DIY Sweatshirt Fix

I'm sure everyone has a sweatshirt that just doesn't fit right. Mine is in the form of a hoodie my parents got me from Hawaii. I love sweatshirts but this one fit weird. The sleeves are at least 1.5" short and the hoodie pretty much choked me out every time I'd try to wear it. So what did I do? Took scissors to it. I'm sure I could have been "fancier" or more creative but hey, I wanted to fix it.

One of my final products

What you'll need: 

• Sweatshirt you don't mind cutting into
• Scissors

This is literally the easiest and fastest outfit fix I've done! First, I lined up the sweatshirt so I didn't cut it unevenly. 

Sweatshirt Before (and my nosy dog)

Lining up the sweatshirt and just starting to cut away

Next, the sleeves. The super short sleeves. I wasn't quite sure what to do with them. So I did what I'm good at... cutting with the scissors.  Below shows how I did it. After they were cut, i just rolled them up a little. I was going to sew them, but I decided I like them rolled.

I cut off a little bit of the sleeve and then just rolled it twice

I thought about cutting it shorter too on the bottom. However, I thought about the pocket and I didn't want to mess that up!  The final product is below! I'm proud of it, I'm actually going to wear this sweatshirt now! Yay! 

It's a lot cuter in person... I promise. lol Here it looks bulky, but that's just the sweatshirt itself

The neckline

Pretty easy, huh? What do you think? I did another one as well, it's the pink one on top!

DIY Cork Chandelier

So I saw a "ball of corks" if you will, and I thought that it would be so cute with lights wrapped around it as a "cork chandelier". My first issue, there were no instructions for making this "Cork Chandelier" but hey, I can do anything I put my mind to, right?

What you'll need: 

• Foam ball (whichever size you want, I used an 8" one from Michael's)
• Hot glue
• a TON of corks (if you use a larger ball.) 
• Chain
• Mini Christmas Lights

This is actually a really easy project, it just took a lot longer than I thought it was. I underestimated the amount of time it would take to glue on 150+ corks. 

The one thing you do need to do is cut a hole through the middle. I used a drill to drill a hole through the middle of the ball so I could hang it with a small chain... or whatever I use. (the picture below shows about how much space I left around the drilled hole) 

One issue I did come across is that I got impatient, and would rotate the ball to add more corks before other glue dried. I didn't pay attention and a few times the cork would dry crooked or tilted. So if that happens, just glue around the edges to hold it down... or (i did this a few times) gently pull the cork off of the ball, clean it off and re-glue it. Easy Fix. The picture below shows me fixing one of the corks...

To be honest, there is not a lot of skill involved in this project (if I can do this, anyone can:)... just start gluing. Mine took probably 3-4 hours for gluing. 

Partially Done 

I'm moving on Friday so as soon as I hang it and unpack some lights to wrap in it, I will take a picture and post it! ( I need to make sure I get a strong... but cute chain because this sucker is heavy!!!)

*Disclaimer: Nope, I did not drink that much wine in order to acquire that many corks! My good friend is a restaurant manager, so she brought me a box full of probably 300 corks! :)*

Currently what it looks like. I think when I get some mini lights wrapped in there (I'm going to try and find ones with dark cords) you won't see the foam as much. 

What do you think? Do you think you'll try and make one? I'd love to hear your honest thoughts on it! 

Inexpensive DIY Candle Holders

This is a unique, cute idea (I think) for some really unique candle holders. It's simple and after I got the supplies together and ready, it took about 5-7 minutes to make. 

What You'll Need: 

• Whatever pretty candle holder you want (i picked a short, cylindrical one) 
• Mod Podge
• Sponge Applicator
• Epsom Salt
• Clear Coat Spray
• Paper Plate (just for pouring the Epsom salt onto) 

First, you to pour a generous amount of Epsom salt onto the paper plate. 

Then, apply a thin layer of Mod-Podge onto the entire vase/candle holder.. whatever you use. *Make sure it's even. I made the mistake of applying it thicker in one spot and it's a little noticeable. Doesn't look bad but would look better even :) 

I applied the Mod Podge while I had my hand in the vase so I didn't have to worry about getting it on my hand. 

Next,  while keeping your hand in the vase, roll it in the Epsom salt which is on the paper plate. 

Let it sit for a little bit (I waited around 10 minute) and then lightly tap the candle holder to shake off the excess Epsom salt. 

Then, spray a light layer of the clear coating on it to make sure the Epsom salt stays in place! 

Voila! You have a cute candle holder that has a gorgeous glow!!! 

 What do you think? Will you try this? 

Chic DIY Mossy Letters

I saw a similar DIY project on Pinterest and I though the letters looked very shabby chic. I tried it for myself and it was a little messier and turned out a bit more "woodsy" than I had anticipated (I think I just got the wrong type of moss).

What You'll Need: 
Bag of Moss (I got mine from Michaels for about 7.99 I think)
Hot glue/gun
Wooden letters - Whichever size works for you. (I bought mine from Michaels for $3.99 each)
Newspaper (something to keep your mess to a minimum)

I didn't do anything special, just heated up the glue gun, grabbed a bit of moss and started gluing.

I like them now (see final project at the top of the blog). My boyfriend and I are moving at the end of March and I'm going to hang these in our bathroom or kitchen... I'll post a final picture then. You could also do deeper letters so they stand on their own.

What do you think about the mossy letters? Will you try them? 

(Spoiler Alert: My next DIY Craft that I will post will be DIY candle holders with Epsom salt!)