diy: pouf zippy pouch

When I figured out how to make this pouch, I was pretty excited. I had been trying to recreate a pouch that Casey had and it took a few tries but I got it! It's so simple, it blows my mind. If this is your first time sewing something, it may not be as exciting for you but, I will try to explain it as best I can!

First off, you will need:
- Felt (Just a standard 9"x12" piece that you can purchase at a craft store)
- A piece of fabric cut to the same size
- 14" Zipper
- Bias tape
- Thread
- Pins
- Scissors
- Sewing Machine

Lay your fabric down face up. Lay the zipper face down on the top edge (the 9" smaller side). Lay the felt face down on top of the zipper. Pin the edges together.

Sew it all together along the edge.

Fold the fabrics down and iron the edge down exposing the zipper.

Sew along the edge to keep the edges from getting stuck in the zipper.

Fold the fabric on top of it self and line the opposite edge up with the other side of the zipper. Do the same with the felt on the back side.

Sew along the edge.

Unzip the zipper so you can iron the edges again around the zipper. Sew the edges down.

Zip up the zipper and turn everything inside out.

Now you will fold the sides into itself. Take the folded edges and fold the inward toward the zipper.

From the side it should look like this. Pin it down on both sides.

Cut a 2 inch piece of bias tape and fold it in half.

Slide it on top of the zipper and into the folded mess. It should be parallel to the zipper and directly on top of it. The raw edges of bias tape should line up with the other edges.

Sew the edges all together. Make sure you unzip the zipper a little so you don't sew it up on the outside of the pouch. Trim the edges so they are all even.

Sew bias tape around the edges to make them look finished.

Turn the pouch inside out.

And it should look something like this.

The shape may not look like this right when you turn it inside out. You'll need to adjust it a little on the inside. The bias taped edges should sit straight on the inside. If you look inside the pouch in the picture, you may be able to see what I mean.

These would be perfect to make for a last minute gift! You can also purchase these pouches and larger versions in our Etsy shop!

xo, Savannah

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diy: spike bracelet

It’s great to be back on Oh So Pretty for my second contributor post. At this time of year DIY gift tutorials come in really handy so I wanted to create something you guys could make and give to someone you love, easily and within a budget. I’ve taken the wrap bracelets that were super popular this summer and given them a winter twist using sew on studs.

I hope you enjoy this post, and if you need a little more help getting your gifts together Oh So Pretty have this excellent shopping guide and you can also check out more of my holiday gift DIY posts here.

Instructions:

1. Measure a length of rope around your wrist a couple of times, then take off about an inch.

2. Choose three out of your four embroidery threads and cut off around two meters of each. Tie these onto your rope.

3. Begin to wrap one of the threads around both the rope and the other embroidery threads. There’s no rule here to how long you should make the color block, but I think it’s nice to keep the sections random.

4. Once you want to change color take another embroidery thread and just like before wrap around the rope and other two threads. Continue to do this until you’ve covered the length of rope and tie all the threads to the end.

5. Using strong glue, secure the rope ends into your bell cap ends and attach a clasp and extension chain onto either side.

6. Take your last piece of embroidery thread and tie it onto one end. begin to wrap around the cord bracelet leaving some distance between each wrap. after three or four times around thread on a stud keeping the tension tight. Repeat this step until you reach the end.

7. Tie the thread onto the other end of the bracelet securely. Use a dab of glue to add extra strength and once dry cut off any excess.

Perfect! So easy once you’ve done one for your bezzie you can make another for yourself! Hope you all have a fantastic Christmas and I’ll be back with more tutorials in the New Year. Fran x

Contributor Post by: Fran

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diy: crayon lipstick

Get ready for your mind to be BLOWN. Ours definitely are. We saw this tutorial and knew we had to try this immediately. Too good to be true? Nope. It's real (and safe. read our disclaimer at the end of the post)! Who knew that you could make lipstick out of 2 ingredients? Ahhh! Need. to. make. these. in. every. color. And we would've if we had had more containers.

So you will need coconut oil, CRAYOLA crayons, some containers, a pot and a small jar. Must be Crayola. For our containers we just used these guys, they once held a variety of powders but, have all been used up. So we cleaned 'em up real nice and are re-using them! So here's what you do.

Choose the color/colors you would like to use. Remove the wrappers from the crayons. The easiest and quickest way to do this is to cut all the way down the side of the crayon with a knife. It's probably also the most dangerous way to peel a wrapper off a crayon so if you're on the clumsy side or just don't trust yourself with a knife, do us all a favor and take the time to do it by hand. :)

Once you've cut, the wrapper should just come off like this- so easy!

Cut (or break) the crayons into 4 even-ish pieces.

Put your jar in the center of a pot and add water to the pot. Make sure you don't get any water in the jar. Add about a teaspoon of coconut oil to the jar and put the pot on the stove. Warm it up slowly, low-medium heat.

