DIY - Doily Bunting

I love decorating my room. I'm always arranging plastic flowers in pretty pots, or buying little boxes to store things in. My walls are quite bare though (other than a calendar and a chalk board), so I wanted to put some bunting up. Bunting is actually very expensive, and for a decent length you could end up paying £20! Making bunting is often very time consuming aswell, and no one has much time when school is on. Here is a quick way to make original bunting for your walls. And here's the great part- no sewing is required!

For your doily bunting, you will need-

❂ 1 Pack of doilies- any colour, any material, any size. The amount you need will depend on the length you want your bunting though. 12 will be plenty.

❂ Ribbon- about the length you want your bunting, plus 8inches/20cm.

❂ PVA glue

❂ Scissors

To make your bunting, start off by folding your doilies in half, and then back out again. Cut along the creased line.

Lay one of the half doilies facing upwards (the side with the pattern on it should be facing upwards), and squeeze a thin line of glue along the very top edge.

Carefully lay the ribbon on top of the glue and press down. Repeat all the way along the ribbon, leaving a couple of centimetres between each piece, until you reach your desired length.

It really is as easy as cutting and sticking! It's so quick and easy to make (not to mention affordable), and it looks good on any wall colour! Hope you enjoy making your doily bunting!

❤

Smoothie Sunday- Summer Memories

Okay, so it's official; summer is now over, no matter how many times we tell ourselves it isn't. But there's nothing wrong with drinking away your end-of-summer sorrows with a glass of summer fruit smoothie! So grab the chance (before the fruits go out of season), and have a nice cup of summer.

This recipe really has no strict ingredients, other than any summer fruits you can find- they all work well together! Just raid your kitchen (or even your supermarket), and collect a selection some summary fruits.

For my smoothie, I used-
⟡ 400ml of orange juice (for the base) 
⟡ 3 slices of peach (without the fuzzy rind) 
⟡ 1 green gage (again, without the rind) 
⟡ several blueberries
⟡ 3 strawberries

                                      

Blend all of the ingredients together and pour your drink into a glass. If you want to feel extra summery, go ahead and garnish your glass with a slice of strawberry!

The great thing about this drink is that it's really refreshing, and it doesn't matter if you can't access certain ingredients! You can make this using as many or as little fruits as you want, and still achieve that summery flavour!

DIY- Bows

Bows are the perfect accessory to liven up your hairstyle. They even look great attached to bags, clothes, or even presents! One bow could be anywhere up to £2 at a shop, which is ridiculously overpriced when you know how to make your own! Just follow these 5 simple steps, and you'll have yourself a cute new accessory in no time!

To make 1 medium sized bow (the one above is a large size, but I will mention about that later), you will need-

⋈ 10 by 20cm rectangle of fabric (8 by 16cm for small, 15 by 30cm for large). You can make this any size, as long as the rectangle is twice as long as it is high.

⋈ 1 small rectangle of matching fabric, about 1/3 of the height of the 1st fabric. (you can use the same fabric, or one that matches the 1st fabric, it really doesn't matter)

⋈ Needle and thread (you want the thread colour to match the fabrics.)

Step 1) Fold your larger piece of fabric length ways into 3, with the edges just overlapping. Then, do the same in the other direction.

Step 2) Using the needle and thread, sew a simple running stitch down the middle to hold the folded ends in place. Don't tie off the thread yet.

Step 3) Gently pull on the thread. This will gather the fabric, and create the basic shape of the bow. Wrap the thread around the centre of the bow to secure it, then tie it at the back (the back is the side where a raw edge is showing.). Cut off the excess thread.

Step 4) Take the smaller rectangle of fabric, and fold it into 3 like you did in step 1. Wrap it around the centre of the bow to hide the thread that you just wrapped around it.

Step 5) Make sure the ends of the centre piece are round the back of the bow, then secure using running stitch. Cut off the excess thread and fabric, then slide a bobby pin through the back. 

And there you have your finished bow! As I mentioned in the equipment list, you can make your bow any size you want!

The top bow used 15x30cm fabric, and the bottom bow used 8x16cm fabric. The middle one is the bow that I just showed you how to create.

