Organisation, Storage and Cute Jars ~ Spring Cleaning ~ DIY's

Ok I might not be the most organised person but I do like to try! And it is Spring Cleaning time!!!

I love Storage and Storage Jars especially in the Kitchen! Now I have bought sooo many Jars for my kitchen, all different shapes and sizes for storing everything from sugar to cookie cutters. I have picked them up everywhere from pound shops to home wear supplies and everywhere in between! (Ikea you need to move closer to me!!!) Love Meadows & Byrne but again they have relocated away from me!

Now Jar-wise I have branched out to pack cakes in jars, (check out my post here) so my jar collection needs to grow. I had an idea to recycle food jars. (Now I do recycle glass in the recycle centre and way prefer food to come in glass jars over plastics - tangential rant)

Every Jam maker reuses old jam jars so why not use them for other things.

Also it can't be just me that opens plastic bags by exploding the contents all over the place and having no way of keeping the unused contents fresh!

So now I wash out old jars, (especially those that are cute shapes) soak to remove labels and paint the lids and paint on labels with chalk paint (so cute) I have used these to store Macaroni in the large one and chopped Hazelnuts in the smaller one!!!

Here are some before and after pics:

 

 

And here's my Cake in a Jar Attempt:

 

 

 

 

Hope you like this post and give recycling Jars into storage a go!

 

Please send me your organisation hacks!

 

xx

~ Blogmas Day 23 ~ Last Minute DIY Gifts ~

Crafty, creative gifts are my favourite. Adding the personal touch to a gift brings a smile to every recipients face.

 

That in mind I set about making these candy cane hot chocolate bauble's , be careful you can't drop these like I did!!!

Materials/Ingredients:

• Empty Baubles from a craft shop
• Hot Chocolate Powder
• Mini Marshmallows
• Candy Canes
• Ribbons
• Tape

Method:

• Fill half the bauble with hot chocolate powder, press down to compact.
• Crush up a candy cane and add a layer on top of the chocolate powder.
• Top with mini Marshmallows.
• Seal bauble with a bit of tape. Try not to shake as layers may become combined.
• Add same ribbons for both hanging and decoration. And maybe a mini candy cane...

Sweet Stockings

This was an easy one

 

Supplies:

• Assorted Sweets
• Brown Paper
• Red Thread
• Sewing Machine
• Scissors

Method:

Cut your paper into stocking shapes.
Fill with sweets
Sew all edges closed

Reindeer Poop

Supplies:

• Maltesers
• Cellophane Bags
• Coloured Cards for labelling

Label reads:

"I've hear you've been naughty,

so here's the scoop,

all your getting is

Reindeer Poop"

Retro Sweet Box

I've seen these everywhere but you can easily make your own after a trip to your local sweet shop.

Supplies:

• Sweets
• Cake Box
• Ribbon

Everyone would love to receive these gifts, they are functional, tasty, decorative and Christmassy!!!!

Hope you feel inspired to give a homemade gift this year!

Send me your creations and leave some comments!

xx

Blogmas Day 19 ~ Baking Gifts ~

Doing some Saturday Shopping? Why not pick up some baking gifts?

One thing I have in common with my bestie is a love of baking and all things pretty!!!
So this is what she's getting this year... (hope she doesn't see this)

What's in the box??

1. Box is a cupcake box from €0.90

2. Wilton Candy Cane mini baking cases

3. Bake me I'm yours... Cakepops Book can't remember the price

4. Bake Me I'm yours... Cupcake note cards  just €1

5. Jane Asher's Cake Pop silicone Moulds just €1.49

6. Jane Asher's White Chocolate Stars and Red glitter sprinkles €1.49

7. Jane Asher's Writing Chocolate Decoration tubes €1.49

8. Jane Asher's Cake Pop Sticks €1.49

As always wrapped it all up in cellophane and stuck on some Christmas bows!!!

So I hope I've inspired you all make some personalised gifts and boxes from friends and family this year!!!

xx

Blogmas Day 16 ~ DIY Christmas Cards~

As you will already know I love all arts and crafts and I want to incorporate this passion into Christmas and Blogmas. So I have decided to make Handmade Christmas Cards!

Materials used:

• Coloured Card
• Fabric/felt etc.
• Interfacing
• Ribbon
• Beads
• Glitter
• Glue
• Scissors
• Ink
• Happy Christmas Stamp

now that you have all your supplies get crafty, use your imagination!

I went with a Christmas tree theme. Sometimes it's easier to follow a theme, as there are so many different design ideas and one could get carried away!

Hope you feel inspired  to make some personalised handmade Christmas cards for your friends and family!

