CUTE!! Pink Gingham Tiered Apron Upcycle

So did you see my silly mistake on yesterday's post? I can tell you I did NOT make the same mistake with this one. Well, mostly because this one didn't come with pockets, lol! I followed the same method as my earlier apron upcycle tutorial.

This one was a girls skirt. I love using girls skirts for these aprons because 1) they are shorter and 2) they're CUTER! If you choose a girls size 14-ish, just before junior's sizes then you still get the desirable apron front coverage that fits a wider variety of sizes.

Am I right?? Isn't this the cutest thing you have ever seen?? I lucked out with this one, I was just passing through the kid's aisle, making my way through the Salvation Army store and this print was sticking out. Score!! I know I need to spend more time in that section.....

Pink gingham apron

Some kid loved this skirt. There was a rip on the lower tier that I found just when I thought I was finished. No problemo, I LOVE the patch I used!

Pink gingham apron

See the patch? It is from a ridiculously loud dress that had the most amazing floral pattern and gold glitter. This fabric is best in much smaller doses, lol! 

Pink gingham apron

There were also a couple of very small holes at the top that I pulled closed with thread.

Pink gingham apron

I can't wait to do these girl's skirt aprons again. Ooooh, they're so cute!

Cute Prairie Style Apron Upcycle

Here is a fun one. I found an adorable dress (several sizes too small of course) at the Salvation Army recently. It was a sweet floral with blue binding details and was fully lined in cotton, giving it a wonderfully full skirt. So, what did I do? I cut it up, of course! Unfortunately I cut at the wrong side. Ooh, I was so mad at myself! The skirt had the cutest slit pockets EVER! It would have made the most adorable apron detail and I ruined it. Ugh! So I picked myself up after my screaming, floor pounding tantrum and sewed the pockets closed and moved on.

 Here is an earlier tutorial I posted on how to make these skirts. I made this skirt exactly the same way. This is what I love about upcycling (besides that 3/4 of the work is already done!), that you can do the same thing over and over and end up with a very different result every time.

Although the dress was very current and more "urban", I love the primitive, prairie, sort of "Little House" pioneer woman glamour this apron has.

Primitive, prairie style apron upcycle

Primitive, prairie style apron upcycle

Isn't this The. Best. floral fabric ever? I made two sets of fabric earrings and am also making hoop art with it.
I still have a bit of fabric left over. Maybe a coordinating necklace?

Primitive, prairie style apron upcycle

Aaaand, here are those pockets. Isn't that just awful? Grrr.

Primitive, prairie style apron upcycle

I love the romantic flowiness of this apron and I even kind of like the silly story those blue slits tell. Kind of.

Sweet and Slightly Sassy Denim and Lace Cuff - Jewelry Recycle

Did you see my corsage post from yesterday? After I "modeled" my corsage, I noticed I showed off the cuff I was wearing.

Denim and vintage lace wrist cuff

I do love wearing bracelets but I find hard bangles to be annoying. I am a huge fan of cuffs, ever since I saw my first one on Red Neck Chic. I wish I could find a photo of hers but I cannot. It was back in 2009 that I saw it........ Anyway, here is what I came up with:

Denim and vintage lace wrist cuff - jewelry recycle

I love using denim for my cuffs. It's appropriately casual and I don't have to use interfacing. One of these days when I am not so lazy I will make some interfaced fabric ones again.

Denim and vintage lace wrist cuff - jewelry recycle

I am a big fan of tattered and frayed denim. Paired with the sweet lace and the pretty rose color, it's the right blend of sugar and sass. I felt that this combo needed the snap on jeans button.

Denim and vintage lace wrist cuff - jewelry recycle

Denim and vintage lace wrist cuff - jewelry recycle

I have other stuff in mind for this lace. The lace is from an outfit I found recently. It was handmade in the 80s and includes a tiered skirt in this rose and off white colored lace, two tops and two belts. I have lots of lace, haha! Love it.

