Reader's Version of my iPad Case

Remember my DIY iPad case tutorial, where I made an iPad case for free out of cardboard and my daughter's old skirt?

I got a comment on my blog a few days ago from Mhairi, who blogs at Sweet Home 565.  She saw my iPad case on Pinterest, and used it to make her own version...

(On a side note, how is it that I'm JUST NOW noticing that Amy from Mod Podge Rocks pinned my iPad case?!?  Eek!!)

This comment and re-creation of the tutorial totally made my day!  I love getting feedback from readers, and better yet, hearing about their experiences with my tutorials.  I put it all out there, and it's so nice to hear what people think.

You can check out here post HERE to see her completed iPad case.  And if any of you make something from the blog, I'd love to hear about it!  You can comment or send me an email- pictures or a blog post or even better!

Who knows, I might just share it here ;)

Thanks for reading!

xo, Laura

How to Fix a Broken Underwire Bra

Don't you hate spending $50+ for a good bra, only to have the underwire poke through, stabbing you with every move you make?  Ugh.  In the past, I've thrown away these bras without a second thought, thinking that was the end of the bra.  Wrong!  I finally got smart and decided to fix my broken underwire bra myself this time!

Don't throw away those $50 bras, just spend 5 minutes and $2 to fix them yourself!  I spent about 5 minutes yesterday and a bra that this recently happened to, and now it's back in business- so much better than throwing it out!

I bought the upholstery thread at Joanns for around $2 (regular price is around $3- 40% off coupon), and you can find it with the regular thread.  I used the upholstery thread because it's much much thicker and stronger than regular thread, and I only want to have to repair this bra once ;)

You'll also need a teeny tiny piece of duck tape.

Directions:

1.  Pull out the underwire a little bit through the hole it is poking through.  Use a teeny little piece of duck tape to cover up the sharp end of the metal underwire, so it will be more difficult for it to poke through again.  Be sure you don't use too much tape, or it won't fit back through the hole!  Push the underwire back down through the hole as far as you can.

2.  Thread your needle with the upholstery thread, and start stitching under the hole, and all the way up and over the hole.  I used more stitches than I probably needed to, but I'd rather do a really good job once than have to do this multiple times!  I stitched under the wire, and then up and over.  Tie a knot at the end when you are finished.

3.  Apply some fabric glue or clear nail polish over the entire stitched surface.  This will give the thin material some extra protection from the wire poking through again.

Not too bad, right?  Definitely worth saving $50 for 5 minutes of easy work, don't you think?!  I fixed my bra yesterday and it's working just like before- no sharp stabbing for me!

Give this a try, or pin this for when this inevitably happens to you ;)

Be sure to check out my easy tutorial for how to fix any broken powder makeup in just a few minutes with an ingredient you already have at home!  

xo, Laura

If you liked this project, please follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Bloglovin', and Instagram.

Linking Up Here: Whipperberry, Craft-O-Maniac, Skip To My Lou, C.R.A.F.T., Tidy Mom, 30 Days, Tatertots & Jello, The 36th Avenue, Lolly Jane, Sugar Bee Crafts

Burlap Bunny Garland

I've had a lot of fun creating with burlap this Spring, and today I'm bringing burlap back to show you how to make an adorable burlap bunny garland.  I know I always say this, but this project is really cheap and easy to make.

Anyone can do this!!

And if you missed my previous burlap tutorials, be sure to check out my burlap bunny place mats and my burlap bunny hanging.  All of these projects look perfect together, and all have a similar look that will visually tie your decor together.

This easy rabbit bunting banner looks great hanging on my mantle, but would look great anywhere you want to hang it in your home to add a little spring.  It was made with a leftover piece of burlap that I had from my previous projects.  Burlap is ridiculously cheap (especially if you have a coupon!), and so is the white felt that I used for the rabbits.  And there is VERY minimal sewing involved, but you can also go the no-sew route if you'd like.  I'll explain how later.  Wanna' make your own?

