DIY Tassel Necklace

Last year, I attended a tassel-making class at Etsy's Brooklyn headquarters and always wanted to apply what I learned during that class to some sort of DIY project. I have been seeing tassel-adorn necklaces pop up at my favorite shops including J.Crew. This bright and festive one will liven up any of your outfits this summer season.

THINGS YOU WILL NEED:

• embroidery floss thread in as many different colors as you would like (this necklace features 9 colors)

• ivory-colored beads 

• approximately 40 1/8 inch jump rings 

• 100% silk bead cord No. 4 

• 3/4 inch x 2 inch piece of thick cardstock (you can use an old cereal box)

• 2 sets of jewelry pliers (If you do not have, eyebrow tweezers will do. "Make it work!" as Tim Gunn would say)

• scissors

• needle

To begin, open a jump ring by gripping it on either side of the split with your pliers, then grip the other side with your second pliers. Twist one hand towards you while the other hand moves away from you. Next, wrap the thread around your piece of cardboard a couple of times. Afterwards, loop your opened jump ring through the thread and continue wrapping around the cardboard and jump ring about 13 more times.

Close your jump ring using the same back-and-forth twist technique with your pliers. Remove your looped thread from the cardboard then rotate the jump ring so that the the split is not exposed. Wrap another piece of thread about 3-4 times near the neck of the tassel and tie it securely. Put your scissors through the loop and slowly cut the threads.  

Trim it so that the tassel bottoms are even, snipping small amounts at a time. You will need about 40 tassels for this 33" necklace.

Tassel Party!

Next, stringing the beads! You will need to decide if you want a knot in between each bead (bottom row in below's picture) or not. I opted for the former option as the necklace is a lot more secure and I like the spaced-out look.   

So how to knot. First, make a double knot with your silk cord, leaving about 2-3 inches so that you can tie your necklace together at the very end. String your first bead, then make a loop with your cord. Place a needle inside the loop then push the needle towards your bead so that your knot gets smaller and closer to your bead. String your next bead and push that bead against the knot to make sure the knot is as tight as possible. Next, slowly pull out the needle. Repeat until you have your desired length. String about 6 inches of beads before you start adding the tassels. 

Next, repeat the same technique but just add a tassel after each knot, having two beads in between each tassel. After you have strung all of your 40 tassels, you will need to string only the beads again until you have a length of 6 inches. Triple knot both ends together to complete this project.

The FINISHED Necklace

I love how this necklace turned out and it definitely brightened up this simple white romper. You too should definitely try making one this summer!

Seashell Embellished Flask

Anyone who knows me knows that I love to drink. You name it, I will drink it. A shot of tequila, a crisp glass of Riesling, a gingery Moscow Mule or any one of the masterfully-created cocktails at Angel’s Share. Ah, the list can go on and on. I suppose it is the Korean in me.

So I thought that getting a flask for myself would be most appropriate. A emergency stash of giggle juice for those times when you do not want the buzz to wear off or when you just had a crappy day at work. Of course, I would have to DIY mine. It took numerous trips to trimming shops around New York and combing through websites to find the perfect embellishments but this was hands down one of the quickest DIY project I have ever done.

I got a 3-ounce circular stainless steel flask, which will easily fit into the smallest of purses. Rounding out this short supplies list is multi-use glue and toothpicks (I had matchsticks so used those instead) to attach the embellishments. 

I found these beautiful silver-toned cypraea shell buttons at MJ Trimming. I must have visited this shop at least four times, staring at the floor-to-ceiling walls covered with buttons and trims and walking out empty-handed each time because I could not make a decision. But during my last visit, I spotted these seashells and knew I found what I was looking for.

First, decide on the placement of the shells, I went for a simple floral pattern. After you are happy with your design, take the shells off the flask and give it a good wash to get rid of any dust or oils that your fingerprints may have left behind. Not doing so can prevent your embellishments from attaching properly. 

Put a quarter-size amount of glue on scratch paper. Dab a good amount of glue onto the wood end of your matchstick or either side of your toothpick. Line the bottom edge of the shell with glue then place onto your flask one by one. 

Once everything is completely dried, fill your flask with your favorite alcohol. I might go with my favorite Blanton's bourbon. And as always, drink responsibly. *wink*

DIY Pressed Flower Phone Case

My mom is as old school as it gets when it comes to technology, but a few weeks ago she finally upgraded to her first ever smart phone. To mark this momentous occasion, I wanted to make her a customized phone case and thought a pressed flower one would be perfect. I first saw these cases on the Etsy blog and thought they were absolutely charming. And there are so many variations!

My mom loves flowers of all kinds, from lush purple orchids to blushing pink roses. She especially loves yellow flowers so I decided on with these beautiful sunshine-happy larkspurs and Queen Anne's laces from Nature's Pressed Flowers. I also got a few rose leaves to add a little bit of green.

Aren't they pretty!?

First, I arranged the flowers and leaves onto a plain white phone case. They were very delicate so handle your flowers gently, ideally with tweezers.

Once you are satisfied with your arrangement, take a picture of it so that you can remember what it looks like when you are gluing everything in place.

Remove all the foliage from the phone case and start gluing each piece down, using your picture as a guide. I did not have craft glue that the Etsy blog suggested and used fabric glue that I had instead. A rebel, I know! I would suggest sticking with craft glue as you will see why later.

Now for the resin! I have never used casting epoxy before so I was quite excited but scared to try. Glue is the most adventurous thing I use when it comes to 'chemicals' so you can understand why. I used the same Easy Cast as the Etsy blog and followed their directions exactly. It is best if the hardener and resin bottles are slightly warm to the touch. If they are cold, put the bottles in a bowl of warm (not hot) water while you prepare your cups.