Fabric and Vintage Lace Flower Corsage Upcycle

I've been experimenting with fabric and some fantastic vintage lace that I picked up recently. I do enjoy making fabric flowers as embellishments and of course, I know that people don't always want them attached. I picked up some pins at the craft store and then just had fun with flowers.
I took a long strip of torn cotton sheet fabric, 37-ish inches by 1 1/2 inches and a piece of scalloped edge lace fabric cut to the same length and zig zag stitched them together along one side only. I then hand sewed a running stitch along that edge so that I could rouche and tighten the strips. (My sewing machine set to ruffle didn't work well and I still have trouble with my ruffling foot). Then I just pulled, wrapped and sewed the flower. I added a cute vintage button to the middle of the flower and the pin to the back. Quick and cute :)

Vintage lace and fabric corsage upcycle

The scalloped edge lace, when rouched just so, makes a nice, sweet flower. It took me at least four tries but I got it!

Vintage lace and fabric corsage upcycle

Here is the pin nestled into the back.

Vintage lace and fabric corsage upcycle

And here I am, *ahem* modeling the pin. Do you see the cuff that I'm wearing? More vintage lace, from the same skirt I cut up. I will show that one closer tomorrow. So come back and check it out!

Vintage lace and fabric corsage upcycle

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Crochet Over Silver Stacking Bangle Bracelets

Remember Madonna, back in the 80s, when she wore the armful of bracelets? Even if you're not old enough, you know what I'm talking about.

Madonna

All of us tweens / teens wore big bows in our hair and arm loads of bracelets, lol! So I was tickled to find a big stack of silver bangles at the thrift store recently. Ummm, 39 of them! They look similar to these:

Sterling stacking bangles by Scape on Etsy

These are gorgeous. Mine are tarnished and dull. So I crocheted over mine with cotton thread.

Crocheted stacking bangles

Crocheted stacking bangles

Crocheted stacking bangles

Crocheted stacking bangles

Crocheted stacking bangles

Some of them had cute sparklies on them. I just added hooks to them, I think they make adorable over sized earrings.

Over sized hoop earrings

Over sized hoop earrings

Over sized hoop earrings

So that makes 10 bracelet upcycles. 29 more to go! Yay!!

More Upcycles and More Hunger Games!

Maybe you will soon be able to tell that I'm excited for the second Hunger Games movie? Here are some of my upcycled denim cuffs, HG style.

Real or Not Real embroidery

Yep, I love Peeta.

Real or Not Real embroidery

Real or Not Real embroidery

Real or Not Real embroidery

These are in the works. I can tell you that there will be an extra surprise on the Real <3 ones.

Real

Girl on Fire 

Stay Alive

I also have one style that isn't embroidered. This is called Girl on Fire. Isn't it cool? I have more fabric so if it's popular I can make many more. Although, there is a limit to how many I can make. So, they are limited. Ha!

Girl on Fire Cuff

Ya want one, right?

Skirt to Apron Upcycle Tutorial

A few days ago I promised a tutorial. I think I was talking about fabric cuffs but what I actually have today are

Aprons!

Here is how I upcycle a skirt into an apron. It's so easy, you'll see! I begin with a cute skirt. Size doesn't matter as much as cuteness. I have used everything from a girls size 16 to a women's size 10. I also have a women's size 16 in the works.....

Begin by opening up the back. I used a seam ripper for this one. If you'd rather (or if there is no back seam), you can cut instead of rip the seam.

Cute skirt

Ripping the back seam

Seam ripped

Once you have opened up the back of the skirt, then sew the hem.

Sewing a hem

I like to use a zig zag stitch (of course, if you have an overlock machine, that would be appropriate here).

Zig zag stitch

Zig zag stitch

Next, choose some cute cloth for the ties. For this one I tore some strips of yellow sheet. As for length, just use strips that are long enough to tie apron in back and/or wrap and tie at the front. I don't have a specific measurement.

Apron ties upcycle 

I left the tattered edge because I think it's soooo cute. I folded the strip in half the long way and sewed the edges together, again using a zig zag stitch. I sewed it to the top edge of each side of the apron.

Sewing ties to upcycled apron

And, voila, here is what you end up with! See? Easy!

Upcycled apron

Upcycled apron

Upcycled apron