side braid

Braids can add so much interesting texture to your look! Here's how you can take a classic french braid and style it to get a pretty side braid. Sarah demonstrates how to style a side braid on our model Sarah (two pretty Sarah's in one place!).1. Gather a large section of your hair starting from one side of the crown of your head and sweeping to the other side. 2. Begin braiding three small strands from the top of this section. 3. As you braid add more strands from the original section. 4. Be sure to braid so that your hair wraps around the top of your head. 5. Finish by wrapping one strand around the entire braid, securing it in place. You could use a hair tie as well and wrap the hair around the hair tie, hiding it.

this is so pretty

Make a statement piece in your home out of supplies you already have on hand! I designed my oversized fabric garland chandelier to fit over our table but you could also use it in a corner that needs a little more excitement, above a reading nook in a child's bedroom, or as the backdrop for your next holiday party. 

You'll need: 1 wire cooling rack, 2-3 yards of fabric in different shades, 1 strand of twinkle lights, 1 white extension cord, lace, chenille, embroidery thread, a needle, two hooks that screw into a wall, a drill. 

1. cut strips of fabric in varying widths (1/2" - 2") for depth. 2. create texture with strips by stitching loosely through them with embroidery thread and then bunching them up before tying a knot. Spread them out evenly along your thread and leave enough string at the end to tie it to the cooling rack.

3. Starting about 5 rows in from the outer edge, fold the short ends of each strip of fabric over and hand stitch a complete row of fabrics. Vary the shades and thicknesses but use more thick ones than skinny ones on the inside rows. They need to cover your lights and add density. Tie a knot at the end of your row and trim your thread. Repeat until the outer five rows on each side have been covered. Use more thin strips on the outer row. 4. Add three or four strips of fabric along the middle rows just at each end. You're going to leave a big hole in the middle for the lights to hang. Add some thin srip here as well.

5. Use a thin strip and wrap it around the edge of your sheet to cover the exposed metal. Stitch together at each end to secure. 6. It should like this. Repeat on the other side.

7. Carefully attach your twinkle lights. Start with the plug near the back left (or right) corner and tie it near the top with a thin strand of fabric. Continue to tie up your lights in three or four places. Let them hang down but not further than the fabric. 8. Cut four strips of fabric measuring about 2.5" apart and stitch them together at the end as shown.

9. Pull one strand through the corner and continue to braid the rest together. This will be one of the four strands that you hang your chandelier from. You can replace this with chain if you'd like but the fabric disguises the extension cord a bit. Attach your extension cord to the plug in from your twinkle lights and then braid it with the strand on that corner. 10. Draw all four strands up so that they are equal and tie them in a large knot.

Drill a pilot hole in your ceiling and hang a strong hook where you'd like to hang your chandelier. I drilled another above the socket against the wall so that the extension cord could hook into that and not hang down aimlessly. Then I plugged it in and had some lovely lighting! Trim yours up to the height you'd like. 

During the day it works as a statement piece and softens up the dining area. After dark it adds drama and a soft glow, perfect for these long nights

DIY sweater

Hi friends! Today we want to share a super quick and simple method for sewing your very own heart sweater! We've seen this trend all over this year and love the simple statement that a big heart can make! Enjoy...

1. Make a heart pattern with paper and place it on the sweater to make sure you love the size and shape. 2. Once you've created the perfect pattern, use it to cut a heart out of your fabric. We used polyester fabric because it has some stretch and won't fray. 3. Simply pin it in place and sew it on using the zigzag stitch. 4. Wear your new sweater proudly. You did it!! 

