diy – Page 2 – Preciously Paired

6 DIY Projects and Printables That Are A MUST This Valentine’s Day

posted in crafts, diy, food, holidays, printable by Sara on February 2, 2015

We’ve compiled the perfect list of cute and budget-friendly ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year that are sure to show your sweethearts just how much you love them! What we love most about all of these Valentine’s Day ideas is that they are things the whole family can enjoy, even kids!

1. DIY Heart Sweater | by A Beautiful Mess. We love this easy DIY heart sweater made by A Beautiful Mess. It’s literally as easy as cutting out a fabric heart and sewing it to a sweater. If you don’t sew, you could use iron on paper or fabric glue. Either way, in minutes you will be celebrating Valentine’s Day is style!

2. You Warm My Heart Free Printable | by Confetti Sunshine. How cute would it be to deliver your valentine their favorite hot drink with this adorable printable, created by Confetti Sunshine, wrapped around it?! Just a simple way to let your valentine know you’re thinking of them. My most favorite heart-warming drink is a hazelnut steamer, what’s yours?

3. DIY Conversation Heart Pinatas | by Studio DIY. Neither of us are ones to get super crafty on Valentine’s Day, but these DIY conversation heart pinatas made by Kelly over at Studio DIY are just too fun! Plus, Kelly provides an easy, step-by-step tutorial on her blog on how to make these cute Valentine pinatas. I can already picture the fun our kids (and hubbys) would have breaking into one of these!

4. Scratch-off Valentine Printable | by Better Homes and Garden. Nothing like a fun scratch-off Valentine card to intrigue your sweetheart. You can download this FREE printable on Better Homes and Garden’s website, and they even provide a great video on how to make the scratch-off solution. There is even an option for you to customize and download your own scratch-off Valentine printable!

5. La La Love You: French Toast | by Grilled Cheese Social. Nothing speaks love to us better than food! And this french toast recipe by MacKenzie at Grilled Cheese Social, topped with mascarpone cheese, nutella, and fresh strawberries sound like it would definitely do the trick! Plus, it is something the whole family would enjoy!

6. Valentine’s Day Tumble Game | by Tried and True. Vanessa from Tried and True created this fun Valentine’s Day game out of a mini Jenga game she found at Dollar Tree! We LOVE this idea as it is inexpensive, easy to make, and completely customizable! Perfect for a romantic night with your sweetheart or a fun game night with the whole family!

We hope you found some inspiration with this Valentine’s Day round-up! If you have any fun Valentine’s Day projects, please share them with us in the comment section below!

XOXO, Sara

Color Block Party Skirts for Girls: Holiday Edition

Get in the Christmas Spirit with Our Color Block Party Skirts for Girls

posted in color block party skirts, diy, holidays, shop by Hanna on December 3, 2014

Sara and I decided to try something new and try making some video’s to show off our Color Block Party skirts. We love the idea of you being able to see our skirts in action and getting to see and know us a little more too!

I love doing fun and creative projects with my girls that help inspire pretend play so for this first video I decided to share a fun idea that does just that while also helping get the kids in the Christmas spirit. Using things from our our house my girls and I made Santa’s sleigh with reindeer. It’s super easy and my girls had a fun time imagining that they were delivering presents to all the kids on Christmas.

Also featured in this holiday video are these beyond adorable, Rudolph masks from Opposite by Far. If you haven’t visited this shop yet its a must! Jessica, the creator of these cute masks, has a huge variety to choose from and they are a great gift for the kids! While your at it make sure to also check our shop! We’re going to be having some great sale’s on our skirts so now is your chance to get one!

What are some fun activities or projects you like to do with your kids during the holidays?

DIY felt Halloween costumes | Preciously Paired

My DIY Halloween

posted in crafts, diy, fall, family, holidays, kids by Hanna on October 31, 2014

Happy Halloween! I think I’ve mentioned this before, but Sara and I didn’t grow up with Halloween being much of a big deal in our house. However, now that I’m a mother of young kids I’ve been trying to be more excited about it. To be honest though, I’m still not super into it to the point where I plan full family costumes, but I’m realizing that I do enjoy creating things for my girls to dress up in and doing Halloween activities that they would enjoy throughout the month.

This year I got really ambitious and decided to make both of the girl’s costumes from scratch! It took Mia forever to just decide on one thing she wanted to be, and she only finally chose a mermaid because that is what her cousin said she was going to be. Whatever the reason, I decided to roll with it. While recently organizing my craft space, I found some green felt and red yarn. I figured I would challenge myself to try and make Mia’s costume from what I had on hand. In the end, I ended up spending less then $5 on her entire costume! I got the pattern for her Arial hair/wig HERE. It totally made the outfit and was pretty easy to make.