Once the coconut oil has melted all the way, add your crayon. Add a piece of crayon per teaspoon. You can mix colors too, we played around with a bunch of different mixes. If you add too much crayon the lipstick will be a little dry. If you don't have enough crayon, the lipstick will be too sheer and glossier. So it all depends on what you are looking for.

And that is that! Get to makin' you some lipstick!

** Some people wonder if this is safe. Most lipsticks are made with petroleum which comes from oil, so think about that for a second. Nasty. Crayons are made for children and are non-toxic. So we think it's safe!  

xo, Savannah

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recipe: chicken, spinach and rice casserole

There was a week were Casey and I were obsessed with making chicken and rice things. Okay maybe it wasn't that many things- this casserole and a chicken and rice soup. But we ate both of those for almost a whole week. If I had to choose, this recipe would win over the soup every time. Although, the soup is a little friendlier to the waistline and very tasty. Anyways, you've gotta make this! It's so easy and D-E-LICIOUS. And the texture is the nicest. And if you think you don't like spinach, I especially need you to try this. Because you WILL like spinach... even if just for this casserole.

Chicken, Spinach and Rice Casserole

Ingredients:

1/2 Rotisserie Chicken, Shredded

4 Cups Cooked White Rice

1 Small Onion

1 10 oz. Package Fresh Spinach

2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese + 1/4 Cup for topping

1 Cup Milk

2 eggs

2 Tbs. Butter

1 tsp. Thyme, chopped

1 tsp. fresh Parsley, chopped

1 tsp. Basil, chopped

1/4 tsp. Ground Red Pepper

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Saute the onions in the butter and red pepper on medium-high heat.

3. Add the spinach and cook for about three minutes.

4. Whisk the milk and eggs together in a bowl.

5. Then add the chicken, cheese, herbs, rice, spinach mixture, salt and pepper. Mix it well.

6. Pour the mixture into a greased casserole dish. Top with the rest of the shredded cheese.

7. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes then serve!

Serves: 6

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the ultimate diy candle guide

Well, it's officially holiday season, I suppose. I've been hearing Christmas music in stores and such for a while now and Thanksgiving hasn't even happened yet. It's crazy! But, if you're thinking about making some homemade gifts this season, you should consider making candles. It's easy and it's pretty fun to create your own fragrance. And you can name the candles after your friends, or whoever you are gifting them to. There are a variety of ways to create your own candles and while doing this tutorial, I tried a few different ways. So I put together this DIY candle guide.

Making candles is pretty easy, all you need is a container, a wick, some wax and something to scent the candle with. If you are using an old scented candle for your wax, you don't even have to add another scent element. If you are using old candles or tea lights, make sure to remove the wicks and any metal pieces.

Here are the instructions:

1. Glue the wick down to the bottom center of your container. Use hot glue.

2. Melt your wax in a microwave safe container. I eventually figured out that it's easiest to melt it in a measuring glass for easy pouring. Just leave it in the microwave until it's completely melted. The amount of wax you use will change depending on your container.

3. Let the wax cool for a couple minutes and then add your scent. You can use Scentsy wax, liquid scent, or a combination of both. Read the instructions on your liquid scent to know how much you should use. Mix it in.

4. Let it cool for a few more minutes and then pour the wax mixture into your container.

5. Let it cool completely. Sometimes air bubbles rise to the top and there are holes in your candle. If that happens, just re-melt your left over wax mixture and pour a little over the candle to fill in the holes.

6. Trim the wick.

Then all you need to do is come up with some creative names! What gifts are you going to be DIYing this year?

xo, Savannah

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diy: wire ear cuffs

I saw these awesome clip-on earrings on High on DIY and I immediately wanted to make them. The wire that I have is a little too thick to make hearts like Rinchen did but I did want to try to make an ear cuff. So I made an ear cuff and some triangle ones too. I have my ears pierced so I was worried they may look a little strange with my holes showing but the triangles covered them up pretty nicely. You just need some wire and some jewelry tools. Or if your wire is thin enough, your fingers will do! Anyways, here is what you do for both.

1. Bend your wire in two places to create a squared edge.

2. Repeat about a half inch down the wire to create a rectangle.

3. Twist the end pieces together.

4. Wrap the rectangle around a small round object, I used a paint brush.

You may need to clamp the cuff a little on your ear when you first wear it but then you should be able to slide it on and off very easily.

And here is what you do for the triangle ones!

1. Make a triangle with the wire.

2. Twist the wires together at the bottom of the triangle.

3. Create another triangle on the other side of the twist.

4. Twist the end pieces together and trim the ends.

5. Fold the end into the triangle.

6. Fold the whole piece in half where the twist is.

7. Then make another for your other ear!

I'm ready to buy some thinner wire and make some more in different shapes now!
xo, Savannah

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