Supplies:  

• burlap
• white felt
• cardboard, card stock, or poster board (for bunny template)
• scissors
• jute, twine, etc. to hang the garland (I used macrame cord I found in the jewelery aisle at Joanns)
• sewing machine (optional)
• glue gun

Directions:

1.  Cut a triangle bunting template out of your cardboard, poster board, or whatever you have on hand- you could even use a cereal box!  Then print out any bunny silhouette that you would like to use.  I found a cute one here that I liked.  Make sure to resize the bunny to the right size to fit on your burlap triangles!  Print and cut out the silhouette, trace it onto your cardboard, then cut it out.  

2.  Now that you have your templates, use the triangle template to cut out as many burlap triangles that you need for your bunting.  I used 7 triangles, and I made each triangle 8 1/2" wide and 8 1/2" long (down to the longest point).  Trace and cut out your bunnies, one bunny per triangle.  I used one sheet of the stiff white felt that I had on hand, but regular white felt is fine, too.

3.  Sew a simple straight stitch around the edges of each bunting.  It may sound like a pain, but it literally took less than a minute per triangle.  Burlap frays easily, and stitching around the edges prevents too much fraying.  You could skip this step, but I don't recommend it, especially if you would like to use this year after year.  

4.  Using your glue gun, add thin strips of hot glue on the back of the bunnies, and glue one bunny onto each triangle.  Be sure not to use too much glue!  If you keep it light, it will still stick, and you won't be able to see the glue through the felt.

Glue the bunting onto the macrame cord.  Laying the macrame cord (you could use anything you like) straight, I carefully applied hot glue to the top of the cord in a straight line that was the width of one bunting triangle.  Carefully lay the bunting down over the hot glue, and press it down gently.  Repeat, until you have reached the desired length of garland.  Cut the cord, and you are finished!!

That wasn't too bad, right?!  And look how cute the finished product is!  This bunting is so festive and springy, and just walking into my living room and seeing it makes me happy.  I also love that it matches my burlap bunny place mats and my burlap bunny hanging.  It all goes together really well.

Is this something you would make for your home?  How do you decorate for Easter?  And are you loving burlap as much as I am?!

xo, Laura 

If you liked this project, please follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Bloglovin', and Instagram.

Linking Up Here:The 36th Avenue, House of Hepworths, Oasie Moats, Whipperberry, Tatertots & Jello

Pottery Barn Inspired Easter Burlap Bunny Hanging

I told you yesterday that I had a few Easter burlap projects I've been working on.  So far I showed you how to make Easter bunny burlap place mats, and today I want to share with you how to make a pretty Easter burlap bunny hanging, perfect for hanging on a wall or door in your home.  My hanging is similar to the Pottery Barn version, except that I kinda' like mine better ;)

This spring burlap Easter Bunny banner was really easy to make, and I love how it looks hanging in my house!  The Pottery Barn version costs a TON more than my version, which only cost me about $3-$4 (after my 40% coupon)!  Don't get me wrong, Pottery Barn is, and always will be, my favorite furniture store, but when I can DIY for significantly less, and it still looks just as good, count me in!

Supplies:

• Burlap
• White felt
• Cardboard of poster board (for your rabbit template)
• Fabric scissors
• Dowel (Home Depot, Joanns, Walmart, etc.)
• Jute, twine, string, etc. (to hang the banner)
• Drill

Directions:

1.  Cut the burlap into the size that you would like your hanging to be.  You will need to cut two pieces of this size.  Be sure to measure the area where you would like to hang this, and then measure and cut accordingly.

Here's an easy way to cut burlap that I learned from the nice lady at Joanns.  Figure out where you want to cut the burlap, and then pull on a single thread in that spot.  Pull the thread gently, and keep pulling until it is all the way out.  If it breaks, then just pick up the rest of the string and keep pulling until it's all the way out.  Now you have an easy line for you to cut the burlap nice and straight!  Cool, huh?

Now sew the two banners together by placing the front sides together, and doing a straight stitch along the top. Now you have one continuous long piece.

2.  Draw out a simple rabbit silhouette onto a piece of cardboard or poster board.  I used my little Martha Stewart bunny stencil as a guide to look at to draw out a big rabbit shape.  Don't let this part scare you!  I did a little erasing here and there, but this really wasn't hard to do.  I just decided how big I wanted my bunny to be, and went for it.  Once your rabbit template is drawn, cut it out, and trace it onto the BACK of your white felt piece.

