Guest Post DIY and Giveaway at Cornflake Dreams!

This blog is pure loveliness.  The very kind and creative Jillian was so sweet to promote the launch of the magazine and host a giveaway for a DIY veil kit.  She also let me indulge myself in a guest post tutorial for this fun little doily garland!

Photo by Rosemary Photography

Cornflake Dreams is adorable.  Tons of inspiration, ideas, collages (Friday fancies?  Yes please!!!)  So head on over and say hello, enter to win the giveaway and learn how to make this little garland!

Mason Jar Makeover

I have a problem.  I love jars.  In fact, I can't help but buy jars every time I seem them in the thrift store, antique mall or garage sale.  I don't do a ton of canning or anything - although that's one of my aspirations in life, to become a self-sufficient gardener who cans everything.  And I think I officially have too many.

So I decided I needed to come up with a project for all these jars, and maybe even give some away as gifts (sniff.)  This is what I came up with.

Wouldn't you like to get a fancy jar full of flowers like this one?  I'm pretty sure I wouldn't mind.

I bet they'd also be cute table centerpieces for a garden tea party...

It's super easy.  Here's what you do:

Mason Jar Makeover

You will need:

Pint size mason jar

Glossy Mod Podge

Foam paint brush

Vintage Newsprint, sheet music, book pages, etc.

Ribbon or twine

Directions:

Make sure the mason jar is clean and dry.  Tear the vintage paper into shreds - the size and shapes are entirely up to you.  If they're too big, there will be wrinkles when you adhere them, but that can be charming...

Dip your paint brush into the Mod Podge and paint a little on the jar.  Stick your first shred of paper in place and smooth over the top with your paint brush and more Mod Podge, to get out all the bubbles and wrinkles.  Wipe any excess away with a paper towel, but it should be saturated enough to stick well to the jar.

Continue adhering strips to the jar to cover the main body.  Place strips right up below the lip of the jar.  This part will eventually be covered with ribbon, so don't worry too much about being perfectly even.  Cover the bottom if you like, but I prefer to leave it uncovered.  It won't stick to the table as much that way when all is said and done.

Make sure the paper is stuck well to the jar - use a second coat of Mod Podge if needed.  Let dry.  Tie ribbon, twine, lace, etc. right under the lip of the jar.  Add a tag if you'd like.  Fill with pretty flowers and let somebody know how special they are.

Something for the Men Folk - Easy Feather and Raw Silk Boutonniere Tutorial

Hello!  It's so nice to see you again!  I'm back to the land of the living, finally.  After a harrowing bout of illness over the past four days, I'm back in the saddle again.  And to celebrate, I bring you a tutorial!

(It's also to distract you from the fact that I haven't yet posted any actual pictures from the photo shoot a week ago.  Coming soon, I promise!)

Sometimes I get asked to make boutonnieres and corsages for weddings, which I love to do.  For the photo shoot we did last weekend, I made up a few of these cute little feather boutonnieres that took me about 5 minutes total.  I thought these would make a super easy DIY project that's elegant and a great way to save a few bucks at your own wedding!  And NO glue!!!  Yay!

Feather & Raw Silk Boutonniere for the Men Folk

What you need:

Feather picks
Find these at JoAnn's or your local craft store in packs of two.  There's all different kinds of feathers, colors, sizes.  Or if you're feeling extra crafty, grab your favorite feathers, strip away about a half an inch at the bottom, and bind together with florist tape to make your own pick!
A strip of raw silk 
About an inch wide, 8-12 inches long.  Make a snip at the selvage edge and tear away!  Remove any long strands that get in your way along ripped edges.
Scissors
Clean fingers
A pat on the back (for when you're done - you did a great job and saved all that money!)
Start with the feather pick.  If there is a little plastic loop at the bottom, go ahead and remove it.  If you have too many feathers or it's too long, pull out or snip and shape the feathers to the size you desire.

Then take the strip of silk and wrap tightly around the bottom of the pick a few times to hide the florist tape.  Tie in a simple knot, not too tight, not too loose.

Or make a bow if that's your thing, (or hot glue in the back to hide the ends for a simpler look.)  Trim the ends of the knot to the desired length

 And fray the ends a bit with your finger tips.  Voila!

A very handsome boutonniere that will last forever.  Very manly, but not too manly.  You could even embellish the groom's boutonniere by adding a little flower or a bit of greenery, or distinguish it by using a different shade of fabric.  I love raw silk because it comes in every color of the rainbow, and has such a shimmery, lush appeal to it.