DIY iphone case

It's no secret that we adore taking lots of pictures with our iPhones. We adore getting new cases; they are the perfect little (functional) accessory. We decided it was high time we created some of our own—especially since we just couldn't pass up these clear cases we found on Ebay for $2 each!1. Supplies: Clear iPhone cases, pretty papers, paint, fabrics, found papers, scissors and paint brushes. 2. If you plan on making your case with papers first create a template that fits your case; including the where the camera goes so you don't cover it. 3. Use your template to cut out a pretty paper, lay this inside your clear case before popping your phone in. 4. Use your template to cut out a cute fabric, lay this inside your clear case before popping your phone in. 5. Use paint chips to create a collage for your case. 6. Paint the inside of your case—you can leave some areas blank so your phone shows through. 7. Create a geometric design out of found papers; such as magazines or pictures. 8. Have fun customizing your case to your style—or gift one to a friend!What we love about filling the inside of the case with a pretty paper or fabric is you can change out your design as often as you like. You could match your iPhone case to your mood. Or outfit. Or your mister's outfit. What? You think that might be just a little over-the-top. Well... maybe you're right.

DIY sweater

Supplies needed: cardigan, fabric (this is a great way to use scraps!), fabric marker/crayon, 1 sheet of card stock, scissors, pins, embroidery thread and embroidery needle.

1. Using the fabric marker, mark an X on each sleeve of your cardigan right at the point of your elbow.
2. Cut a heart out of card stock to use as a stencil, making sure it fits perfectly on the sleeves of your cardigan. Resize if necessary.

3. Cut two hearts from fabric, using stencil. 4. Pin a heart to each sleeve of your cardigan, making sure the center of the heart is placed over the X you made earlier. 5. Stitch all the way around the heart with embroidery thread. You could also use a sewing machine! I really wanted a "handmade" look, so I hand stitched mine.

6. Repeat on the other sleeve, and your restyled cardigan is finished

DIY clothes rack

Looking for a budget friendly way to create garment racks for your home? Today Rachel shares her D.I.Y. method...

You'll Need: Two 1/2" x 60" black steel pipes, Two 1/2" x 48" black steel pipes, Four 1/2" x 8" black steel pipe nipples, Two 1/2" x 2 1/2" black steel pipe nipples, Six 1/2" x 1 1/2" black steel pipe nipples, Six 1/2" black tees, Four 1/2" black 90 degree elbows, Four 1/2" galvinized floor flanges, Two 1/2" black steel end caps, 1 can of black spray paint (optional) and Work gloves. *Note: My supplies cost around $70-$80.

Preparation: Spray paint your floor flanges black to make it consistent with the rest of the pieces. Take the orange plastic caps off each end of the black pipes. For a truly consistent look, spray paint each piece. Wait until they've dried before assembling. 

One: Group your small pieces for easier assembly. Just so you know what they look like I've lined them up. In descending order: end cap, 90 degree elbow, tee, 2 1/2" steel nipple, 1 1/2" steel nipple, galvinized floor flange, 8" steel nipple. Two: To create each base, screw one 8" steel nipple into the tee as shown. Three: Attach one 90 degree elbow to the end of your 8" nipple making sure it's facing the opposite direction of the top of your tee when tightened. Four: Attach a 1 1/2" steel nipple to the open end of the elbow joint. Five: Attach your floor flange to the other end of the nipple and tighten. Six: Repeat on the opposite side of your base. Seven: Attach one 1 1/2" steel nipple to the open end of your tee joint. Eight: Attach another tee joint to the 1 1/2" nipple as shown. Tighten with a wrench so that the tee joint is facing as shown. Nine: Repeat steps 2-8 to create your second base. Ten: Lay your long pipes on the ground with the shorter two on the top and bottom and the longer two on the sides. First you will assemble the top of the rack by screwing one 2 1/2" nipple into one end cap. Then screw one tee joint into the other end of the nipple as shown.Eleven: Screw that piece onto one end of your 4' steel pipe as shown. Repeat with the other end of the 4' steel pipe to complete the top of your rack. Twelve: Screw each 6' steel pipe into the open tee joints. Thirteen: Screw one base onto the end of one 6' steel pipe and tighten so that the open joint is facing the opposite side. Fourteen: Repeat with the other base. Fifteen: Screw one end of the last 4' steel pipe into the left side tightly with a wrench. Sixteen: Fit the other end of the 4' pipe into the other open tee joint and screw it in three times. This will unscrew it three times from the opposite end but neither end will be in danger of coming off.

