DIY Tassel Bracelet

Last week Caitlin of Southern Curls and Pearls shared a DIY for tassel bracelets and I just knew that I had to try it because they're so cute. I'd actually seen this on Pinterest a couple of times and it was one of the infinite things I pinned but never got around too. Luckily, I finally decided to try it when I saw how easy Caitlin made it look and I am so happy I did. These are so simple to make and and they add such a simple statement to your wrist. I actually made four of them, two for now and two with fall colors!

Supplies:

gold wire

crimp beads

stretchy jewelry cord (I used 0.7mm)

beads

embroidery floss

scissors

pliers

jump rings (I used 6mm)

credit card

Directions:

1) String Beads on Jewelry Cord and set off to the side

2) Cut 1.5 Feet of Embroidery Floss and fold into 4 sections and place a jump ring in the center

3) Wrap the remainder of the embroidery floss around the card

4) Cut embroidery floss around one edge of the card and hold the strings at the center

5) tie embroidery floss around the center of the group of strings

6) Wrap gold wire around the embroidery floss

7) Trim the embroidery floss down to desired tassel side

8) Place two crimp beads and the tassel on one side of the jewelry cord and loop the other side through

9) Crimp the crimping beads with the pliers

10) Cut down extra cord

11) ENJOY YOUR NEW BRACELET

xx,

Erin

Kate Spade Keds DIY

A college girl's budget is hard to shop on. It means learning how to bargain hunt like a professional and what is worth spending money on. Jack Rogers? Worth it...oh and did I mention they're on sale on Last Call right now? I am talking I just spent like $65 and got two pairs of them...yeah, two. Follow this link to get the gift card and you can save extra money by entering the code "BestMom" at the living social checkout and enjoy!

Okay, back to this post...

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I am definitely on a budget and that budget does not include $75 Kate Spade Keds (similar)...even if they are totally adorable and covered in polka dots.

Well, all I could do was think about them and then one day when I was in Target (my happy place), I got an idea. Why don't I just make my own Kate Spade Keds? So for less than $20...yes TWENTY...I made my own pair and I couldn't be happier! (aka I got 2 pairs of Jack Rogers and a cute pair of sneakers all for the price of the original Keds)

What Do You Need:

White Keds or flat sneakers (mine are from Target)

Gold Fabric Pen

Pencil

Tissue Paper

How To:

1. Stuff the tissue or newspaper inside the shoe and try to pack it in there. It is much easier to draw on the shoe and apply pressure if there is a solid backing to it.

2. Take the laces out of your shoes so that you can color that part of the shoe too.

3. Add polka dots to the shoe.

This part is totally a personal preference thing. If you are not confident in your ability to draw a circle, trace the end of the pencil with the gold pen and then color inside that circle (this can take a while...I was trying to hold the pencil in my mouth...it was a hot mess). I personally freehanded the circles and the spacing, but I totally understand if you don't want to! Also, make sure that the color paint is what you are looking for. I did these last night with one pen and when I remembered that I had a gold paint pen, I re-did them this morning and I am so happy I did!

left is the new gold, right pen was more yellow

4. Add the laces back in and rock the shoes!

Seriously, this was such an easy DIY. I think I finished them first time in an hour and for so much less than I would've paid for the original Keds.

xoxo,

SSP

Just Another Priceless Work of Art in His Gallery

Please tell me some of you got that reference? Hypothetical High Five for throwback music. I mean what's better than a little Mario Vasquez singing about how amazing you are? Turning 21 at an Aaron Carter concert? Oh yeah, that'll do it ;P Spoiler: That's what I'll be doing in a couple of weeks, anyways....

I love gallery walls. I kept seeing them on Pinterest and knew that I had to do one once I got my own apartment. Of course, once I got here I had a dozen things to do and decorating just couldn't be a priority (aside from my desk). There were some minor setbacks, like realizing I didn't bring a screwdriver to school, but as of this morning I can say that my gallery wall is officially complete.

Living on a tight budget in college made decorating a gallery wall a challenge. I would fall head over heels in love with a print and then realize it just wasn't where I wanted to spend $25 (J. Crew Factory being 50% off today is more my cup of tea) and it was getting discouraging. Then I decided to search for free printables on Pinterest and now I can proudly say that the only things I purchased for the wall were frames, a clock, and the wooden symbols. I decorated my wall just how I wanted to, but for a fraction of the cost. Of course, finding prints was the easy part, planning the wall is a whole different story:

How to Decorate a Gallery Wall 101

1) Pick a vision.