Livy’s costume is a little bit of an inside joke. Growing up in Nevada we didn’t just celebrate Halloween but we celebrated Nevada Day as well; the day Nevada became a state. Since marrying my husband, October 31st has really been more about celebrating Nevada Day than Halloween. Before having kids we’d go to my parents house every year to celebrate. My husband is always teasing about our obsession with Nevada Day over Halloween so I thought it only fitting that one of my kids should represent a fun family tradition; not to mention it’s the 150th year of Nevada being a state!

After spending several nights making my girl’s their costumes, and as fate would have it, it just so happens that we all have been sick and Mia has had to miss most of her Halloween activities during the week. Luckily Mia is much better and Livy is almost there so we’re hoping to get out tonight for a little trick-or-treating, or at the very least sing a few rounds of “Home Means Nevada”.

Anyone else make their kid’s Halloween costumes or have any fun Halloween traditions? We’d love to hear about them!

Metal Pumpkin Tutorial

posted in crafts, decor, diy, fall, tutorial by Sara on October 27, 2014

It has been raining non-stop for the past week, and both me and my daughter have been sick. So naturally we have stayed nice and cozy indoors, sipping hot chocolate, eating lots of soup, watching episode after episode of Gilmore Girls, and crafting. Yep, this is the life… well except the being sick part… and it would be nice to actually see the sun once in a while.

Anyway, before I got sick, I attended a little blogging event at my local Orchard Supply Hardware store where I got to meet some wonderful women and learn some fun holiday craft ideas including this cute pumpkin made from pipe hanger strapping. It was too cute not to share! Besides it’s classy design, it only costs about $5 to make and you can finish it in less than 30 minutes. It having been a while since my last blog tutorial, I completely forgot to take step-by-step pictures, but this project is fairly foolproof. Believe me, it is a piece of cake! All you’ll need are the supplies listed below:

** Note: Pipe hanger strapping also comes in copper, which makes for a nice shiny orange pumpkin.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cut the strapping into pieces at your desired length using snips (or anything you have that will cut metal). I cut mine by measuring out 10 of the big holes, then cut as close to the small hole making a straight edge.

2. Once you’ve cut all your straps, bend each one into a horseshoe shape so that both ends of the straps will stack flat on top of each other. (refer to images below for a better look). Since the corners of the straps are sharp, I’d recommend using a pair of gloves for this part or a pair of needle nose pliers.

3. Now, screw 1 nut onto the very end of the threaded rod, then follow it with a washer. Then begin to layer the straps onto the rod and arrange them evenly around it. I used 7 straps, but you may use as many as you’d like.

4. Once you’ve added all your straps, place another washer followed by a nut on top of the layered straps. Twist tight to secure the straps in place.

5. Next, thread another nut about 1.25″ – 1.5″ down from the top of the rod, followed by a washer. This makes a stopping point for your straps. Then thread the straps onto the top part of the rod.

6. After all the straps are threaded onto the rod, clinch them down with the last washer and nut. You may want to use a crescent wrench to make sure all the nuts are tight. At this point I played with the shape of the straps a bit more to get that perfect pumpkin shape.

You should now have something that resembles a pumpkin! You can now spray paint it, or simply leave it the way it is. I chose to spray paint mine using a Ivory Satin spray paint to better match the rest of my home’s decor. Then I added some curly twine to the stem of the pumpkin. To do this, I dipped pieces of twine in a mixture of Elmers glue and water, then wrapped in around a No.2 pencil to dry. Once dry, I glued the pieces of curled twine onto the the stem. You could also use wire, fabric, or leaves to decorate the top.

Foolproof right? It may seem a bit confusing at times on paper, but once you get into the process of making it, it all comes together quite easily. Just keep bending and twisting until it is the way you like it… you really can’t mess it up. There is no right or wrong way with these types of things. However, please feel free to leave a comment or email us if you have any questions or if something in the instructions seem unclear.

Happy Fall!!

Easy Fur Vest Refashion

posted in baby, diy, fall, kids, money saving tips, sewing, thrifted by Sara on September 26, 2014

Maybe you’ve noticed, I’m kind of obsessed with fur vests. I’ve been searching high and low for a cute fur vest for Addie, but any thing I saw was $20 or more. Quite honestly I think $20 is a fairly decent price for a trendy article of clothing, but being on a strict budget it was definitely out of the question. Even to make one from scratch seemed to be rather spendy. Luckily Goodwill pulled through for me again, and I was able to find this sweater for only $4! It was a complete steal as it was in great condition and fully lined with fur. Really all I did was detached the fur inside from the sweater and add some lining to the wrong side of the fur. I used a silky smooth lining from an old skirt I had tucked away in my fabric stash…talk about thrifty! Now I just have to find one for me!

And can I just say how extremely difficult it is to photograph a 2 year old! I still have no idea how to work my DSLR camera and chasing around my daughter, baiting her to simply look at me, I probably looked like a crazy woman! It makes me chuckle just thinking about the onlookers passing by witnessing the whole fiasco. Next time I’ll gladly pay someone to do this kind of dirty work! Nonetheless, Hanna was able to work her magic to make my novice photography skill look it’s best.

