map of the world jeans

It might just be me, but there's something cool about maps of the world, right? Especially when it involves crafting :) And because I spend too much time on the internet, I've found plenty of examples of map crafts!

by kevin van aelst 

 http://www.brooklynlimestone.com/2011/03/old-sideboard-to-teal-worldy-sofa-table.html#.UDmRIkKFn6k

Globe Chandelier by Benoit Vieubled

http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/theoldlampshed/product/vintage-map-handmade-lampshade-large

http://shop.firepitart.com/thirdrock.aspx

keno map rug

http://ourminifamily.blogspot.com/2011/12/pinterest-challenge-az-love-nail-and.html

the ones I don't have sources for came from tumblr.

I was inspired by these, and I had an extra pair of jeans and spraypaint, so I printed out a map of the world, cut it put to make a stencil, and taped it on to the back pockets. It looked really cool and I was so excited that it worked... and then the white paint started soaking in and disappearing. It was depressing. But then I dried my tears and tried plan B. I had fabric paint, so I traced the stencil with that and filled it in. The only slight problem was that the fabric paint was blue so it didn't contrast with the jeans as well as white would have, but I still like it. Tell me what you think!

Spraypaint American Flag Shirt

I've been crafting like mad lately, and the slightest inspiration will set me off. When I came across this lovely little gem,

http://www.seamsforadesire.com/2012/05/usa.html

I really just couldn't help myself...

and the best part was that I could use packing tape for the stripes! (which makes my life, and yours if you try this, really easy. yay!) oh also it was awesome that my dad didn't mind me uh "borrowing" his shirt :) for the stars, I just printed them, cut them out, and taped them on. and I got the line down the back almost perfect by folding the shirt while I spraypainted it. (btw, I use spray paint on clothes A LOT and it works really well. that seems to surprise people, but Krylon even advertises using theirs on clothing). Not sure if I prefer the original, but that's not a DIY, so it's at least a little exciting that my homemade version doesn't look like a joke next to it. 

Lace Shorts

This just might be the most straight-forward project ever.

Buy/find old shorts (these are more from the Goodwill spree), buy/find a piece of fabric (I used lace but it can really be anything), pin the fabric to the shorts, sew it on. And you have a new pair of pants! I kind of love that the shorts are so tough and then the lace is so fragile, but you could also use jeans shorts or another type of fabric, like this

 http://imgfave.com/view/2570945?r=pin

Apparently some people have a problem with the asymmetrical look *cough my dad cough cough* and if that's the case, I guess you could even do both sides.

Stud Shorts

Suddenly I'm obsessed with studs. I blame this picture

from http://favim.com/image/433299/

and this

 http://www.socialbliss.com/lionsandlams/denim-shorts-GM4TI/micro-studded-jeans-shorts-by-juliland-on-etsy-wanelo-G4YTMNI

and

 from http://www.beautyriot.com/fashion/hot-trend-studs-spikes-g11131-page3?lc=sh1464

and then I had to make my own.

They cost me a total of $4 and were the fastest, easiest thing ever and I can't bring myself to take them off- ever. Well sometimes I do, but I don't enjoy it. Anyway, I'd never been to Goodwill until recently and I went on $2 Tuesday, so I walked out with 3 pairs of shorts and a pair of jeans... for only $8. TOGETHER. It was like Christmas morning. Then I found (from hong kong on ebay?) a pack of 50 studs for $1.99 with free shipping if I waited a few weeks. I'm ecstatic and even more obsessed with studs now.

By the way, I have this Pinterest account http://pinterest.com/doubleyellow/doing-and-done/ where I post pretty much all the same stuff, at least in the crafting department, but you should visit it and follow me and I'll follow you and it will be a Pinterest party since I spend wayyy too much time there!

Duct Tape Armband

I'm kind of in love with duct tape. Obviously. But here's another duct tape project! I always liked the look of black leather armbands, but they're expensive and hard to find the perfect style. I took matters into my own hands and made this:













for about 3 cents. It's just a piece of paper that I completely covered in duct tape and then poked holes with a pin through the place where the ends overlapped. In Walmart, I found a package of brass fasteners for about $3 (for 300) and stuck them through the holes. Done! It looks pretty cool- the only little issue is that duct tape doesn't breathe well, but you can just make it loose enough to slide it up and down your wrist. Good luck :)

Duct Tape Prom Dress

This one's a little bit more complex, but I'll start off by admitting I used a template. Instead of making my duct tape prom dress out of duct tape alone, I just cut some fabric into a pretty basic dress and taped over it. Later, when I wanted to make changes, I just cut the duct tape and fabric and re-taped it if necessary. This was really convenient for the back. The dress I started with had two straps and a back, but you can see I was going for something completely different, so I cut the whole back out and added a new strap. The hardest part was the top, which I had some help with. We just put tape anywhere we could still see the dress, and surprisingly, the slightly wrinkled tape gave it a nice texture compared to the neat, straight tape lines on the bottom. Then the electrical part was also a little bit of a challenge. I had sketched out exactly what I had in mind on paper, but I barely used it except to get ideas for shapes, and sometimes had to alter them as I went. Finally, I got to the scales (I realize it sounds weird to describe it as having both an electrical circuit and fish scales theme, but I think it turned out pretty cool anyway) and struggled before someone suggested folding the tape over on itself before cutting the rounded edges. Do you know what I mean? It's a little complicated to explain, but if you've ever tried cutting elaborate patterns in duct tape, you can appreciate this method. Since the you eliminate the sticky sides by folding them together, cutting is much easier. The scissors don't get stuck. It was definitely a time-consuming project, but probably worth it- look at it! What do you think?

(Leave me a comment if you're not too busy, I'd love to hear your opinion :) )