I realize this seems like a big step, but do you want crisp white lines? Do you want an antique vibe? You need to know what your end goal is (to an extent) before starting. I actually changed mine a bit, but it was definitely helpful to have a starting point.

2) Get frames.

I highly recommend BigLots. I got 3 of my big frames there for $7 a piece. Since I have so many big, white walls, I wanted frames that weren't totally flat. I like the dimension a simple border can provide. Also, color doesn't matter because you can always paint them. I still might paint some of mine.

3) Make a layout.

This is really important to do before you go on a crazy journey picking out prints. You want to have an idea of what size, color, and images to put where. I knew that I didn't want all text on one side of my wall and images on the other, etc. Plus this is a great time to incorporate any other accents you want to put on the wall. I got the cheap wood symbols from Michael's and just glitter painted them (see here). 

4) Pick out the prints.

This will take a while and it should. I basically did this in all the free time I had on a Thursday a few weeks ago. If you are saving by finding free printables, definitely block out more time. It will take longer to find the free ones, but on the plus side you get to instantly print them instead of waiting.

5) Scramble.

My idea for my wall kind of evolved through the print selection process and the placement of prints changed as I added more. Find a balance that works for you, after all, you're the one who has to live with it.

6) Hang them up.

Ideally do this with a hammer and nails, but as I have proven, thumbtacks get the job done too.

7) Enjoy.

There is such a sense of pride in seeing something you took the time to decorate (hello, mantle) and this is one of those things.

Do any of y'all have a gallery wall?

xoxo,

SSP

Desk Obsessed

Okay, I am obsessed with my new desk! Seriously, it is amazing what some knobs and a few coats of paint can accomplish. While I am not ready to do an apartment or room tour yet (so much decorating left...but it's already the most amazing apartment ever), I do want to share this desk and vertical file shelf. 

So I got this old desk from my Momma's boyfriend because its the perfect size for me. I don't study at my desk a ton because I am better off getting serious studying done at the library, but it's really nice to have the option. 

This was a super simple project, but it did take a bit longer than anticipated because of work schedules, paint drying, stenciling, and a couple of design overhauls. In the end, I love this and it has totally won the prize for "Favorite Room Decoration." 

To paint this I used Behr paint, furniture primer, a Martha Stewart Stencil, and Anthropologie knobs.  

Not only did I paint the desk, but when my momma and I came across these filing units in TJ Maxx, we knew they were perfect for my room. I love having a place to store important papers or documents that's easy to sift through. This was a really, really simple task. All I did was prime it, paint it, and then paint the brackets and put them back on. 

Now these project may seem like a lot of navy in my room, but my room is MASSIVE and has white walls. I need all the color I can get! And I know I am not giving away my room yet...but here is a hint for those of you who've actually read this whole post:

Oh, and I can't wait to show you my closets...yeah, plural...

Have you ever up-cycled furniture before? 

xoxo,

SSP

"Make This" Monday: Pots that Pop

"I think yellow pots would be cute out here." And just like that, I had my first crafting project of the summer. We are in the process of moving right now and we got new cushions for the patio furniture. There seems to be a general consensus at this new house to go with bright and happy colors everywhere and that extended to the outdoors. We went with lime, orange, and yellow for the patio and while we found an orange pot at Home Goods that we liked, we didn't have any yellow. I decided that instead of dropping a bunch of money on pots and searching for a bright yellow that we liked, I would do them instead.\
This project cost $16 for both pots and took hardly any time at all. It is so simple and a great way to spice up your outdoor space or indoor storage (small pots).
1) Supplies: I started with 2 terracotta pots from Home Depot and got white and yellow spray paint with primer built in. Most spray paints can be used indoors and outdoors, but make sure when you are buying it.
2) I primed the pots with white so that the yellow would really pop. Even if you think the color will cover the base, a white coat first will make the next layer extra bright!

3) Spray them with the yellow paint. At this point I was just planning to leave both as solid yellow, otherwise I would have taped off the pot that was going to be white and yellow stripes. 2-3 coats works best depending on how bright you want the paint. Don't forget to get the top rim of the pot when you flip it over!
4) Tape it off and spray stripes on. Taping on a pot is difficult since it is both tapered and round. The best advice I can give you is to get it as straight as you can and then correct it with small strips of tape afterwards or to just use paint and a brush.

