So on Monday evenings, the CAC hosts an adult craft night called, appropriately, “One Night, One Craft.” Anything that encourages grownups to act like kiddos is something I can get behind.

The most recent night was dedicated to do-it-yourself mendhi, and I thought “Why not?” It’s sort of like drawing on yourself, and much like Simon, I like to do draw-rings.

The instructor showed us how to mix the henna and coffee into a paste, then create a cone (I swear cone-making was the hardest part) and fill it with the mixture. I sketched out a basic idea – a stylized ‘T’ – and went to town on my arm, trying not to be jealous of my neighbor’s intricate design. Clearly, SHE had the cone thing down pat.

After a messy evening spent with my arm coated in sugar and lemon juice and wrapped in plastic, this was the result!

Now I kind of understand why people get full sleeve tattoos: it makes you feel like a badass.

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I’ve had this standard-issue Gap denim jacket for years, and though it was still cute and functional, I felt like DOING something to it. Why leave a perfectly good item of clothing alone when there’s all sorts of potential to screw it up?

So, for your viewing “pleasure,” I present this quick fashion DIY video. Enjoy!

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I’ve been testing out my DIY scarf necklace to see how it fares in hot weather…

I also made a shorter, braided necklace using scraps in my craft box. I think I like the way they look together.

I also like how easy it is to make it look like I put some effort into getting dressed (when I most certainly have NOT) just by throwing them on over shorts and a tank. I’m all about lazy layering!

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I love a good scarf, I really do. But when it’s 127 degrees out, walking around with a large swathe of fabric draped around your neck is not really the most prudent idea. Things get SCHWETTY.

So, I’ve been thinking about making something a bit more accommodating, like a cross between a scarf and a necklace (a scarflace? a narf?). This is what I’ve come up with so far:

I didn’t do a step-by-step DIY because this is just an experiment (read: I had no idea what I was doing) and I have a few other ideas, but what do you think?

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Since I tend to gravitate to “colors” like gray and black, I wanted a cheap and easy way to add a shot of color–something bright and playful, almost cartoon-y.

I found this slightly weird necklace in the $1.00 bin at a flea market and decided it was my mission in life to paint it an obscenely bright traffic-sign yellow.

The whole project only took about 10 minutes, and I let it “hang dry” on my fire escape for the rest of the day.

I can’t wait to wear it with something gray, or maybe black–or ooh, navy. Mission accomplished!

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Thrifted blazer; American Apparel skirt; Mustard Seed tank; Ash sandals; jewelry from unknown vendors

As much as I want to wear multiple bright colors, it never seems to work out. I wore my DIY sleeveless blazer with plenty of goes-with-everything black, red drop earrings, and my favorite orange lipstick. I guess I’ve always been more comfortable playing the demon child.

Have a great weekend!

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You guys! I finished a mending* project thanks to something I learned on the internets!

So, I’ve had this vintage beaded skirt  for years, but never really wore it because the elastic waist was SO stretched out. Even a belt wouldn’t keep this sucker up.

Enter this video and my newfound do-it-yourself-y-ness, and I decided to try my hand at fixing the waistband. MYSELF.

Step 1: Remove the thread from the waistband. I used a seam ripper, but it still wasn’t as easy as it looked in the video. Dangit.

Step 2: Open up a section of the waistband casing (that’s a TECHNICAL term, you know) and cut the old elastic inside before pulling it out through the opening.

Step 3: Insert new, stretchy elastic into the waistband. I didn’t measure the elastic because that seemed too much like the right thing to do, I just stretched it around my waist and guessed.

Step 4: Sew the ends of the new elastic together and stitch the opening in the casing shut.

Even with the double row of stitching through the elastic, it was a fairly easy project! And I love the result:

Isn’t the beading pretty? It’s like getting new clothes without going shopping!

Thrifted oxford; Limited belt; Nine West shoes; Gucci sunglasses

Yay for me and learning from the intergoogle! I already have another project in mind…

*I literally have a basket of mending like ladies had in Ye Olden Days. I’m 80.

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