Guest Blogger - Frugalicious Me - Beautiful Upcycled Tins

Def: Fru*ga*li*cious-adjective

1. To live economically, yet deliciously fabulous!

I'm not braggin', I'm just sayin'....I am your guest blogger today at Someday Crafts and I could not be more thrilled! I mean really, does it get better than this? I LOVE Someday Crafts! It is my go-to blog for inspiration and ideas and blog parties!

So, here I am, Frugalicious Me, sailing through the French Rivera! Well not really, it's the Newport Beach Harbor, but a Frugalicious girl's got to dream, right? My name is Tasha and I am a wife and mother of 3. My home is filled with 4 (I'm chopped liver at my house) of THE MOST talented and artistic people I know. There is always paint, paper, canvases, & pencils, everywhere and I LOVE it!

But enough about them already, this day is really all about me! So, about me... I have great taste, just ask me. I also live on a budget like most but the combination of the two don't stop me! I created Frugalicious Me to inspire and encourage other women to embrace a creative and beauty filled home and life, while not breaking the bank. With a little savviness and ingenuity, you can live the luxe life, Frugaliciously, of course!

Here is a Frugalcious idea to upcycle any type
of container you'd like using fabric or paper scraps.

I used these great tins that my usual dishwasher detergent has been coming in. I knew I could not possibly just throw it away and imagine my thrill when I went back for more detergent and they still had the tins!!! You could use any type or size of containers for this project! The sky's the limit! I used fabric, but you could also use paper, however, keep in mind, that you may use your tins with water, and the fabric is more forgiving.

DIY Chandelier Crystal Necklaces

Upcycled Twine Wrapped Bottles

Jar Lanterns

Thanks to Michelle and her tech guru Kim for letting me host today at here at Someday Crafts! I had the time of my blog-life! I'd love for you to stop by and visit Frugalicious Me for more frugalicious & fabulous ideas and insiprations!

THANKS, Tasha for showing us how to turn something we would probably throw away into something beautiful and frugalicious. I love that word and will start using it in my vocabulary! Stop by Frugalicious Me today!

T-shirt Tunic

With the season starting to change to Fall, there should be many t-shirts on sale! Tea Rose Home has one way to transform a t-shirt into a darling tunic. Great for wearing in the summer or fall!

Learn how to make a t-shirt tunic.

Stool Table

Tattered and Inked took an old, beat up stool and gave it new life by making it into a little table! Absolutely adorable!

See the stool table.

Guest Blogger - The Crafty CPA - Men's Shirt Messenger Bag!

I'm happy to be guest posting today from the crafty cpa.

I'm Megan, a working wife and mom to two adorable and slightly naughty golden retrievers. My personal mission statement is "create something new everyday". I might create a project, a tutorial, a photograph, an idea, inspiration, or anything really. My mission is about doing new things and challenging myself on a daily basis.



I like to sew, draw, embroider, make things with clay, stamp things, paint... I do a little bit of everything, but I'm a master of nothing.



Here are some of my projects. Just click on the picture to see the tutorial.

You can see over thirty more crafty cpa projects by visiting my tutorial library.



Today I'd like to share a tutorial for a man's shirt messenger bag.

This bag is made from a man's shirt and has nice big manly proportions. To make this bag follow these steps:



1. Find a man's shirt with buttons and a pocket. I thrifted mine for $1.50. The size is XL.

2. Cut the front of the shirt out along the seams.

3. Cut the front of the shirt into a 16 inch square. In my square the buttons are intentionally off center so that I could include the pocket.

4. Cut five more 16 inch squares of fabric and eight 16 inch by 4 inch rectangles of fabric. I used a dark denim for the lining and the outer bag. I cut one sixteen inch square of fabric from the back of the shirt to use as part of the lining.





5. Sew one 16 by 4 inch rectangle of fabric to the top edge of the shirt front with right sides touching. This is the front of the bag flap. Sew another 16 by 4 inch rectangle to the top edge of one of the 16 inch squares with right sides touching. This is the back of the bag flap. All seam allowances are a half inch unless otherwise noted.

6. Sew the front of the bag flap to the back of the bag flap with right sides touching. Sew along three sides leaving the top open.



7. Clip seams and turn the flap right side out. Press and top stitch around three sides of the flap.



8. Prepare the outer bag and lining. Pin 16 by 4 inch rectangles (side panels) to one sixteen inch square (bag front) with right sides together and stitch. Next pin a sixteen inch square of fabric (back of bag) to one side right sides together and stitch. Fold right sides together and stitch last side together.

9. Keep bag inside out and pin a sixteen by four inch rectangle to bottom of bag and sew all four sides.



10. Repeat steps 8 and 9 for the lining.



11. Turn the outer bag right side out. Sew the top of the flap to the top of the outer bag with right sides touching. Use a 1/4 inch seam allowance.







12. Cut a 36 inch long piece of belting material for a strap and sew to the sides of the outer bag, raw edges together. Use a 1/4 inch seam allowance.

13. Place the outer bag inside the lining. Place the strap and the flap inside. Pin the tops together with right sides touching.

14. Sew around the top with a half inch seam allowance. Leave a three inch opening. Turn the bag right side out through the hole and push the lining into the bag.



15. Top stitch around the top of the bag sewing the hole closed as you go.

That's it. You now have a nice roomy messenger bag (with a built in pocket too.)