If you want your bunny facing the left, make sure when you trace it onto the back of the felt that it is facing the right!  (Or vice versa)

3.  Pin the rabbit onto the front piece of burlap, and sew using any stitch that you like.  I used the pin stitch that I used for my heart pillows, which is a good applique stitch, and makes the banner look really professional.

4.  Once the bunny is sewn, then you will need to pin the front and the back of the burlap hanging together.  You will need to sew a large rectangle around the perimeter of the hanging, with just a little bit of a seam allowance.  This will allow the banner to fray just a little bit and give it a soft edge, but not enough that it looks messy.  The stitches from the sewing machine will stop the fraying.

** Be sure to leave enough space at the top for the dowel to fit into! ** 

Once the banner is sewn, all you have to do is attach the jute, twine, or whatever you would like to hang it.  We chose to drill a hole in each end of our dowel, pull the cord that I used through, and tie a know in each end.  Easy.  If you want to skip the drilling step, just tie your cord, jute, etc. to each end.

Isn't it lovely?  And for under $5?!  And while I'll always be in love with anything from Pottery Barn, I think I gave them a little competition with this one ;)

If you'd like matching placemats to go with your hanging, you can find the directions here for these Easter bunny burlap placemats.

Happy crafting!!


If you liked this project, please follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Bloglovin', and Instagram.

xo, Laura

Linking Up Here:  Someday Crafts, The 36th Avenue, Tatertots and Jello, Whipperberry, Oasie Moats

Easter Bunny Burlap Placemats

I have had a slight crush on burlap lately, as you'll see in some of my upcoming projects ;)  Burlap is so easy to work with, cheap, and has such a great texture.

The first burlap project that I'm going to share with you are these pretty spring Easter bunny burlap place mats. They were really quite easy... you definitely should give them a try!

Supplies:

• Burlap 
• White paint
• Stencil brush or foam pouncer brush
• Bunny stencil (or a Cricut, Silhouette, etc.)
• Sewing machine (optional)

Directions:

1.  Cut your burlap placements to the size you would like them to be.  Here's an easy trick to cutting burlap that the nice lady at Joanns showed me.  Where you would like to cut, pull one of the single strings of burlap all the way out, slowly and carefully.  If it breaks, that's okay, just pull out the broken thread and keep pulling the rest of the piece.  When the string is gone, you now have a nice straight line that you can cut along to make sure that you are cutting evenly.  Love this trick!

2.  I measured some of my Pottery Barn place mats as a guide, so I wanted my finished product to measure 14"x20."  I cut my burlap place mats to about 15 1/2" x 21 1/2," to allow for seam allowances.

I chose to sew the edges of each place mat under with a small seam allowance, but you can either skip the sewing altogether, or just sew a straight stitch around the edges without folding the material under (which will help reduce the fraying).  I think that sewing the edges gives it a nice finished look!

If you want to sew the edges under, I have an easy trick for you!  I took a very hot iron, folded under each side of the place mats, one edge at a time, and ironed the seam down.  I placed a dish towel on top of the burlap, just to be sure that I didn't melt it.  Worked perfectly!  Ironing the edges down kept them nice and flat, so that I didn't have to pin at all, and they stayed down perfectly so I could sew nice straight lines around all of the edges.

3.  Sew around the edges of your place mats.  I used a stitch on my machine that made three stitches, since burlap is thick, just to be safe.  You can hardly even see the stitching through the burlap.

4.  I used my Martha Stewart foam pouncers, my Martha craft paint, and my Martha holiday stencils.  Yeah, I'm a sucker for anything with her name on it ;)  If you don't have the Martha stencils, you can cut your own stencil from a Cricut, Silhouette, or any other die cutting machine.  You could also google  "rabbit silhouette," and then make your own stencil out of poster board or cardboard.

5.  Hold your stencil firmly in the bottom right hand corner of your place mat.  Add some white paint to your pouncer or stencil brush, and pounce up and down over the stencil onto the burlap, making sure to hold down the stencil firmly so it doesn't slip.  Once the whole bunny is evenly painted white, carefully lift up the stencil.  Let the paint dry, and you're ready to go!  I am not going to wash my place mats, because I don't know how burlap holds up in the wash, but I will definitely spot clean these.

