely recommend lying on the ground and looking up at the big blue whale. Kind of feels like you're in the ocean.

DIY Agate Statement Necklace

2013-02-22T12:00:00.000-05:00

In terms of my DIY fashion projects, lately I've been really into making these time-consuming bib necklaces. (Like this one I made over the holidays.) :) I started this necklace in January after I got my For the Makers box. One of the projects inside was to make these really awesome agate meteor magnets. When I got my box, one of my little agates was broken. I sent For the Makers an email and they emailed me back saying that they'd get me another agate right away. Well they sent me three more. (So incredibly generous!) When I was playing with all of the agates, I noticed that they fit together in the perfect shape of a bib necklace. So I decided to make one of those instead.

Necklace 1 | Necklace 2 | Necklace 3

What you need:
-E6000 super glue
-Ribbon or lightweight material for the tie
-Suede piece (Repurpose some thrift shop leather or find it in a craft shop!)
-Agates, or here (Or you can find them on Etsy.)
-I used these square beads
-And glass beads

To make the statement necklace you should trace out the shape you want your necklace to be. I used one of my roommates necklaces as a base, but you can make it whatever shape you'd like.

Once you've got a nice shape, you can trace it on your suede and then cut it out. Since the agate has such a natural, earthy feel, I wanted to use a taupe-colored suede and earthy beads to go with the natural vibes of the .

Lay out your design...

And glue it on! Be careful that you don't get too much glue on the outside of the agate or it will squish everywhere.

Let the glue dry overnight and then gather your beads.

And stitch the beads wherever you'd like. I wanted to cluster the square steel-looking beads and fill in everywhere else with the glass beads.

I wanted to have a way to finish the edges of the suede so I chose to do a blanket stitch all the way around. Watch this video for a tutorial. (It's super easy.) :)

To make the straps, I used some spare fabric that I had and stitched long rectangular tubes, leaving one end open. I snipped the excess fabric and then flipped the tube inside out so that the seam hides inside the tube. Then I stitched the ends of the tube to the top of the necklace.

And that's it! So thankful for the extra agates from For the Makers. I think it's made me a little bit obsessed with rocks as DIY supplies.

Prints and Patterns Around the Apartment

2013-02-20T09:29:00.001-05:00

Just a few details from around the apartment. Like the triangle lamp shade.

Wine + St. Germain + Pomegranate

Some of Sean's records.

Polaroid.

Bitters.

Antlers.

Never enough triangles. :)

DIY Nautical Knot Headband

2013-02-18T09:24:00.000-05:00

A few weeks back, I was in Anthropologie and they had all of their gift wrapping supplies from Christmas on super clearance. Pretty papers, cards, and some incredible cording-- some awesome stuff. I couldn't let the cording pass by, so I bought it and let it sit around until I came up with a good enough idea to use some of it. It seems like every year around February there is all this nautical inspiration floating about as soon as the first spring break bathing suits make their way into stores. Since I'm not going anywhere warm this spring, I decided to make a little nautical headband instead. :)

Whale. Necklace. Schooner. Lighthouse.

One for me, some for friends.

To make the nautical knot necklace, you need two pieces of cording that are equal length. I'd measure against your head and give a little bit of extra cord. You also need a few inches of elastic, a needle and thread, and some scissors.

Some tips-- make sure to stitch your knot in place after your're done tying it up. This will ensure that nothing looks out of place when you're wearing it. Also, mess with the knot a few times when you're tying it. It takes a little patience, but once you see how it works, it will come together perfectly. :)

And that's it!

NYC Must-See: The Transit Museum

2013-02-14T09:30:00.000-05:00

A couple weekends ago, Sean and I went to the MTA Transit Museum in Brooklyn. We found the Transit Museum on Atlas Obscura, this awesome site where you can find obscure and curious spots around the world. (This site is amazing. The night Adele and I discovered it, we spent 4 hours looking at every site in New York and making weekend plans. :))

The New York Transit Museum is in an old train station. The first level is full of the history of the subway with pictures, video, and little artifacts.

Like these slugs that people used to avoid payment before there were Metrocards. (Did you know that the subway fares didn't cost a dollar until 1990? Now they are 2.25. The MTA was just bleeding money when the fares were lower.)

While the historical stuff was cool, the best part of the whole museum was the old trains. It's so crazy to see how things have changed and evolved.

In Mad Men, Peggy talks about how she is spending a fortune on panty hose because the wicker on the subway seats kept tearing them up. (Why they ever made seats out of wicker is beyond me.) :)

And the term "straphanger" that is used to describe commuters who use the subway comes from actual straps that people clung to instead of poles and rails.

And no AC??? So glad I wasn't riding the trains back then.