Send me pic's of your creations!

xx

Blogmas Day 15 ~ DIY Christmas Gifts ~ Mason Jars & Sweets & Treats ~

Again Craft is the way forward with gifts, everyone will remember getting a heart felt, homemade gift. Plus these can be frugal and budget friendly!

I recently purchased some mason jar glasses... thingies.... see for yourself...

I didn't know what to do with them but then I had a moment of genius whilst grocery shopping!
I was wandering the sweet isle trying to resist temptation when I came across a bag of mini fudge bars on sale, my mum likes these but the plastic bag don't look too fancy!!

Then I had the idea of filling the mason jars with sweets and treats! I also got Liquorish Allsorts and Chocolate Mint sweets!

See ... these look so fancy and all for under €10!!!!

Anyone out there making their own Christmas gifts??? Please share!!

xx

Blogmas Day 13 ~ Whitty Gifts ~

We all have friends who invite you around never telling you that their home is lacking a few key basics.... tea, milk, toilet paper!!!

My solution to kindly point out their shopping failures this Christmas.....

I found this on Pinterest (like the obsessive I am) pinned from here

The Gift Tag reads:

"Money is scarce and times are hard,

So I'm giving you this Instead of a card.

Some for you and Some to share,

So bottoms up Just cause I care"

All you need is Toilet paper, Boggly eyes, orange card for noise, Card for Gift Tag, Cellophane, curling ribbons!!!

Hope everyone likes this idea and your friends get the hint!!
Can't wait to see how it goes down!!!

xx

Blogmas Day 10 ~ DIY Hampers Secret Santa ~

Secret Santa presents can be difficult but I have some suggestions.

You know some basics about the recipient, not a lot if it's a work thing but some!

This example I know the recipient has a cute little dog and everyone loves being cosy in winter.

So off to Primark with me.

• Doggy Stocking.
• Throw
• Reindeer Slippers

Then I got a name candle in a home wear shop!

Then yep you guessed it I wrapped it all up with cellophane and curling ribbons!!!
I also added some dog biscuits!

Blogmas Day 5 ~ DIY Gift Planning~

Before you launch into making handmade gifts there are a few things to remember...

As a child all we had to do was glue a bit of pasta and glitter to paper and it was as if we handed our parents a Picasso this doesn't translate into adulthood!

Handmade gifts need to be good.

They must be functional or witty.

Personalise the gift, it should be something the person wants or likes.

Baking is always fun so you can bake a Christmas treat for a loved one or make a baking gift so your loved one can enjoy baking and you might get to eat the treats!!!

As I have said before It's all in the Presentation!!! So a simple gift can be made amazing if you wrap it properly, ribbons,  bows, baubles, candy canes....

 

 

 

 

Read my It's All in the Presentation Post this also deals with functional and personalised gifts.

 

All this in mind I am beginning to make my handmade gifts, I will keep you updated of my progress. I would love to hear your DIY stories, drop me a link on Twitter or leave a comment below!!

 

xx

Safety Pin Fashion ~Versace Love ~ Design, Trend or Costume?

So it's my favourite time of year, well favourite holiday, Halloween soon. I love to dress up, to design and create. I find it very disappointing that the older we get the less we embrace the costume. So I am happy to announce that this year I not only get to enjoy Halloween but also a "Reeling in the Years" themed event. So costume time! But I had no idea what to wear. My friend, who invited me had decided on Bad Sandy from Grease, so I needed an equally impressive costume....

 

Liz Hurley's, Versace safety pin from the 1994 premier of Four Weddings and a Funeral!

This dress is famous, simply referred to as "That Dress". It has been voted No.1 in a poll on the most iconic red carpet dresses compiled by Debenhams.

It was shocking and produced much controversy in the media at the time, but did it really change the way we dress? Versace was a man who embraced the female form and to quote Liz herself "Unlike many other designers, Versace designs clothes to celebrate the female form rather than eliminate it."

Today we don't bat an eyelid to the outfits or  it would be better to say lack there of, of celebrities such as Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga and Rihanna.

Versace may have made it famous but so many other designers have followed suit and used pins in their creations, including Moschino, Alexander McQueen and Marc Jacobs.

Versace has been an inspiration to me for many moons. I have designed and worn safety pin dresses in the past, embraced plunging necklines and skies the limit thigh slits but now I have set my sights on recreating "That Dress" as an iconic 90's costume. I hope I do it justice.

Wikipedia tells me the design basics:

Design

The black dress was made from pieces of silk and lycra fabric, with oversized gold safety pins placed at "strategical places". The dress was wide open at the front, from the neck down to at least half way across the bosom, with two slimline straps on the shoulders each side connected by a gold safety pin and two cut-away parts on both sides that were held together with six gold safety pins on each side and one at the top of the cut-away on each side connecting it to the bosom section. The dress is said to be punk-inspired, "neo-punk",and something which "emerged from the sari development" according to Gianni Versace himself.


