d.i.y. macrame belt.

Belts are one of my favourite accessories, I like how they make every outfit look even sweeter and add a little bit of unexpected colour or texture.  I've been really into a kind of beachy, hippie-ish look lately/ maybe forever and I felt that macrame would be a super quick and fitting technique to make a new little belt!

If you're my mom this will remind you of terrible 70's jute planters.  If you're me it probably reminds you of hemp girl guide bracelets.  And if you're younger than me you may have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about.  But you will, soon.

This is a super simple little project that takes a little bit of time but is perfect to do while sitting outside in the sun or watching a movie, it doesn't take a ton of concentration.

_twine.
_scissors.
_other supplies I decided I needed after  took this photo: ribbon and glass beads.

1_cut four lengths of twine roughly three times the width of your waist.  if you want your belt to wrap around twice, double the length.
2_tie the four threads at the top with a knot and secure to your work surface with a bit of tape.  starting with the far left thread cross it over the two middle threads so that it looks like a "4."
3_then tuck the thread under the middle two threads and over the rest of the far left thread, pulling on the end until the knot tightens.  don't pull it extremely tight otherwise the knot will look strange and won't lie flat.  this is a d knot.
4_repeat the mirrored version with the far right thread, then the far left thread, etc., alternating sides so that this pattern is formed.  you may need to press it down lightly with your finger as you go to keep it from twisting/
5_ if you would like to add some beads slip them onto any of the threads and then continue knotting as normal. (left, right or the two centre threads together.)
6_once you have reached your desired length tie the threads off and trim.  i made mine long enough to wrap around my waist once.
7_cut two lengths of ribbon long enough to tie in a bow.  i made mine long enough to start in the back and then wrap around my waist so that I could have the bow in the front. 
8_place a bit of hot glue on one knotted end and wrap one end of the ribbon around it, making sure it's secure.  repeat for the other side. 

and there you go, you're very own sweet little knotted belt, perfect for all your summery dresses and fall cardigans! (yes, I'm already thinking about fall!)  I think a shorter version with smaller/no beads would also make a very sweet headband.

happy week! xo, T.

ps. this weekend marked the one year birthday of the most delightful adventure! This year has completely flown by and this blog has been such a fun little project, thank you to all my lovely readers!

d.i.y. beach glass necklaces.

One of my favourite parts of going to the beach during the summer is wandering up and down the water's edge looking for beach glass.  I've been collecting it with my mom since I was little and our collection has grown pretty large, I love all the different shapes and sizes and patterns that you can find.  From the more common whites and greens, to the soft white blues, lilacs, royal blues and soft yellows.  I love how the waves and sand wear down broken, discarded pieces of glass bottles and plates into something so beautiful!

Generally our beach glass sits in an old mason jar on our coffee table in our living room, but I finally decided that it was time to make something out of it!  I've wanted to make necklaces out of it for a while, but wanted to keep them simple without a ton of metal or wire wrapping.  Finally I found the right glue  - that's the benefit of four years of model building, you get a chance to try out a lot of different glues - and they turned out super pretty!

This glue works with pretty much any material so you could even make necklaces out of rocks, bits of pottery, or whatever else you've happened to find!

Things you need:
_beach glass
_weldbond glue (or any glue that will bond fabric to glass,  I liked this the best though!)
_twine, this one is cotton.
_beads, bits of fabric, or anything else you want to use to embellish your necklaces.

1_choose your pieces of glass! I picked different sizes, colours and textures, and a few rocks and pottery pieces as well.
2_decide which side of your glass will be the back and apply a line of glue horizontally close to the top.  following the manufacturer's instructions, let glue sit for 2-3 minutes until tacky.
3_cut a piece of twine large enough to slip over your head, plus some extra for knot tying and wrapping. place the centre of the twine along the length of glue, wrapping the loose ends around once or twice so that they both meet in the middle of the back.  place another dot of glue at the top and secure the twine so that it will hang straight down.  Gently press the twine into the glue and let dry for 24 hours according to manufacturer's instructions.  The glue dries clear so don't worry if your gluing isn't perfect.
4_experiment with different ways of wrapping your twine around!  try and keep your gluing to just the back side.
5_after drying for 24 hours your necklaces are cured and ready to go! embellish with beads or bits of fabric tied around the twine.  secure the loose ends with a double knot and your necklaces are ready to go!

This was a super fun, quick, simple little weekend evening project and I loved how they turned out! I made six necklaces or varying lengths and I'm excited for the chance to wear them in different combinations! have a happy week! xo, T.