Mint + Polka Dot Pleated Skirt Refashion

posted in diy, fall, sewing, sewing for women, thrifted, women's fashion by Sara on September 15, 2014

With all the sewing I did leading up to opening our shop and with the orders I have done since, I haven’t had any time to sew for myself. As much as I love sewing lovely things for others to enjoy, I also truly enjoy making lovely things to keep for myself.

Having recently quit my day job we seem to be getting by just fine, but our budget is tight… which is tough for a girl who ~~likes~~ loves clothes. I’ve been fighting every impulse in my body not to go out and buy some of the latest fall trends! But a tight budget does not hold me back from adding new pieces to my wardrobe. My solution: sew them myself.

This pretty little pleated skirt I refashioned from a dress I found at Goodwill for just $9! As I got halfway through ripping the dress apart I realized I forgot to take a “before” picture, but trust me when I say it was hideous. It was straight out of the 80’s with giant shoulder pads, lace trim, puff sleeves, and a very unflattering silhouette. Really, the only good thing about it was the fabric.

The dress had a very full skirt so that is the part I used. After separating the skirt from the bodice I pinned pleats in the fabric. Now if you want to get specific with this part you can but I just eyeballed the pleats to fit my waist. I then attached the skirt to my waistband, added the zipper, and then hemmed the bottom. One tip I will give about making a great skirt: use interfacing in the waistband! I’ve made plenty of skirts now to know you do not want to go without it, especially if you carry a little bit of weight in you mid-section like I do. Adding interfacing to the backside of you waistband with give it a cleaner look and sturdier feel. No wrinkling and bending.

I simply adore how it turned out! Don’t you?

In other news, since quitting my day job I’ve absolutely loved being home full-time with my 2 year old, but WOW has it been an adjustment! I forgot how completely tiring and (I’ll be honest) a little lonely it can be. I’ve come to really realize how important good friendships are; and being relatively new to my area, close friends are still quite few. My husband is quite honestly my best friend, but would I be wrong in saying that sometimes a girl just needs another girl? No! We women and mothers thrive on the support and friendship of other women. When I was first married I might not have agreed, but now I find it absolutely vital. However, sometimes it is hard for me to reach out to other women for help because it seems like a sign of weakness; or maybe they might actually find out that I’m not super woman like they appear to be. Sometimes I feel I may be rejected. Sometimes it just feels easier to stay at home and tell myself I can do it without them.

Am I the only one with these fears when it comes to making new friends?

Unfortunately this has been my attitude this week. There is something about being close to “that-time-of-the-month” that makes me a depressive recluse. Time to bust out of my shell and make some friends, ones that go beyond acquaintances. Any advice or tips?

Linked to: http://www.shoppingmycloset.com/switch-style-wednesday-13/, http://stylelixir.com/2014/09/face-serums-review.html; http://www.delineateyourdwelling.com/2014/09/link-it-or-lump-it-party-56.html; http://dcinstyle.com/stripes-denim-linkup/; http://elizabethjoandesigns.com/2014/09/designs-time-28/; http://www.mabeyshemadeit.com/tell-tuesday-42/

Creating a Personalized Wedding Gift

posted in crafts, diy, friends, inspiration, lifestyle, marriage, parenting by Sara on August 19, 2014

I survived day 1 of potty training! Granted I had my husband helping me, but for me this is a big deal! For those of you who are just tuning in, I started potty training my 2 year old yesterday. I’ve been putting it off for months and finally decided to just do it. At this point in the training it is going smoother than I previously imagined, but I realize it is still early in the process.

The hardest part about this whole process is coming to terms with the fact that my baby is no longer a baby– she’s a “big girl” now (as we’ve reminded her about a million times since starting potty training). Each milestone in my daughter’s life has been exciting, yet frightening as I wonder where the time has gone. People weren’t kidding when they say kids “grow up too fast”.

Moving on from my mommy saga; my friend is getting married! I just love weddings! It’s such a happy and exciting time! But with weddings, always comes a certain dilemma; what to give as a wedding present? Personally I’m not a “grab a card and throw in some money” kind of girl. If you are that kind of present giver, personally (as a receiver) I love those gifts, but I also love something that has a little thought and time put into it as well.

Creating a gift basket is a great way to personalize a wedding gift while keeping it fun and purposeful at the same time. Here I’ve made a couple’s cookie kit complete with personalized “Mr.” and “Mrs” mugs, a personalized cookie recipe plate, homemade coasters, and some useful baking supplies. You can easily customize this gift for any couple by using their favorite cookie/dessert recipe. The possibilities really are endless!

Linked to: http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2014/08/your-whims-wednesday-176-and-features.html, http://www.lambertslately.com/2014/08/create-it-thursday-68-plus-features.html#more, http://www.vmg206.com/2014/08/brag-about-it-vmg206.html

Category: diy