Do it yourself projects.

I sort of broke my promise of keeping up on this blog.

Please forgive me! I have waiting far too long to finally post the DIY projects.

So I figured today was good as any to begin.

Felt Pearl Necklace: 

 Materials you'll need:
-Washed and carded wool. (This can be purchased at a fiber craft store. Or just at a basic craft store like Hobby Lobby.)
-A bowl of warm water.
-A bar of soap.
-A towel to protect your surface from getting wet.




(Hint: Very little wool is needed for each pearl. Unless you are wanting a larger pearl.)
Step One: Roll dry wool into a small ball.
Step Two: Wet wool and apply a small amount of soap to hands, gently roll between hands and palms.

Step Three: Rolling the ball in the palm will usually create a more oblong shape.

Step Four: Pinch wool back into a sphere between your fingers.

Continue to rinse and apply soap until ball is formed.

You can purchase a latch at Hobby lobby as long as a string.
Fishing line or jewelry string works best.
String the pearls using a needle and tie the string below the needle.

Once you have strung all of your pearls to the desired length tie the string to the other end of your clasp. The pearls are soft so they can be pushed slightly back while tying the knot to be sure that your finished necklace has no gaps.
I am not the creator of this easy, adorable project.
I found it here.
If you click on the link it has pictures that show you each step.
I figured this project could be listed without showing a picture for each step
because it seemed easy enough. However, Just because I think that doesn't mean you all will agree. So, if needed you can click that link and it will show you each step and explain each step as I have above.
I really do like this project. I think I will add my own touches to the necklaces I make just to make them my own or more personal.

Book Purse:

Materials you'll need:
-Book
-Half a yard of fabric 

-A $4.99 handle kit.

-Some ribbon.

-Button.

-Hot glue gun.











Step one: Remove the book's pages and
binding with a utility knife. Open the cover and lay it flat;
Measure its length and width.
Add an inch to both, then cut fabric to these measurements
to create your purse's lining.
Pin under 1/2" of fabric on each side and iron flat.

Step Two: Stand the book, 
cover open at a 45 degree angle, on a sheet of paper.
Draw a triangle by tracing around the cover and 
sketching a straight line across the open front. 
Add 1/2" to each side and cut out to create a template for the purse's side insets.

Step Three: Fold a second piece of fabric in half.

Pin the inset template to the fabric, lining up the 

triangle's base with the fabric's folded edge.

Cut around template to create a double-faced triangle. 

Seal edges with fabric glue; iron flat. Repeat for second inset.

Step Four: Loop two 4" lengths of ribbon through a bamboo

handle's hardware and hot-glue the ribbon to 

the book's interior, so the handle sits centered on 

the long side of the front cover. Repeat to attach

the other handle to the back cover.

Step Five: Cut two 8" pieces of ribbon; 

form a loop with one piece and hot-glue so the loop
is centered between the handle hardware on the 
front cover (this will be part of the button closure).

Step Six: Thread the second ribbon through 
a two-hole button and make a knot underneath it.
Center the ribbon on the long side of the back cover's interior; 
hot-glue so the button can slip through the loop when the purse is shut.

Step Seven: Pin under 1/2" of fabric on all 
sides of the triangles you made earlier; iron flat.
Leaving the book open, hot-glue just the
tips of these insets to either end of the spine.

Step Eight: Cut two strips of cardboard or card stock
the same size as the book's spine. 
Hot-glue one piece to the spine for reinforcement, 
covering the blunt tips of the triangles.

Step Nine: Now attach the insets to the short
sides of the cover: Remove any pins, then apply hot glue
to the 1/2" of fabric you folded under in Step 7.
Press the fabric along the covers' interior edges; let dry.

   
Step Ten: To attach the lining made in Step 1, 
remove any pins and apply hot glue to all four of the 
fabric's folded-under edges. 
Press the lining to the covers' interior, 
starting at the top edges and working down toward the spine.
  
Step Eleven: Wrap the second strip of 
cardboard you cut in Step 8 with fabric and hot-glue.
Press this piece into the interior of the spine,
smoothing down the lining; attach with hot glue.
Let dry, then grab your purse by the handles and go!

I absolutely love this idea. There are so many possibilities for this project. I found this DIY project here. I think this would be a good present for my niece. I plan on not leaving the book plain. I want to decorate it and make it personal. So many things I could do with this and I love love love it so much. I also didn't add pictures because I figured the steps explained how to make it pretty well. If you would like to see some pictures of each step I would be more than happy to send them your way. So just let me know!


I spent an entire day looking up new projects and I now have all the present ideas lined up for my family and friends. I am oh so excited.


Thank you for reading!