If you plan on transporting your garment rack to events or are moving houses, just unscrew the bases, the bottom 4' pipe, and the two 6' pipes. They're easy to reassemble and store and can take a good beating since they're so sturdy. Change the dimensions to create the ideal sized garment rack for your own space. 

lemonaid mix-up

Grapefruit Lemonade- to a large pitcher of lemonade add in 2 cups of grapefruit juice and fresh slices of grapefruit. Give this one a taste when your done-as you may want to add more sugar if you feel it's too tart.

Strawberry and Basil Lemonade- to a large pitcher of lemonade add 2-3 cups of chopped strawberries and a handful of chopped basil. The longer this lemonade sets the more the basil flavor will infuse with the beverage!

Cucumber Mint Limeade-to a large pitcher of limeade (or lemonade) add one cucumber, thinly sliced, and a handful of chopped mint leaves. This one is similar to the Strawberry Basil lemonade in that the mint flavor will become stronger the longer this beverage sets. 

Blackberry Lemonade- to a small pitcher of lemonade add 1 cup of slighlty mashed blackbarries. You can smash these by hand or with a spoon, but the more you smash them the more the color will infuse in your lemonade-pretty!

painted floors

I spotted these painted floors via Camille Styles and was immediately drawn to the impact of them. I’m also a big sucker for monochromatic color combinations, hello gorgeous! For wide floorboards I think painting them would be a really fun way to create an unexpected area of attraction for a room, but a floor color is a big commitment. Maybe too big! It’s a cheap alternative to a rug too (the rainbow stripes below, top left, cost about $100 in paint) and you still get that classic look of wood. What do you think? Would you dare?

Some more floor painting inspiration:

(images: one two three four five six seven eight nine)

cute cards

Sometimes it’s the little connections that makes the biggest difference in our day. Getting a personal card in the mail, a thoughtful email from a friend when you’re having a bad day, or connecting with an old elementary school friend online. It makes me so thankful to be living in an era of technology where it’s just so easy to connect and maintain friendships, even when they live miles away.

It’s those small, thoughtful things that make all the difference in our relationships, don’t you think? These mini embroidered cards and handmade envelopes, though small, are personal and sweet. You can create any simple design you’d like for the embroidering and stamp out any message. They’re really fun to make too! Is it weird that I want to send one to myself? Because I just might. They’re too cute!

I’d love to hear your ideas though: what do you do to enrich your relationships with family and friends who live far away?

Keep reading to see the full tutorial on making these yourself…

First we’ll make the handmade envelopes. We’ll make the template for the envelope before cutting it on pretty paper. Using a ruler, pen, and scrap paper, draw a square 3 inches long on each side. Then form another square 2 inches long on inside that fits in the middle of that larger square (you can actually wait to do this part until you’re cutting on fancy paper but I was just practicing. Cut out that larger square.

Isn’t this paper pretty? Melanie from Fifth and Hazel sent it to me a while back and I’ve been waiting for the perfect opportunity to use it.

Cut out a few pieces of fancy paper with your template

I re-drew the inside square onto the new paper so I knew where to fold.

Fold the triangles in and seal with a sticker after placing the card inside.

Now onto the embroidered cards!

Cut pieces of super thick card stock a bit smaller than the envelope.

Mark with a pen the outline of a design, making the dots not too close together. Then poke holes with a thumbtack.

Embroider away! If you’re new to embroidering on paper, check out this post of mine here where I walk through the process in more detail.

Stamp a personal message with a mini stamp set like this one of mine

You’re done! You can glue another piece of paper on the back to write an additional note if you wish.

Happy card making!