Using a bobby pin or safety pin, you can wear these bows anywhere! I think they look great on the straps of bags, or on the belt hook of trousers, but use them however suits you best! One thing's for sure; they'll look cute wherever!

Bad Beauty Habits

When it comes to taking care of yourself, every aspect is important. We're all guilty of some bad beauty habits, and it's time to break them! Some people don't even know that what they're doing, is actually quite damaging. I'm going to talk you through several beauty mistakes to avoid, in order to keep you in top condition!

1) Remove your makeup! Sleeping with your makeup on is probably the worst mistake you could make! Your skin will not thank you for it! Normal face cleanser won't be strong enough to both remove your makeup, and exfoliate your skin at the same time, it's important to remove your makeup using wipes before you wash your face.

     

2) This one isn't exactly a habit, but I consider it very important! Your face needs to be kept moisturised, and body lotion doesn't do the trick! You need a moisturiser designed specifically for your face, others can be too heavy, and can even end up breaking you out! I use the Clean and Clear face moisturiser, as it is beautifully light, and helps keep nasty blemishes away!

3) When your hair gets wet, it becomes a lot weaker, and more prone to breaking. Brushing your hair whilst it's wet will gradually damage it, and you could end up with frizzy, split ends! Use a wide-tooth comb (or even your fingers!) to detangle your wet hair.

4) Another point with wet hair (which even I am guilty of!), is that you should never sleep with it! Sleeping with wet hair can be the equivalent of brushing it- both are aggressive on it, whilst it's at its weakest point!

5) Once you have shaved your legs, the skin becomes sensitive, and slightly delicate. Rubbing then dry with a towel is too aggressive, and you will notice that it does actually take a small layer of skin off. Not very pleasant! To dry off your newly shaved legs, pat them gently with a towel or flannel. Always finish by moisturising them as well.

6)When you apply your eyeliner, it's a lot easier when you gently pull at the edge of your eye. Like this-

This actually stretches the skin around your eye, and you will start to develop eye wrinkles a lot earlier than you should.

7) The last habit is one a lot of people complain about, and I personally find it quite disgusting. What most people don't realise though, is that the habit ends up causing the problem that induces the habit, thus restarting the cycle! My friends often complain about their nails splitting. The worst thing to do in this scenario is to peel them, as this will weaken your nails a lot! Remember, weakness is what causes the splitting! Resist the urge to peel them, as it does them no good (plus, it's not very attractive or hygienic). Base coats (clear nail varnishes) will help keep your nails together, and if you get the right one, it will help strengthen them too.

As I said at the beginning, we're probably all guilty of one or two of these habits, and they really must be overcome. I have tried to include ways to help you stop these habits, but the rest it down to you- be strict on yourself!

DIY - Circle Skirt

Skirts are super cute all year round. Some might argue that they are summer garments, but along with tights, they can still be gorgeous in the winter! I have a simple tutorial for you on how to make you own skirt. It does involve sewing, but don't fret- it's really not hard!

For this project, you will need-

✧1 yard of lightweight fabric

✧1metre elastic (1 1/2 - 2cm wide)

✧Measuring tape

✧Pencil

✧Pins

✧Fabric scissors

✧Sewing machine

So first things first, choose your fabric! I wanted a patterned fabric for a more funky skirt, but you could choose whatever! I would advise a lightweight fabric though, as it will be much flowier.

This is the fabric that I chose for my skirt. I got this up at Bury market up near Manchester, so I can't link this exact fabric.

To start off, lay your fabric on the ground (pattern side up), then fold it in half twice. 

Next, measure around your hips, and find your size on this chart-

32"-XS   34"-S   36"-M   38"-L   40"-XL  42"-XXL

Your size shouldn't affect your self confidence! XXL doesn't mean you're over weight! I'm XS, but I'm only 14!

After you have found your size, compare it to this chart to find your radius number.