Try a more upscale bag with a man's white dress shirt and suiting material. Or maybe even button two different shirt fronts together for an interesting look.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Join me soon at the crafty cpa!

THANKS, MEGAN!!!! I've never seen this idea before and I LOVE IT! And I love the variations you mentioned at the bottom of the post. Extremely cute and very creative!



Head over to The Crafty CPA to see what unique idea Megan comes up with next!

Ruffles and Buttons Anthro knock-off Shirts

I've seen this beautiful ruffle and button Anthro knock-off shirt going around blogland. EVERYONE is loving it and making it for themselves. I thought I should show it off one more time so if you can make it too (if you haven't already)! Busily Spinning Momma has a very detailed tutorial for this long sleeve shirt turned Anthro short sleeve and ruffly!

This cute shirt is a knock-off of the former Anthro knock-off. It is adorable. You should see the dress that it is a part of at Mommy By Day, Crafter At Night. No tutorial, but it shouldn't be to hard to figure out using the first tutorial!

Tropicana Vases

Don't you love it when you come across a great idea to use your garbage as craft material? Well, Release Me Create took her old Tropicana containers and turned them into these gorgeous vases for to hold flowers and such! Love the look (and who would know they were made from something that would be going into the garbage!) Upcycling rocks!

See the Tropicana vases!

Guest Blogger - Artfully Caroline - Anthropologie Knock-off Farfalle Bag

Good morning Michelle,
Good morning Everyday and Someday Crafters!


My name is Caroline. I'm a wife, working mom, compulsive crafter and for the past year , a blogger. My little blog is called:

Creating is my therapy to stay happy in a very busy life. Juggling family, marriage, household and work is a complicated balancing act. It takes a bit of organization to save some "Me" time to blog and craft. Here are a few of my latest creations:

I'm very excited to guest post for Michelle with my latest handbag creation. A few months ago I fell in love with this Anthropologie handbag:

The Farfalle Handbag

Did you know that Farfalle means butterfly in italian? Unfortunately, three-hundred dollars purse, even this cute, does not fit in my budget. No matter. I decided to make my own. Not in leather but in denim. And here's is how:

Supplies:
NOTE: Measurements account for 1/2inch sewing allowance around the sides and bottom seams
- Two pieces of 16x12&1/2 inch denim- new or upcycled (new will be stiffer than upcycled)
- Two 3x25 inch strips of denim for the handles
- Two pieces of 6x12&1/2 inch of your choice for the lining, cotton or satin
- One 2x3 inch piece of card stock for the bow template
- 43 to 48 2x3 inch rectangles of denim for the bows
- 1 yard of coordinating blue satin ribbon
- Fray Check
- Sewing machine and sewing supplies
- Glue gun and glue sticks
- Magnetic snap (optional)
- Extra material for inside pocket
- Medium weight interfacing (optional)


How-to steps:

• Round the edges of your card stock for the bow template
  


• Use the bow template to cut the pieces needed for the bows and apply fray check on the edges



• Make an accordion with 4 fold "peaks" on the side that will be up


• 
  
  


• With a matching thread, secure the fold by threading through the folds twice



• Secure with a knot

• Cut the pieces of matching ribbon for the center of the bows (1.5" long)



• Put a dab of hot glue on the back of the bow tucks
  

• Put the end of the ribbon on the hot glue let it cool for a couple of minutes



• Put another dab of hot glue on the end of the ribbon and fold over

• You will need roughly the same number of light and dark bows



• You will save time by stitching all the bows then applying the ribbons in batch of 6-8 bows

Make the bag shell - I didn't make a detailed tutorial for this part as there are a number of very good existing ones around the blogosphere. There is a very detailed one HERE.

• Cut the fabric pieces for the outside shell and the lining



• Sew the outer shell and the lining for a basic bag.
  
  
  


• Tuck in the top corners of the outer shell as shown on the picture below i.e. 2" wide x 3" tall
  


• Pin the sides and bottom of the shell
  
  


• Optional step : add one or 2 inside pockets to the lining

• Add a pin a the corner of your tuck



• Top stitch the fold all the way around

• Once top stitched, the outer shell should look as shown below



• Optional step : fuse the interfacing to the outer shell
  
  
  
  


• Pin the lining and outer shell right sides together along the top of the bag lining up the side seam



• Don't forget you will need a hole in the bottom of the lining to turn the bag right side out

• Stitch along the bag opening with a 3/4" seam allowance and turn the bag right side out



• Optional - Place a magnetic snap for the bag's closure using the 3/4" fold of denim as support



• Close the opening in the lining of the bag

• Cut and fold the straps for the bag as shown - first in half, then fold the edges in like for bias tape



• Tuck the short edges in



• Top stitch all sides of each strap


• 
  
  
  


• Pin the straps about 1 1/2" from the top corners



• Stitch the handles on the bag

• Layout the bows evenly on the front side of the bag alternating dark and light ones



• For the layout below you need 43 bows (21 light and 22 dark) 5 across by 9 high (minus 2 at the top corners)
  


• You will need more 5 bows for a tighter layout
  

• Put a dab of hot glue on each side of the center ribbon



• Secure all bows to the bag's outer shell

All done - Good news, it cost under $20 even with new denim and interfacing

Thanks again Michelle for having me over.

I hope you liked this project and will take the time to visit my blog

THANKS, Caroline! What an awesome knock-off! The bag is simply adorable! Visit Artfully Caroline today and take a look around at all the goodies she's made!