This project would probably cost about $5 for a quarter to half yard of raw silk, and about $1-$4 per feather pick, depending on what kind you get, so if you made 6 of these for the groom's party, you could potentially get away with making these for right around $12-$15!  More money saved for honeymoon mai tai's.  ;)

How to wear your birdcage veil

I get asked a lot about how to wear a birdcage veil.  Most brides want the option of taking off the veil post-ceremony and wearing just the fascinator for the reception.  So the simple solution is to make sure the veil is detachable.

But from there, it can get a bit tricky.  What sort of birdcage veil do you have?  A blusher, a bandeau, a full-on-down-to-the-shoulders-head-cage?  (Not a huge fan of those personally.  Remind me too much of the dark ages.)

Here are some suggestions on how to wear a few styles of the ever so popular birdcage veil.

The "Blusher" style veil

The Blusher
By far the most popular, this veil looks great with many different hairstyles and fascinators and it's very easy to make!  Typically this veil is made with 9 inch wide veiling, gathered up into a "cage" shape.  My favorite way to wear this veil is asymmetrically, fastened to the head with comb or bobby pins 3-4 inches above the hairline (place it right where your part is if you part your hair to one side.)  It gently sweeps over the eye and gives you a very whimsical, romantic look.  You can also scoot it down a bit towards the ear even for a little more drama.

Another way to wear the "Blusher" style veil

If you have an updo, pin it in the middle/back of the head right above the 'do for a classic feel.  Position your fascinator on top of where the veil is gathered (the middle of the cage.)

The "Bandeau" style veil

The Bandeau
Very simple and chic.  Easy to position and detach.  This veil typically fastens to the hair right behind the top half of each ear with small combs attached to the veil or just simple bobby pins (my preference.)  This veil looks especially fabulous with a hair down look or a half up/half down 'do.  I've seen brides put pretty floral clips over where the veil fastens, or a fascinator on one side like this photo.
It lent some nice vintage drama having the feather fascinator on one side of her head where the part was.  The veil sort of disappeared into her long curls on the other side.  Very soft and pretty.

The "Teardrop" style veil

The Teardrop
This one is a little trickier.  Because it's smaller and will sit asymmetrically, you have to choose your fascinator wisely.  A fascinator with a headband works nicely with this little fella.  Position with bobby pins and make sure the fascinator is large enough to "float" atop the veil attractively.

The "Merry Widow" style veil

The Merry Widow
Despite the name, this veil is so much fun!  It's dramatic and glamorous.  Another cage-type veil, with larger diamonds, more shape and a stiffer feel.  The veil is typically made with 12 inch "English Veiling" but keeps with the basic design of a classic birdcage pattern.  I like this veil as more of a straight on "cage" for the noggin.  Position the gather at the crown of the head with a comb and let it wrap around.  Use bobby pins to secure and style it to your liking.  A big lovely floral fascinator looks fabulous right on top of an updo or half-updo.  I would love to make this veil sometime in hot pink or aqua.  This veil is definitely not for the wallflowers!

To Comb or Not to Comb...
I find that a veil with a comb attached is great for updo's, and then using bobby pins to further style the veil works great.  If you are wearing your hair down or your fascinator has a comb attached, you might consider ordering the veil without a comb attached.  Bobby pins will do the job just as good.

One Last Tip!
For any hairstyle other than an updo, make the comb extra secure using this little trick: comb it to a pin curl.  Take a lock of hair and curl it up into a "circle" and pin it to your head using bobby pins to make an "x".  Then slide the comb in against the scalp behind the x.  Your comb will stay extra secure!

Find my easy to follow PDF pattern here and make your own unique, beautiful and timeless veil!

Hope this helps make this part of the wedding planning process that much easier for you!

Round Felt Flower Bobby Pin Tutorial

When I make my hair accessories, I use wool felt as an anchor for the feather and flower elements.  It is sturdy but soft, has a nice grab when you use glue, and you can hand sew through it with ease.  I usually use a wool blend of at least 30%.  Anything less doesn't perform as well or look as good.

I usually sew circles or ovals 2-4 inches in diameter, and will end up with lots of little leftover bits and pieces.  Since I am pack-ratty to the core, I can't throw these precious little bits away, no!  And this is why!

