DIY: The Sequin Hairband

 

the beginning of the project!

I absolutely love hairbands and wear them often to ‘spice’ up an everyday outfit! I think they are a great accessory to any coloured and styled hair you may have at the moment, and can help a perhaps dull outfit become more exciting for any occasion. There is no end to how great an accessory they can be!

Now, I purchased most of my hairbands some years back and then their style was spot on with whatever fashion that was rocked out. Fast forward to now and most, if not all, are really… yeah, outdated to say the least. Instead of throwing a perfectly good hairband out and purchasing a new one, I have altered a few of mine with little means and the results have always been many compliments, fascination and wonder. Apparently people do pay attention to hairbands!

The sequin hairband is my third DIY hairband project and my third favourite (I may, perhaps, at a later point show one of my other), where I had chosen I wanted something subtle, yet could stand out. Yeah, that didn’t even make a lot of sense in my head. You can obviously choose many different colours to do one in, but I opted for black/dark blue. I am really happy with the result, although I was surprised by the amount of time it took to finish it.

me wearing the completed hairband... sorry about the quality of the picture!

What you need to make this,

·         A hairband (one that is covered in some fabric).

·         Sequins… loads of sequins (buy them on sale).

·         Beads... same amount of beads as sequins (you can buy beads in most thrift shops).

·         Needle and thread.

·         Patience!

Step by step,

-       Get your needle and thread ready.

-       Sew into the hairband first to secure the thread, and don’t worry, you don’t be able to see the knots of the thread in the end.

-       The thread goes through the sequin, the bead and then through the same sequin again.

-       As you have tightened the sequin in place, you sew into the hairband again.

-       Repeat the above steps necessary to complete your hairband.

Note: You don’t have to COMPLETELY cover your hairband in sequins, as in, I did sequins until it reached the tip of my ear (I put on the hairband and measured). I did that due to the possibility of using the hairband for many different hair styles, but also… it can get rather itchy, I find, with sequins and beads behind your ear.

What do you think of this DIY? Could you image updating one of your hairbands?

Until next time,

Mia ♥

DIY: The Diary Calender

The few steps... and the end result.

A few years ago I spotted this this post and was instantly loved the idea. Fast forward to a few weeks ago, I suddenly remembered the DIY idea and decided to make it as a birthday present for one of my best friend, although with a few differences in terms of practicality and personalised. My friend is the type who has almost everything and is a creative soul as well, thus a more sentimental present seemed rather suiting. This diary calendar is definitely that in my opinion.

What you need to make this,

·         approx. 122 pieces of paper (I made for 9 years – one line by).

·         A scissor to cut the paper.

·         A pen or stamp to make the dates on the papers.

·         12 pictures, cards or postcards (one for each month; I have illustrated with far less mainly because I didn’t want to show private pictures).

·         A box (I choose one that had a timeless design) you can bring with you.

·         Patience and time.

Measurements and calculations,

·         9 lines per day (for 9 years), 27 lines per page, 3 days per page, 365 days a year / 3 days per page aka approx. 122 pieces of paper (perhaps a little more in case you make mistakes).

·         A paper day is 15cmx8cm (lengthxheight).

·         A picture is 13cmx10cm (lengthxheight).

·         The box is 17cmx11cmx5cm (lengthxwidthxdepth).

Step by step,

1.     Measure and mark your papers (you can buy linear paper, print paper with lines, draw lines, etc.).

2.     Cut the days to its proper size with a scissor.

3.     Take a pen or a stamp and mark each day with a date (remember February 29^th!).

4.     Take 12 pictures, cards or postcards and place them as month dividers (I got 12 pictures developed, which doesn’t cost much nowadays).

5.     Place everything in the box.

6.     Wrap it up… and voila!

I shall wrap up the present in the best way I can and then hope my friend will like this present when I finally present it to her. At least I enjoyed making it and looking through old photos of us.

Do you think my friend will like this? And what is the latest DIY thing you have made?

Until next time,

Mia ♥