And there you have it!  I bought some very similar place mats (minus the bunnies) at Pottery Barn when I was a newlywed, and spent quite a bit of money for a set of 6.  These only cost a couple dollars at the most, and they look just as good!  I can't wait to use these for some lovely spring dinners!

I hope you give these a try!  Happy sewing!

I also made a burlap Easter Bunny Hanging that matches the placemats that you might like!

If you liked this project, please follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Bloglovin', and Instagram.

xo, Laura

Linking Up Here:  Lil Luna,  Someday Crafts, The 36th Avenue, Tatertots and Jello, Whipperberry, Oasie Moats

DIY iPad Case Tutorial (Made For Free Using Recycled & Upcyled Materials!)

I am so excited to finally share the directions for how I created my own DIY iPad case, and how you can make one for yourself!  The best part of this project is that I made it for FREE out of a cardboard box and my daughter's old skirt that she had outgrown!!  I spent about $50 on my previous case, so this is definitely a cheaper, and prettier, option.  

My iPad case design that I am going to share with you recently won a design contest on Earth 911, who asked us contestants to create an iPad or iPhone case out of recycled and upcycled materials.

This DIY iPad case is not only functional, but beautiful and unique as well.  The case opens and closes like a book, and the iPad is securely held in place inside.  The cover closes with two ties made from the skirt when not in use. 

You can use any fabric that you like to make this case match your own personal style.  Men can use one of these, too, just use a piece of fabric and some velcro to  close the case instead of the ties.  You will feel good about making this iPad case, knowing that not only will you have made your own unique piece of art that no one else has, you will also be reusing and recycling items that otherwise would have gone in the trash!

Supplies:

• An article of clothing (I used a skirt that was too small for my daughter- you could also use clothing that is stained, too small or too big, or one that Sewing is no longer in style rather than throwing it out) or fabric that you have on hand
• Cardboard box (mine was a box from Costco)Sewing machine, scissors, pins, and a ruler
• Spray mount (optional)
• Needle and thread (or glue gun)
• 2 8" pieces of ribbon (in matching color)
• 2 13" pieces of ribbon (in matching color) 
• Elastic headband (optional)

Directions:

1. Cut out two pieces of cardboard that are 8"x10," and one thin piece that is 1"x10."  Line up the cardboard as pictured, so that it looks like an open book.  Label all of the pieces- I labeled mine "Top front cover (inside)," "Top inside," and "Top back cover (inside)."  And on the back "Top front cover (outside)," "Top outside," and "Top back cover (outside)."  It really helped to have these labeled, so don't skip this step!  

You want the outside corners of your case to be rounded, just like the iPad corners, so trace the edges of your iPad onto the two outside corners of the 8"x10" pieces of cardboard, just like in the photo.  Now cut along the lines you traced to get the round edges.

2.  Make a cut along the side seam of your clothing, so that it is one long continuous piece of fabric.  (Since I used a skirt that was pleated along the top, I also had to make a cut along the top to open up the pleats).  Iron the fabric.

3.  Find one of the side seams on your fabric.  Line up the cardboard like before (like an open book) onto the inside of the fabric (the ugly side), with one of the side edges of the case lined up with the seam.  Trace around all 3 pieces of cardboard (put together like in the photo, like a book) on the inside of your material (the ugly side) with a pencil.  Cut about an inch OUTSIDE of your outline that you traced on all 3 sides, EXCEPT the side where there is a seam.  Leave that side alone and uncut.

4.  To cut the rest of the fabric, pull the cardboard pieces off, and simply flip the uncut piece over the top, keeping the same side seam aligned as it was with the cardboard.  Now cut along the edges of those same 3 sides you already cut, this time cutting the uncut piece of fabric. Make sure you don't cut the 4th side with the seam.

5.  Now flip the fabric so that the pretty sides (the outsides) are together, with the part that you traced on the top, like in the photo.  Pin the two pieces together.  Sew right on the lines that you traced, leaving an opening about 8 1/2" inches wide along the middle of the bottom.  Iron.

