Tips: DIY Dolce & Gabanna inspired floral sunglasses

Dolce & Gabbana inspired DIY floral embellished sunglasses

It is a well-known fact that tutorials for the Dolce & Gabbana inspired DIY floral sunglasses have been done to death all over the Internet. So, instead of doing re-inventing the wheel, I thought of sharing some tips and some of the ideas that I have for this DIY project.

Tip #1: Pick a pair of sunglasses with thicker frame so that there is ample area for you to glue the flowers. A cat-eye frame is a plus because placing the flowers on the top tips of a cat-eye frame gives emphasis on the flowers.

Tip #2: Play around with placement of the flowers on the sunglasses using Blu-Tack to have a good idea of what the end-product will look like. This also allows you to wear the sunnies and decide if you actually like the look!

Tip #3: Use flowers of different sizes.

Tip #4: Try using metallic roses for a different look! 

Tip#5: Don't stop at flowers/roses. Think big, think fruits and animals. Think Anna Dello Russo's gold crocodile sunglasses. Now that's another DIY idea!

Half-frame floral look. Not a fan.

Tried a full floral look and decided it was too much for me

Gold roses

So there you go, my tips for creating your very own DIY embellished sunglasses. To be honest, I haven't glued the flowers to my sunnies. Those flowers are stuck to the sunnies with Blu-Tack. It's so hard to decide on the one that I really want! But I have to say that I have deviating towards the one with the gold roses! 

Have fun! xx

DIY: Flower Crown

Flower Crown

Back view

This is another Rookie-inspired DIY project that has been on my to-do list for FAR TOO LONG. And now, it's done. And now, I'm happy. And now, I am itching to make more.

Crochet roses

I made this flower crown using crochet roses that I made in various sizes, felt, a plain headband, and ... lots of glue. Perhaps next time I will make one using really big, plastic flowers.  Now let me put on this flower crown and a white tutu, and then leave for an imaginary afternoon tea in my imaginary secret garden. x

P.S.: The photos were taken before I dyed my hair pink. My hair tips are still pink!
P.P.S.: Someone asked me about how I achieved the original black and blond ombre look in a comment on my original ombre hair post. I can't help you at all because a friend did it for me! I simply provided the dye and the hair. :P

DIY: Floral Bib Necklace

A few weeks ago, I bought a huge pack of coloured felt and cut up some felt flowers for an activity with the children at a playgroup. There were several felt scraps and felt flower left over from the activity, so I decided to make a bib necklace!

I'm really happy with what I came up with. The colours and style are really refreshing. For some reason, I always get reminded of Carmen Miranda when I look at the necklace.

(via)

Here are some pictures of the materials I used and steps to arranging the flowers. Hopefully, they'll give you a better idea about how to make a similar one! 

Felt of different shapes and colours, Wooden beads, Black felt, Black scrap cotton fabric, some yarn, needle to sew or hot glue gun!

Add green leaves to the triangular fabric/felt base

Add blue flowers

Add red flowers

Add yellow flowers

You can either choose to sew the flowers in place or use a hot glue gun if you're a lazy arse (like me). Also, you can cut several identical triangular bases using black felt, stack them and then glue them together to make a bib necklace with a sturdy base!


That's all for now! My exams are coming in a few weeks' time and I have other assessments going on, so updates may not be as regular. But I'll definitely try my best to post at least once a week! ^_^

DIY: Flowers in your hair (Part 1)

DIY INSPIRATION: Flowers in your hair by gwenstella

Hello my lovely readers! :) I've been in a really good mood lately because the weather has been really great over here in Sydney. The winter chills are slowly fading away, and spring is finally in the air! But I guess the majority of you who are reading this is on the other side of the globe, where summer is turning into fall. Well, that's all right, because this DIY project is perfect for spring AND fall! ^_^

So, without further ado, here's the how-to:


Materials:
1 x hair comb
Several mini flowers (You can get these flowers from most craft shops. They sell them in a bunch!)


Steps:

1. Gather your materials

2. Begin from one of the ends of the hair comb. Get one flower and wrap the wire stalk around the bottom of the comb.

3. The back will look like this as you continue to wrap more flowers around the bottom.

4. Continue with more flowers.

5. Continue until the bottom of the comb is completely covered with flowers! :)

So there you go, a simple way to add flowers/floral accents to your everyday outfits. I have ONE SINGLE STALK left from this project, so I'll be writing another post on another way to put flowers in your hair! Stay tuned!