5) Let them dry. You don't want to mess up the paint or get the chemicals in your plant!
6) Pot the flowers. Momma loves her bright pots and they are such a bright addition to our (under construction) patio!

xoxo,
SSP

Monogrammed Dorm Room

This weekend, in addition to being completely sidelined by my allergies, I sent over half of my dorm room home with Momma. I am going right from my final on Friday to Raleigh for NC State's graduation and I absolutely cannot pack all of my stuff into my Toyota Highlander. Realistically, we were going to need two cars to move my room anyways (as you can tell, I have an excessive amount of clothing) so this just allowed me to see Momma for a bit. I know I saw her last week and I will see her again this weekend, but we haven't had any time to just hang out and finals always make me anxious and homesick.
First thing about Monogrammed Monday, Charlottesville peeps, I am sorry for being the reason it has rained almost every Monday since I wanted it to the day after Spring Break. I promise I won't wish for anything like that again. Anyways, today is all about a super easy monogram DIY. I love wall monograms and especially the lasered wood ones that are super popular now, but being a girl on a budget calls for more economically friendly options.
The monogram on my wall could not have been easier or more inexpensive to create. Seriously, it is the wood letters from Michael's and some paint. I wanted to add a personal touch to my room and all my accents are pink and green. Then I saw the Lilly paper lanterns at the bookstore and I decided they were necessary to frame my monogram. This acted as an awesome headboard since I didn't actually have one. Also, I added more decorations to the walls later because my room felt like a jail cell. Cinderblock walls, really? I am not going to miss this room, at all, mostly because I literally live at the farthest, most isolated point of grounds. 

old picstitch from right after I decorated 

I will do a dorm decorating post later in the summer when I have some time. For now, I have to turn on my self-control app and get some studying done for my 2 exams tomorrow!

xoxo,
SSP

Craft On

I crafted a lot for big sis week. I have twins which is amazing and wonderful and they are the bees knees, but I wasn't preparing for two until about a week before the baskets started. Suddenly, my perfectly laid plans of crafting a bit each night for my little turned into big projects every night of the week. I pulled three all-nighters in a row during Big Sis Week, only sleeping for brief intervals in the afternoon, but it was totally worth it.
I don't know how Big Sis Week is at your school, but here it is a production and a half. We don't just give them a basket every day, we plan activities for them to do every. single. day. I mean we send them on dates, to get manicures, paint wars, swing dancing, etc. I wish I had my big sis week here, seriously, they are so spoiled (and we love spoiling them).

Dorm Rooms are not designed for BSW (featuring my momma)

We only got to give them 3 baskets this week and then give them a small gift on the fourth day this year, but don't worry, it didn't hurt how much they got!
These are the two unique canvases they got. One is based off of a Lilly print from a couple of seasons ago and my other little got an Old Bay inspired board because she's from the great state of Maryland.

Old Bay Inspired

Lilly Pulitzer Inspired

xoxo,

SSP

Glitter Me Gold

Last night while I was working on my homework, my computer decided to shut down on me and I took that as a sign that I was done with homework for the night. Instead, I broke out my craft boxes and got to work on a bit of crafting for my future little! I have so much stuff for my little, not even including what has yet to be crafted! One of the projects that I did last night was to glitter a mason jar.  It is amazing how glittering one or two things can result in my room being absolutely covered in glitter...I mean, I will be wearing if for a week.  There are a few ways to glitter things that I have tried and this was the first time I had done it this way.

Glitter Techniques:

• glitter paint: this works best with glassware (i.e. wine glasses) and you dab it on using sponge brushes
• modgepodge glitter mix: mix about 2 parts glitter and 1 part modgepodge together and just paint on. the modgepodge dries clear so all you can see is the glitter, this is the technique I used on my iPhone case and picture frames.
• glitter on modgepodge: coat the surface in modgepodge and then pour glitter over it...this one needs a top coat because it is more likely to shed.

mason jar project: http://instagr.am/p/VJrYUJSAXv/

For this mason jar I used the third technique, except I glittered the inside because I want to be able to easily paint my little's monogram on one of the sides. I covered the inside of the jar in modgepodge, dumped glitter inside, covered it, shook it up, and then dumped out the extra. I am either going to put some fake flowers in it or use it as a pencil holder.

My basic, durable $20 Target case is now chic!

Also, if anyone has any suggestions for other crafts I can do for my little, I'd love to hear them! You can comment or email me at sugarsnappearls@gmail.com.

xoxo,
SSP