Archives for March 2012

DIY Under $5 Features

March 31, 2012 By Michelle Barneck 4 Comments

Fun colors are here! I am loving the array appearing in the party! I love how you guys come up with things I never would have thought of. Here are some of my favorite pops of color…

Mint Mallow Knock Offs from c.w.frosting

Chalk paint on shoes!

Spring Centerpiece from Southern Lovely

Yarn on vases, too cute!

Striped Ruffle Skirt from Mama Says Sew

So fabulous in stripes!

Paint Chip Eggs from a little something in the meantime

Built-in ombre!

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DIY Under $5

March 27, 2012 By Michelle Barneck 5 Comments

This week I featured two more no cost projects as part of the De-stash Bash. I made a swim suit cover from a 5XL shirt and a bow tank top to go with my swim skirt from my husbands old baseball style t-shirt.

What have you been up to? Let’s Party!

I enjoy your $5 projects so much that I decided to add an addition link section for anything under $15! That’s right. It will open up a place to show additional projects that can’t be purchased with an Abe Lincoln, but are still totally affordable! I can’t wait to see more from you!

Please remember:

Only link to your own projects that cost you $5 or less (price does not have to include items you had on hand) or $15 or less in the 2nd section.
You can link past projects that fit the dollar limit, but please only link each project one time to one DIY Under $5 party. Do not link the same project week after week.
No linking giveaways or items for sale
Please link back so others can join the party and so you have the opportunity to be featured on Saturday!

Projects under $5

Projects under $15

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DIY Swim Suit Covers

March 27, 2012 By Michelle Barneck 10 Comments

I am that girl who buys the 5XL t-shirt from the dollar store because she likes the color. You know, you figure what the heck it’s $1, you’ll do something with it someday. Well my friends, today I am vindicated. Not only did I use that 5XL shirt from my stash, but I used a sewing machine without breaking something.

For some reason the only swim suit covers I could find last month for our trip either didn’t cover much of anything, or they were long sleeved (which I honestly don’t understand). Those of you who are fair skinned and farmer tanned know that it doesn’t take long for our shoulders to completely sizzle, thus began (and ended) my search for cute swim suit covers that had sleeves, but also covered enough that when I bend down with my kids I’m not embarrassing myself.

How to Make Your Own Swim Suit Covers

Supplies:

5XL (or very large) shirt

Pins

Scissors

Sewing Machine

Thread

1. Turn the 5XL shirt inside out and lay your fitted t-shirt on top of it.

OPTIONAL: pin out about 3/4-1 inch on each side using safety pins. This makes it so you can turn it right side out and try it on to make sure it will fit right. Remember if you did not pre-wash the shirt it will probably shrink a bit.

2. Once you know where you want the seam pin with straight pins. I continued the flare of the fitted shirt all the way to the bottom so the skirt would be a short A line.

3. Trim off the excess material from the sides.

4. My seams lined up with the shoulder seams on the large shirt so if I cut it off right on the seam it would have been a cap sleeve. I wanted the sleeves a tad longer so I just left about an inch outside the seam.

5. Sew along the pins and stop when you get to the sleeve seams to finish the sides for a plain t-shirt dress.

6. Use strips of the excess material to form your ruffle. I had 4 strips about 3 1/2-4 inches wide and 13 inches long. You can sew all four strips together for one long strip or do two at a time to make it easier.

7. Sew a loose stitch all along one edge of the strip about 1/2 inch from the edge leaving strings on each end. Pull one of the strings, holding the other in place to gather the fabric.

8. Pin the gathered strips on to the skirt. I ended up with seams on the right and left sides and in the middle of the front and the back, but they are not visible because of the gathering.

9. Sew a straight stitch right down the line where you gathered to attach the ruffle.

Congrats you made your very own swim suit cover!

I wore this all day on the dive boat in Maui and it was so comfortable! I borrowed my mom’s sewing machine (cause well I killed mine after 3 uses) and when I told her what I was doing she gave me the courtesy smile and nod like “this should be interesting.” When I told her in Maui that this was the one I made, couldn’t believe it.

I also made the matching ruffly headband from the shirt material, but this post was getting massive, so we’ll save that for another day.

I hope your having as much fun with the De-stash Bash as I am!

If you like this post you may like these projects made with t-shirts:

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DIY Shirt

March 26, 2012 By Michelle Barneck 4 Comments

Spring is here which means swim suit season is around the corner. My new swimming suit came with a skirt cover up, but I wanted a cute tank to pair with it. The hubs had lost some weight and I guess you could say his loss was my gain because I found the perfect shirt for this project in the donate pile. I do not claim to be a seamstress, but seriously this DIY shirt is easy enough for even the most beginner.

DIY shirt supplies:

Old shirt (really light jersey so it flows nicely)

Scissors

Pins

Sewing Machine

Ribbon

1. Start by cutting off the sleeves and the neckline at a diagonal.

2. Fold over diagonal sleeve area and pin. Sew to have a finished edge on your arm hole.

3. Cut the neckline straight across on the front and the back of the shirt. Fold over about 2 inches (far enough that you leave a place for the ribbon to go through), pin in place and sew.

4. Attach a safety pin to the end of your ribbon and thread it through the front and back of the shirt.

5. Put it on and tie a bow to gather the fabric to your liking.

Mine also has the back higher than the front which I love because I can switch it around and wear it higher in the front or the back based on where I am getting too much sun. Freckles/fair skin + sun = burn.

I would love to see if you give this DIY shirt a whirl!

Hope you are enjoying the De-stash Bash!