6.  Flip the cover right side out through the hole that you left in your sewing.  Spray both sides of one of the 8"x10" pieces of cardboard, push it gently up and in through the hole, all the way over to one side, making sure to match up the rounded edges to the rounded edges in the fabric.  Push down and rub on the cardboard and fabric so that it sticks together.  

Spray the second 8"x10" piece of cardboard into the hole and all the way over to the other side of the case. Push down and rub on it.  The spray mount is optional, but it made a big difference in making the cardboard stay in place and the whole case looking nice and smooth.  Throw away the small 1"x10" piece of cardboard, you will no longer need it.  

7. Now you need to finish off the bottom edge along the hole.  To do this you can either fold in both edges of the fabric into the hole, and then handsew the pieces together OR you can use fold in both edges of the fabric into the hole, and then glue the pieces together using a glue gun.  I was too nervous to use my new sewing machine with the cardboard, so I would not recommend using a sewing machine for this part.

8.  Now to make the ties to close the case.  The skirt I used came with a long ribbon-like piece of material, that I turned into ties.  You can do the same thing with a piece of ribbon that matches the fabric you used.  

Use your glue gun to glue one of the 13" pieces of ribbon onto the center inside of the front of your case, as pictured.  Do the same thing with the other 13" piece of ribbon onto the center inside of the back of your case.

9.  To hold the iPad in place inside the case, you will be using two 8" pieces of ribbon.  The first piece will be glued down in the top left corner of the inside of the case.  Place your iPad centered inside the case, and place the middle of a piece of your ribbon diagonally over the corner of your iPad.  Tuck the edges of the ribbon down, pull out your iPad, and glue the piece of ribbon down in that spot.  

Repeat for the bottom right hand corner, measuring where you would like the ribbon to go with your iPad, and then removing your iPad and gluing.  Make sure that the ribbon is tight enough to hold your iPad, but loose enough to be able to pull it in and out easily!  Your iPad will cover the bottom portion of the ribbon, but if you would like to cover it, you can cut a big rectangle of material, and glue it over the bottom ends of the ribbon.

10.  Your iPad will be safe and secure now inside your new case, but as an extra precaution, I used an elastic headband of my daughter's to hold the closed case together.  You can never be too safe with something you paid hundreds of dollars for, right? 

And you are finished!  Stand back and admire your lovely, custom, unique iPad case, and feel good knowing that you made it from recycled and upcycled materials.

If you liked this project, please follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Bloglovin', and Instagram.

XO, Laura

La La Love You Valentine Pillow

I have the cutest little pillow tutorial to share with you today!  I dreamed up this pillow after hearing a song that I love by the Pixies, called "La La Love You."  I thought those words would be so cute on a little accent pillow for Valentine's Day, so I got to work and came up with this...

And I la la love it!  Would you love one for your couch?  Or even your daughter's bed?  Here's how to do it!

Supplies:

• 2 Pieces of felt cut into an 18"x11" rectangle (I used bright pink)
• Small piece of white felt (for the words)
• Sewing machine
• Glue gun or fabric glue
• Batting (to stuff the pillow)
• Pins
• Free printable template found HERE

Directions:

1.  Using your sewing machine, sew along each edge of the two cut pieces of felt, using a 1/4" seam allowance, and leaving small hole a few inches wide.  Make sure to finish off both ends.  Make a small diagonal cut on each corner, making sure not to cut the stitching.

2.  Flip pillow cover inside out, and push the corners out with the eraser end of a pencil.  Stuff pillow with batting, and hand sew the pillow closed.

3.   Print the free template found HERE, and cut out the letters with scissors.  Pin the letters onto a piece of white felt, and cut trim around the printed pattern.  Remove the pins, so that you are left with the white felt words "la la <3 you."

4.   Use fabric glue or a glue gun to glue the white letters centered onto your pillow.  I used a glue gun because I couldn't find my fabric glue, and it worked fine, as long as I didn't use too much hot glue.

Isn't it cute?  It's the perfect little touch of pink to add to your Valentine's decor.  I hope you try your hand at making one!  You'll la la love it!  Sorry, couldn't resist...

 Happy crafting!

If you liked this project, please follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Bloglovin', and Instagram.

XO, Laura

Linking Up Here:  Whipperberry, Tatertots & Jello, Lil' Luna