DIY: Sequin Flower Hairpin/Bobby pin (pseudo-vintage/Victorian!)

Ooh, I just can't get enough of my new hairpin. 

The iridescent quality of sequins makes it sparkle so much under the sun, it's hard to get a clear picture of it on my hair. 

Ooh, and it's pseudo-vintage/Victorian! How can you not make one for yourself!?

MATERIALS

Sewing needle

Thread

20 x Sequins

10 x Seed beads

5 x Small plastic pearl beads

Glue

Felt

Scissors

Plain hairpin/bobby pin

STEPS

1. Thread a long piece of thread through the eye of a needle. Tie the 2 ends of the thread together into a knot.

Bring your needle and the thread through a piece of felt. This is the point where the middle of the flower lies.

Insert beads and sequins through the needle in this order: 

1. small pearl bead 

2. small seed bead 

3. sequin with the concave side towards the eye of the needle 

4. sequin with the convex side towards the eye of the needle 

5. small seed bead 

6. sequin with the concave side towards the eye of the needle 

7. sequin with the convex side towards the eye of the needle

2. Insert the needle through the felt again. The point of insertion should be just a small distance away from the point of the middle of the flower.

3. Pull the thread all the way and make it tight. (BUT NOT TOO TIGHT!)

This is how your first petal should look like from the side.

4. Repeat the same for the subsequent petals.

You can make as many petals as you like. I like to have 5 petals because it makes it look like a sakura.

5. Tie a dead knot at the back of the flower.

6. Cut off the sequin flower from the piece of felt and trim the remaining felt such that the no felt can be seen when you see the flower from above.

Cut a small piece of felt and insert it between a plain hairpin/bobby pin. This piece of felt should be smaller than the back of the flower.

7. This is how your flower should look from the top! You shouldn't be able to see any of the felt.

If you find that your flower seems a bit floppy, you could fold the flower into half to reveal the felt at the centre of the flower. Then add a small dab of glue to the felt and push all the petals towards the centre again!

8. Use super glue (or whatever kind of adhesives that you are comfortable with) to stick the small piece of felt between the hairpin to the back of the flower.

Enjoy your lovely, new, pseudo-vintage hairpin!

FO: Floral Brooch for Art Swap

ART SWAP 2010

I was invited by my English teacher from secondary school to take part in an art swap.Well, it happened a month ago and I was supposed to send this out... many weeks ago.

But I have only just sent it out this week. I really really hope that she doesn't mind. I wanted to take part in it but it was hard to find time with all my school work and clinic placement (and addiction to watching Friends).

Better late than never. This phrase is really becoming my favourite excuse.

All right, enough of the prologue. Here are the pictures:

I made the flower using a floral fabric that I bought off ebay not too long ago. The centre of the flower is actually a vintage-looking gold and cream button that I got from a local craft and fabric store. I absolutely adore how the floral prints and the button go so well together!

DIY: Of ribbons and flowers

This cute ribbon brooch can jazz up your plain ol' tee!

A little variation is all you need to make another flower hair pin!

Materials needed:

Assorted ribbon
Assorted buttons

Super duper adhesive glue

Some sewing thread and needles

Step 1: Cut 4 pieces of ribbon, each measuring about 7cm.

Step 2: Using one of the ribbon, fold the 2 ends of the ribbon towards the centre as shown in the picture. Glue or sew the ribbon in place.

Step 3: Repeat Step 2 with 2 other ribbon and place them to form an asterisk (*) sign as shown. Glue/Sew them in place.

Step 4: Place the asterisk on top of the last ribbon and then its 2 ends towards the centre again to create the ribbon flower as shown in the picture. Glue/Sew the ribbons in place.

Step 5: Try to match different buttons with the ribbon used to create a desired look. Play around the buttons by stacking them on top of one another to create different looks.

(This look was created by placing a pink heart scrapbook embellishment on top of a slightly bigger button of a complement colour)

Step 6: Glue them on a brooch pin/ hair pin/ hair band and then wear them with pride!

Step 7: Try it with different ribbons and buttons! I also made another one using the fabric button that I made several days ago