Who doesn't want an extra little pizazz when kicking around for casual errands? These grey velvet sneakers are a cute upgrade vs the typical Keds or Converse.
Sam Edelman sneakers typical start at $80, with a pair like this retailing for about $100 new. These were a happy find at just $13 at Crossroads Trading.
Now that we're out of sandal weather, I'm adding more sneakers to my thrifting list!
Can you believe these roses were made from TP cores? (You can also use the inner cardboard from paper towel rolls or wrapping paper.)
Folks, after making some TP core snowflakes and poinsettias a few years back, I was ready for a new craft (one only needs so many Christmas decorations). I decided to try this tutorial for making roses.
First, start by tracing a flower shape onto your flattened toilet paper core. You should be able to get one out of each TP roll or 3 out of a paper towel roll. Note: my flower shape has 8 "petals", but the tutorial used 6. I think both results are lovely.
Cut out the flowers, and paint them the color of your choosing. Once dried, you'll need 3 1/2 of these flower shapes to make each rose. You'll cut one petal out of one so you have 2 shapes (1 petal and 7 petals). Repeat so you end up with seven pieces: 7 and 1, 6 and 2, 5 and 3, and 4. You'll have a half-flower/4-petal piece left over for your next rose.
For each of the seven pieces, curl them up so the two flat edges meet, making a conical shape, and seal it with hot glue, super glue, or some other fast-drying and secure adhesive. I recommend against a glue stick (not strong enough) or tape (will end up very visible). I also recommend a small paint brush, popsicle stick or other implement to help push the edges together, so you aren't burning your fingers on hot glue or sticking them together with super glue.
One by one, glue each piece into the next (with just a dot of glue in the bottom of the larger layer), starting with the 7 petals, then 6, and so on, allowing the glue to harden between each.
Once all seven layers are together and glue dried, use your skinny paintbrush to help you curl the edges of each petal.Viola! You have a rose!
Optional: If you want to turn your roses into a larger craft, for example a wreath or a flower crown, you may want something attached to the rose to connect it to the larger piece. These roses have conical bottoms, so won't easily glue onto flat items. To help with this, I wove a floral wire through four points of the 7-petal layer, prior to gluing in the remaining layers.You could also do this with embroidery floss or other thick thread/thin ribbon.
With Halloween just 4 weeks away, are you or your loved ones prepared to dress up? One of the coolest ways to have a stand-out costume is to skip the pre-packaged costumes, and develop a one-of-a-kind concoction through thrifting, swapping, and DIY.
To give you some inspiration, here are some of my looks over the last few years:
By attending a swap, I scored a chicken hat and beak. Read more about hosting a swap here.
One year, I DIY'd an Ursula costume from thrifted pieces, with a little sewing and painting. Read a step-by-step here.
The year I was Rock Lobster for Halloween, I was also able to resell some pieces to keep the fun going for the next person and recoup some cash.
Then there was the year I was a time lord, the one and only Dr. Who, incorporating some second-hand pants and top.
And last year, a combination of thrifting and DIY, let me bring a classic painting to life, and intentional use of double stick tape means I'll be able to reuse the main component as a formal gown in the future.
This year, I've already acquired most of the components for my costume from online consignment, but am also happy I'll be able to re-use the blond wig from my Dr. Who costume.