Where they used to keep the dimes from the train fares. So crazy that these things would be FULL of coins.

I definitely recommend this little weekend adventure. It's definitely a lot better than some of the other museums that are advertised to NYC visitors. :)

DIY T-Shirt Infinity Scarf

2013-02-11T12:45:00.002-05:00

Somehow, I always end up with a surplus of t-shirts. Enough to make a t-shirt quilt, a t-shirt halter top, and a t-shirt flower dress... to name a few. Last week I added another t-shirt project to the list, a t-shirt infinity scarf! Go check it out over on Scarves Dot Net. :)

Sean's Great Lakes Topographic Map

2013-02-06T09:23:00.000-05:00

A few months back during Hurricane Sandy, we were cooped up for a few days in our little apartment. We were some of the (very) lucky ones who didn't lose power, (or our home for that matter). So because we couldn't do anything, we just sat around, cooked meals, read, and crafted. (Le sigh.) :) Sean definitely had the best craft of the storm with his Great Lakes topographic map.

I originally saw this map on Fab and showed it to Sean. Until Sean was 6, he lived on the North Shore of Chicago, so the Great Lakes are really meaningful to him. (This is also the meticulous, tedious kind of project that turns out miserably when I attempt it so I'm quite glad Sean took it on.)

To make the topographic map, you need 5 layers of different colored papers. The first two need to be card stock or poster board. We got ours at this little craft shop nearby. (Why a craft store was open during Hurricane Sandy, I have no idea. Sometimes you just don't question New York and love it all the more.) You also need an Exacto knife, Mod Podge, and some glue sticks.

To trace the outlines of the lakes, Sean used a few Great Lakes maps from an atlas I bought at a thrift shop on the UWS, but you can just print off outlines online. (Make sure they are the same scale.

Sean traced each lake and then pieced it together.

And then cut the lakes out with an Exacto knife.

Then place your first layer underneath the cut-out lakes.

And trace your next layer.

And cut out again.

Keep repeating this process until you go deeper and deeper into the topography of the lake. Sean also used a teeny bit of Tacky Glue to keep the layers together.

What the back looks like. A mixture of glue and masking tape.

Sean then sealed the whole map with Mod Podge. Make sure you do very thin layers of Mod Podge so that the poster board doesn't wrinkle with the moisture.

Funny story about the frame we are using-- Adele and I actually found this frame sitting on top of trash on one of our morning runs. It was totally broken and disheveled-looking. We bleached+409'ed the heck out of it, glued it back together, Mod Podged a layer of glossy Mod Podge on top to seal anything we didn't kill with our thorough bleaching, and the frame looks great!

Sean's Great Lakes art now hangs above our door. It really fits in with the maps and fauna vibe we've got going on in the apartment and it was a really great project to work on while cooped inside. :)

DIY Lariat Necklace

2013-02-04T09:08:00.001-05:00

I'm a big fan of Western-inspired attire-- I wear my black cowboy boots almost every day, I hand-beaded these cowboy boots, and I think Montana is one of the greatest places on Earth. When I was making this lariat necklace over the weekend, I kept thinking that I was making the lady version of a bolo tie. I asked Sean if he would ever wear a bolo tie and he said, "No way. I'm not from Texas." Well neither am I but I would totally wear one. The perks of being a girl. :)

The supplies for this necklace were actually in the January box from For the Makers. I posted about For the Makers before on the rhinestone headband I made, but I really love the quality of materials and the thought they put into the boxes they send each month.

To make the lariat necklace, first you need to fold your chain in half and start wrapping the embroidery thread around the chains.

After you wrap about an inch and a half, spread the chains apart and bring the thread down the middle. Secure everything with super glue.

Do the same at the other end and snip your extra thread.

And that's it! A very simple necklace that looks perfect on an outfit all by itself.

(I didn't dye my hair. This is my roommate Adele in these photos.) :)

DIY Cat Sleep Mask

2013-02-01T10:42:00.000-05:00

I'm a big fan of sleeping in pitch black. When I was in college I used to build these light-tight caves around the bunk beds I slept in and I've never slept better. Since it's a bit strange to build blanket caves in the real world, I started to use a little sleep mask. (I thought they were ridiculous until I tried them, they're totally worth it.) :)

I used two pieces of black fabric to make my sleep mask-- one of satin for the front and a piece of a cotton t-shirt for the back. I sewed a cat shape to hold the two together and left a little hole open to flip it inside out.

After I flipped the fabric right-side out, I put my old, boring sleep mask inside and stitched up the hole. (You can just use stuffing if you want.) Then I ironed it flat.

Stitch a little cat nose to it and sew on the elastic that you've measured against your head. That's it!