The turtleneck makeover

 


 My daughter had this old turtleneck and wanted to change it up.So I cut off the turtle neck and cut out about an inch or even more to the body of the shirt.

 Then I opened up the neck piece and divided it in  four even strips and sewed them together, end to end, to make a complete circle.
 

 I then did a roll hem with my serger, but you could cut with pinking scissors and not sew at all.  I then ran a gathering thread down the center of the strip and gathered. The four seams help you distribute the ruffle evenly around the neck of the t-shirt. Be careful not to stretch the neck when penning the ruffle to the neck.

 

Sew with a small zig zag over the gathering thread to attach to shirt. Again, be careful not to stretch neck.

 The finish product!

Towel rod alternative

 I recently redid my bathroom and needed new towel racks but was surprised how expensive they were and how limited they were in sizes. So I went to my local fabric store and went to the clearance section and purchase curtain tie backs. I turned them upright and are using them as my towel "hooks".

They take up less space and display the towels as well as letting them dry without the hassle of folding them to make them look just right.

the towel rod

When I redid my bathroom recently, I was surprised at how expensive towel rods were and how limited in lengths, so I went to the clearance area at my local fabric store and bought an 48"-72" rod with brackets for less than 10.00 and used it as my towel rod. It was very easy to install and allowed me to make it to the specific length I wanted.

Napkin rings

 I am using a curtain ring with a clip as a napkin ring. I just change the card to fit the occasion.  I buy a bag of rings at about 5.99 which has over a dozen rings. I have silver, brass and black. I can use them for place cards or just for a general occasion.

I print the celebration on various colored stock and then glue them to memory book paper. The paper makes it pop and can coordinate with the event. They are disposable and easy to produce.

 I have also made cloth napkins in various patterns to celebrate the special event.

Please let me know if you need any napkins for your special event.

Bow Ties

Supplies:
-1/2 yard of fabric (2 bow ties)
-1 yard of iron on Pellon interfacing lightweight
-Pattern from LA Times (or ThreadBanger) FYI magnify the pattern to 200% - I made the mistake of not doing so for your benefit, let's just say I have quite a few cat size bow ties.
-Bow tie set (FYI clasp), but I had trouble finding these for a reasonable price or at all.  Finally located them at a tuxedo shop that sold me discontinued bow ties for $1 and I simply cut them off.

One recommendation, the neck strap should be made thinner to fit the clasp.

Clever suggestion on a shoe string budget.

I am attempting new things, and blogging is the very thing I never once considered, however per my daughter nagging I am willing to give this a go. This will be a blog filled with crafts and little ideas that won't break the bank.  As a mom of six, a return college student, as well as a facilitator of an after school program for high risk girls I have had my share of opportunities to foster my creativity especially on a budget.  I hope that you will enjoy and supply me with questions and other suggestions or ideas of your own.


Enjoy and happy creativity.