Here is a cute and simple little project you can wear on any occasion, kids and grown-ups alike.  It's understated (because not everyone loves a giant feathery flower in their hair!) and versatile.  And felt accessories are very popular this season!  This makes the perfect handmade gift, takes very little time and skill (basic hand sewing is about as tricky as it gets!) and you can make it with items you probably already have lying around the house.

Round Felt Flower Bobby Pin

You will need:

Wool felt scraps in white and green (or whatever colors you have!)
A bobby pin (preferably one with a tiny round metal pad, but any sturdy bobby will do)
Strong glue like E6000
Needle and thread
Seed beads, button, sequins or crystals for embellishment
A beading needle if you need it

First step:
Cut three circles - large, medium and small, with the largest being about 1.5" in diameter, from the white felt.  Stack and center them so the largest is on the bottom and the littlest is on top to make the "flower."  Then cut a leaf shape about an inch long and place the flower on top.

Next:
With your needle and thread, sew a few stitches through the center of all the pieces and tie off at the bottom of the leaf.

Then:
Sew a few seed beads, sequins, a button or whatever embellishment you want in the center of your flower and tie off at the bottom.  You might need a beading needle for tiny beads, so don't forget to thread it for this part like I always do!!!  :)  You might even embroider the center of the flower and stitch down the center of the leaf if you want to get REALLY fancy...

Lastly:
Glue it to the bobby pin and clamp it in place while it dries for extra hold.  I usually use a little alligator clip as a clamp.

Voila!

You have a lovely and thoughtful handmade gift that takes about 20 minutes to make and probably won't cost you a dime!  Happy crafting!

Part of the Sunday Showcase - follow the link for some great craft ideas!

Fall Hair Decor Tutorial - Making feather pads for fascinators

So I thought I'd share a little tutorial for anyone out there who wants to try their hand at making a hair accessory lovingly referred to as a "Fascinator."  This easy project is perfect for DIY weddings - make hair pieces for your bridesmaids to wear!  They're certainly cute enough to wear again!

It's very easy, and about as time consuming as a trip to the craft store.  The total cost of materials, assuming you don't have any of these items on hand at home, would be around $10-15, with the biggest cost being the glue, which you can use again and again and again!  You'll also have materials left over, so you could ideally make at least 4 of these.

Materials needed:

• Scrap of wool felt (felt with actual wool content works the best for me.  I like National Nonwoven's, with at least 30% wool fiber content)

• 20-30 pheasant ringneck feathers (or whatever feathers you like.  Black and white dot guinea fowl also looks fantastic!  Tons of feathers for sale on Etsy - do a search under "supplies")

• small metal alligator clip

• A strong, flexible glue - hot glue works pretty good, but you might consider E6000 for long term use

The first step is to cut an oval of felt.  Really, more of an egg shape.  I usually cut mine around 2" wide and 3" inches in length.

Next, strip the feathers.  All you do is simply hold the spine of the feather in one hand, and grab the downy feathers and pull them down the spine toward the bottom.   Be somewhat gentle, or the spine might break!

Clip the spine to the desired length, and voila.  I usually start at the top of the felt egg and leave the spines a bit longer, and as I get closer to the bottom, I trim them up to where the pretty, smooth feather starts.  The feathers will vary at bit in size, and I generally start with the larger feathers at the top and graduate the size with the smallest at the bottom.  Because I do a million of these a day, I organize by feather pattern (some are more circular, some are more narrow with vertical lines) and size so I can work fast.

When you're ready, take up your glue and draw a line across the larger end of the felt egg.  Place your feathers across the top like so:

Continue layering like this, and sort of "round out the edges" - place the outside feathers at a slight angle and work toward the center and down, graduating the number of feathers in the row as you reach the bottom.  Sorry I didn't take a picture of this, but you'll get the idea from the picture of the finished product below.

When your glue dries a bit, flip it over and this is what you'll see:

So now you want to attach your small metal alligator clip.  I like the kind with two little prongs (like I always imagine there might be in an old school beauty shop when someone is having their hair done up in curls.)  You can cover the clip with a nice bit of ribbon first, or not.  Whatever you prefer.

Simply place and glue!

Oooooh, zebra surprise!

 When you're finished, you can embellish with cute buttons, vintage findings, silk flowers, or just about anything you can think of!  Here's a couple I did this afternoon:

Get creative and try different types of feathers.  You can also attach the feather pad to a headband.

If you like this tutorial, please follow my blog!  There will be more tutorials to come, including DIY wedding projects, restoring vintage hats, crafting handmade flowers, etc.

Happy crafting!