I still don't know if there were two thigh slits? From photos of Liz walking up the stairs it looks as if there were? I wish I could see it up close to investigate!!!!

Also I am not using silk, it is just a costume so I am using a stretchy jersey like fabric that clings nicely to the body. €15 per meter from Hickeys Fabrics. Also I don't think I will go so low on the neckline but we'll see, I plan on fitting a bra to the dress so give me support and so I don't have annoying bra straps every where!!!

I painted some safety pins gold and added some gold buttons to make them a bit fancier like Versace's.

Here is the finished product....

Another great night with the Macra crew!!

xx

DIY Trends ~ Fringing ~ Crop Top ~ T-Shirt Project

 

Fringing and distressing, the Crop Top

A Trend to try before the summer ends, the crop top and some fringing (although fringing seems to be continuing into the Autumn) great festival trend read my Festival Fashion post here

After a lovely twitter chat with fellow blogger Jordan C of thestyleselections.com and comparing festival fashion I thought of this DIY project.

I have lots of plain black tees lying around so I thought to vamp one up! Why not??

 

To Distress:

Soak in salt water, softens the t-shirt (not necessary but I wondered what all this was about)

 

Bleach splatters, I went a bit overboard with the bleach but I think it works. I just used the ordinary bleach you use to clean the bathroom costs around 80c.                            

I just love the firey colours of the bleach on black!

I also cut off the collar and shortened the sleeves.

Fringing:

This just requires a scissors, a steady hand and patience.

So chop chop.

 

Then I tied some knots to create a pattern and give the illusion of length to my new Crop Top!

Perfect top for the Indian summer we have been promised or to wear to any festival! I styled this with some high waisted denim shorts so as not to show too much skin!

Front:

Back:

 

You like?? Please leave a comment

 

Have you read my Festival Fashion Post

or my Festival Make Up Bag Post

or trends in my Summer Beach Style Wish List

 

 

xx

DIY Clutch from Sunglasses Case

Trying to be more motivated so I just had time for this quick DIY Clutch today.

I've spotted a lot of tutorials and suggestions on Pinterest and it being summer-ish still there are sunglasses cases on sale everywhere and I can never have enough bags!!!!

So I got my supplies thanks to discount shops and sales.

Supplies:

Sunglasses case:                  Dealz                      €1.49
Lace (Giant knickers):         Penneys/Primark    €0.50
Rings:                                  Penneys/Primark    €0.50
Button
Hot Glue Gun
Super Glue
Needle and Thread
Scissors


This is sooo simple only took a few minutes!!!

I chose the 3 square rings and super glued them to the top of the sunglasses case.

Cut the lace (I used knickers as they are cheaper than lace and wider than most lace trims) to the size for a pocket. Sewed it up by hand to make a rectangle then sewed through the middle so my clutch has a pocket on each side of the opening.

Then I used the hot glue gun to stick the pocket to the clutch! (Be careful not to glue both sides you want the pockets to open!!!)

Sewed on a button (just love buttons) and done.

You don't need the pockets but its handy to stop everything falling out the sides when you open your clutch!!

Feel free to try this yourself and show me your creations!!!!

xx

Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes ~ Custom Shoes~ Designer Soles

So as you may know I have a little shoe obsession, I keep buying them!!! I have also studied fashion design and like to customise and design under my label Purple Button Couture.

I don’t know how many of you have heard the Paul Simon song "Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes" those strutting around in Louboutins signature red soles might as well have diamonds on the soles of their shoes. And Irregular Choice always have some pretty little pictures on their soles. I was inspired, so I set to work!!!

My Supplies:

·        I got some plain black shoes in Penneys/Primark €15

·        Nail Polish €1.79 Essence

·        Random buttons and beads in Cork Craft Supplies

·        Some old bracelets and hairclips

·        Glue/ my trusty hot glue gun

As I tend to wear a lot of BLACK, these shoes add a nice pop of colour plus anyone who notices the designs on the soles of your shoes is worth talking to!

This is a fairly simple custom shoe project!

 

I simply painted the soles in the colour I had chosen… Purple!!!!

Let them dry and started gluing beads and buttons onto my shoes.

Tah Dah…

 

I linked these into a head piece. We all have scratched sunglasses!!! And I had some left over supplies.

 So instead of throwing out these scratched aviators I simply painted them and added the same kind of buttons and beads and now I have a head piece!!

 

 

What do you think??

Thanks for reading

 

xx