XS -4 1/8"      S -4 3/8"      M -4 3/4"      L -5 1/8"      XL -5 3/8"      XXL -5 5/8"

Take your measuring tape, and puncture a hold on zero, and on your radius number. Then, insert a pin into the zero hole, and a pencil into the radius number hole. Place the pin in the very corner of the folded fabric (the corner with no raw edges surrounding, this is vitally important), and swing the pencil back and forth creating a curved line on the fabric.

Keep the pin in the fabric, and make a new hole where you want the length of your skirt to be (decide the length of your skirt, then add 2 inches). Repeat the curved line step, and cut along the 2 lines you drew. This is what you should have.

Sorry that the photo is a bit blurred!

Open out your skirt, and create four marks (all equal distance apart) on the inner circle.

 Then, cut your elastic to fit neatly around your waist, then overlap the ends and sew to secure a large ring of elastic. Make four marks on the elastic, all equal distances apart, and connect the marks on the elastic to the marks on the fabric using 4 pins.

Fold over the top of the skirt, and sew all along, pulling the elastic to fit the length of the top of the skirt as you go. If you want it to look really professional, fold the top over twice to hide the raw edges. 

Afterwards, your skirt should stretch to fit over your thighs and hips, and then sit comfortably at your waist. 

To hem your skirt, fold over the bottom edge twice, and sew all along. When you fold it over twice, it will ensure that no raw edges are visible, so it wont fray at all.

If you find it difficult to make, re read through the instructions, and just keep practising until you get the desired result. You could even make a mini skirt for a wooden mannequin!

I apologise for the quality of this photo, and the state of my room..

Smoothie Sunday- Banana and Cinnamon

There are smoothies for all kinds of people- whether you like sweet, spicy, sour or savoury, there are hundreds of combinations to try! I've created a new recipe for a delicious, sweet smoothie using just 4 ingredients!
This smoothie is rather calorific, so I wouldn't recommend it if you are currently dieting, but it makes a wonderful little snack, breakfast or pudding! Plus, all the ingredients are beneficial in one way or another; the banana provides potassium, the milk provides calcium, the nuts contain protein and the cinnamon provides anti-oxidants!

You will need-
⁍ 1 ripe banana (the riper it is, the more flavour it will add!)
⁍ 300ml milk
⁍ 3/4tsp cinnamon (this can be altered to your preference.)
⁍ 4/5tbsp ground almonds (again, if you're not overly keen on almonds, add less. But I love the nutty taste, so I wanted a significant flavour.)

To create your smoothie, simply blend all the ingredients together for a couple of minutes. I left my prepared smoothie for about 5/10minutes before drinking, that way, the flavour of the cinnamon and almonds had time to sink into the milk.

This should create about 450ml of smoothie (approximately 2 servings).

For a more milkshake-y style drink, add a scoop of vanilla (or even chocolate) ice-cream to the mix before or after blending.

I hope you try and enjoy this recipe. It's quick to whip up, and is a perfect little treat for busy days. Make sure to keep the left over smoothie in the fridge.

DIY - Heart Bracelet

Home made bracelets are always much more beautiful than ones you can buy, but often the simple beaded ones can get a bit boring. I'm going to teach a way of creating a cute pattern on a bracelet using only 2 threads.

For this bracelet, you will need 8 strands of thread, all 25inches long. You will need 4 of them to be one colour, and the other 4 to be another colour. I chose pink and blue.

First, cut your threads to length, tie them together with a 3 inch tail, and arrange the strands as they are in the picture below. 

This pattern is made up of 4 rows; 2 normal, then 2 special. The normal rows use the same colour all the way across. The special rows start with one stitch in one colour, then use the other colour for the rest of the row.

This is how you create a stitch.

Begin with a normal row of red. To do this, tie the end reds to the blues next to them, and keep working you way in. Then tie the 2 red strands together. This shown below.

Next, do the same with the outer blue strands.

 

For the special rows, tie the second outer most strands to the outer strands, then tie the new 2nd most outer strands inwards. So for the third row, tie the outer blues to the outer pinks, then tie those pink strands to the other strands until they meet. Then, connect the pink strands in the middle.

Repeat the last step using opposite colours.

Continue repeating those 4 rows (shown below on a basic diagram) , and you will begin to notice your heart pattern emerging.

Basic diagram