Making this 'n that.

Fancy doing a spot of sewing this week?
Nothing too complicated.
A little bit of this and a little bit of that.

Got a pair of jeans that don't fit anymore?
Or a pair that is a bit worn out or daggy?
Look no further! This is what you can do with them -

jeans bag from craftsy

There are many on-line tutorials about making jeans bags - or you can probably hoe to work it out yourself.
There's one is here on craftbits. That one actually glues the bottom shut! But I'd prefer to stitch it closed and some use ribbon or even a tie for handles - I like that you use another part of the jeans for a strap.

How about making your own pj pants or sleep pants?

from living well spending less blog

Pjs don't have to be perfectly constructed, they just need to be comfortable.
I like that these have got a contrast trim at the bottom.

I love lot of little storage bags, but zips and other closures can be fiddly.
This great little tute shows you how to make bags that snap shut.
Shhh, there's a secret to doing that....

snappy bags from the crafting chicks

check it out!

I love this idea!

by leafy treetop spot

Little doo-dads to keep your charger cords under control!
How neat is that?


Do you think legwarmers will ever come back into fashion?

If you do then you can find out how to make them here at i heart naptime.
Pretty cute, eh?

Things to do with tshirts - apart from wear them.

I have some tshirts to use up somehow as well as all the fabric I mentioned last week.
Most of them are khaki or grey, so not very inspiring in the colour department, but I'm sure I can find something to do with them.

Where to start?
With jewellery of course.

1. Bracelets.

These bright braided bracelets are fun.
And easy-peasy.

2. Knotted bracelets.

Would look good with some pretty coloured tshirts.

from hot polka dot

3. Necklace.
This is like the one I have made (but have no photo of)

from wholeliving.com

4. Braided necklace.
A bit more involved than the previous necklace/scarfy thing.
But has a neater end result for them that likes that sort of thing.

nautical necklaces how-to by brit + co

This version with three slightly different tshirts looks fab.

braided scarf on ohohblog

5. Headband.
That is a bit braided and a bit not (or knot!)

headband by Sugar Bee Crafts

6. Wrap vest.
Uses an extra large men's tshirt..
The end result is a bit super and you can also wear it as a scarf.

by wobisobi

7. Yoga pants.
This one needs a bit more work and measuring.
And would look really nice with a tshirt like this with a suitable design on the front.
But I'm not totally discounting it.

yoga pants from Kira's sewing projects

8. Tshirt to dress.
Now this has given me an idea - I have some hippie skirts that I thought to recycle into dresses and I could attach them to a tshirt top a bit like these.
Hmmmmm.....

unable to find original post

8. You could also use the fabric to make skirts -

from Melly Sews

9. Or hats -

by Joyfoolery

but, hey! that all looks like far too much effort!

10. Laptop case.
This I like! A lot.

from makezine

11. Dishcloths.
You cut up your tshirt into strips to make yarn and then you knit or crochet a small square with big needles (I guess)
Or you could just cut up your tshirt to use as a rag! Much easier.

by robotdinosaur on craftster

12. And then there are bags.

shopping bag by delia creates

 And the bag I showed you a couple of weeks ago.

13. Rugs.
This one actually uses a tshirt as the base - Brilliant!

by Molly Kay Stoltz

Too many choices!

How to - make all sorts of bracelets

Now is the time of year to start thinking of making bracelets again ready for summer.
Strangely, or maybe not so strangely, bracelets are not popular in the winter, probably because we're all bundled up with jumpers and coats - but summer is a great time for bare arms and arm adornments.

Here are a few tutorials that I have saved on some more unusual bracelets, not just your run-of-the-mill bead stringing that I might have a go at one day - or for you to try.

These wrapped cord or leather bracelets have been very popular and you could use any sort of bead, in fact I have seen them made with bead stash beads.
Thanks to bead supplier Fusion Beads for this one.

wrapped bracelet from fusion beads

This one is a great use for old ties and I could see it working for other fabrics as well. You could even embellish the fabric more with beads, buttons, free embroidery etc.

necktie bracelet from Linda Eve's Blog

The next one is very simple - all you need is a wooden bangle, some paper and some glue!
You could also possibly use fabric or ribbon.
I found this on the blog Platinum Blonde Life where it was mentioned that it was originally created by Fashion is Spinach in Neet magazine which seems to be no longer available.

cute printed bangles

Here's a great one for recycling some of your old tshirts or off-cuts from other projects.
It does require fairly long strips of fabric though.

jersey knit bracelet by V and Co

Remember the old knitting needle bracelets that were popular a year or so ago?
Here is a variation on that - this time recycle your old toothbrushes!

toothbrush bangles from smilemonsters

So bracelets do not need to be "just beads" but can be made out of just about anything.
Have you made bracelets from unusual materials?

Learning something new or finding inspiration

Where do you go when you want to extend yourself or learn a new skill or technique?

Some people take classes.
Others may find the answers to their questions in on-line tutorials.

Me? I subscribe to beading magazines.
This is how I've learned (almost) everything I know about beads, beading and beadwork in the 16 years that I've been playing with beads.

Bead and Button was my first infatuation, and I have copies going back about 1998 I think.
I've kept them all of course but it's almost impossible for me to find anything in the very old copies.

I can't remember when I first discovered Beadwork, but I used to just buy it occasionally from the newsagent until I finally succumbed to a subscription.

Both these mags are bi-monthly and conveniently arrive in my letterbox on different months, so spreading out the beady joy.

They have both also had babies - with an emphasis on quicker stringing design rather intricate beadwork ideas.

And, yes, I found their charms irresistible too!

I love all these for different reasons, and they all have great "how-to" sections as well as general information, trends etc and always check out the advertisers for supplies.
Mostly the projects are submitted by contributors and tested by the magazine's team, so you know they are going to work for you.

Do you buy magazines for your craft?
Do you subscribe as I do?
Where else to you get tutorials and instruction?
Ideas and inspiration?