Make sure your working surface is covered. First, take a plastic cup and measure the 3/8 inch and 3/4 inch mark from the base. You can also trim your cups so that they are not so tall. Pour the resin up to the 3/8 inch mark, then the hardener up to the 3/4 inch mark. It is really important that you putting equals part of each. If not, the final resin will not harden properly and be sticky.

Mix the two liquids together with a wooden stick for 2 minutes, scrapping down the sides as you would when mixing your favorite cake batter. Do not freak out if you see tiny bubbles as they will disappear. Next, pour the mixture into your second cup and continue mixing for another minute. I am not really sure why the Etsy blog called for transferring into the second cup but I did it anyways. Once the 60 seconds are up, let the resin rest for 5 minutes. 

As you can see my case is curved around the edges. I wanted to make sure the resin would spread evenly around the curves so I cut an old toothpaste box to size and placed the case on top of it for the excess resin to drip down from. If your case has straight edges, you do not need to elevate your case because you can just pour the resin over the top. Make sure to tape the box to the case's underside and your papered surface (I used an old shopping bag) so that nothing moves.

Slowly pour the resin over the case, then spread evenly all over the case with your wooden stick. You can gently tap any bubbles to make them pop and disappear. I am super glad I elevated the case because as you can see there was a good amount that dripped down. I would periodically scrape any drippings with a wooden stick as the resin dried.

The completed PHONE case

Let your case dry overnight and voilà your prettified case is ready. Earlier I mentioned that I used fabric glue I had around the apartment instead of craft glue. The former caused the green leaves to discolor. Oddly, the yellow flowers remain vibrant yellow. So do not be like me and use any kind of glue and make sure to use the proper kind that will not alter your flowers' pretty colors.

Anyways, I really hope my mom likes this case. She is one hard cookie to impress, so fingers crossed!

Charlotte Olympia Inspired Perspex Clutch

I am a huge fan of Charlotte Olympia and really wanted to try making one of her signature Pandora clutches. This is a quick and easy high-fashion inspired project that requires just a few items to recreate.  

If you are not familiar with Charlotte Olympia, you must do a Google search. The British luxury shoe and accessories brand makes some of the world's wittiest fashion pieces, each a masterful work of art.

This particular safety-pin adorned Punk Pandora perspex clutch is the inspiration for this project. It is the perfect mix of punk rock and sophisticated glamour.

Begin with a clear perspex clutch and fabric pouch. You can make yours from scratch or be like me and get a set from Etsy.

Decide on what colored safety pins you would like to use. They come in literally any color and finishing. I looked for the most vibrant colored gold ones I could find, each measuring in at about 7/8 inch long.

The pinning process requires some strategic thinking. You want to make sure that the pins are facing different directions so that the overall look is random. The closer the pins are to each other, the more dramatic the finished clutch will look.

And just like that, voila! This eye-catching clutch will be the perfect accessory for your next outing at a fraction of the cost. Definitely give it a try. Happy pinning!

Message in a Bottle, Valentine's Day Pop Quiz

There is a running joke about Pinterest, that it is where you collect pretty images of things that you will never EVER make, do, try, buy, or wear. This may be true, but I see nothing wrong with surrounding yourself with aspirational and inspirational things that drive you to do better. Well, I pinned this sweet DIY message-in-a-bottle project awhile ago and decided that this year's Valentine's Day would be the perfect time to try making it.

Credit: Camille Styles

Here is how mine turned out. Of course one bottle was not enough so I decided to make ten for my boyfriend. The more the merrier, right?

To begin, you will need some mini glass bottles. They can be any size but the ones I ordered were 30mm x 50mm (not including the cork) from giftsDIY.

Cut strips of paper for your messages. Trying to be environmentally-conscious, I used the blank parts of old scratch paper widthwise (8.5") and cut them into 3/4" strips.

Originally, I was planning to write sweet messages of love to my main squeeze, JB. But I wanted something a bit more challenging. So, I decided that each strip would have a question related to our relationship that JB would have to answer. I forewent the easy questions like "when did I first say love you?" or "where was our first date?" and drafted a set of tough questions that would force JB to delve deep into the archives of our relationship.

I think JB will have a hard time answering some of these questions correctly! I only thought of some after combing through our old photos and reading through my notebook of all the sweet things JB has done for me over the years. Of course, what you write on yours is entirely up to you. I just thought a pop-quiz version would be more fun and a nice opportunity to take a stroll down memory lane.

After all the messages are written, roll up the strips as tightly as possible.

Wrap these rolls with thread (can be any color), looping about 16 times then knotting them. Trim so that there is about 3-5" of thread.

You can stop at one color, but I decided to frame the red with a contrasting blue so that they would have a touch of masculinity. I was inspired by beautiful thread-wrapped rings I saw in Seoul that had a similar look. Of course sticking to one color will make it easier for your recipient to unravel.

Thread the red string through the opposite side of the roll. This will help the hearts hang nicely, as you will see shortly.

Cut tiny hearts that are about a 3/8" wide. You can use a thick card stock that is a solid color or printed with a fun pattern. Since I had a lot of felt left over from my Pac Man Baby Mobile project, I opted to use that.

Thread the hearts and knot securely. As you can see, threading the red string to the other side of the roll enables each heart to hang more nicely.

To hang the messages, cut staples in half and hammer each gently into the center of the cork top's underside. Before you hammer completely down, loop the thread through the eye of the staple and triple-knot. Then continue hammering so the staples are securely inside the cork tops.

Close each glass bottle and your messages eagerly await to be read. In my case, each question awaits to be answered. This is an inexpensive yet uber sweet gift to make for your special someone - hope you are inspired to make them!