Junk Makeover

We're moving all contents to: upcycleliving.blogspot.com Took less than 5 minutes, this is probably the fastest project to date. No one would've guessed its past life if I don't tell. This was the pair of Nine West shoes I bought at a really great promotion price. Loved them, worn them to death - literally.  But I'm not quite ready to part with them completely yet, and the decorative jewels still look good. So before I binned the shoes, I removed the shoe jewellery from both shoes and turned them into pendants. Yes I now have 2 Nine West - so to say - pendants, and why not?

Since making the  Passport Boarding Pass Holder  from the old Cancer Research bag, my sore fingers have had some good rest so it's time to do something with the remaining material. Using the same method as the  Passport Boarding Pass Holder , I made an iPad case: I've used an old worn out vest (the size was just nice) as the lining,  so that the case will have some kind of padding as extra protection for the iPad. Securing the padding (old vest) with rough running stitch on both ends.   After doing proper back stitching on both ends, fold into half and stitch on both sides. Turn inside out. Unused hair rubber bands stitched under buttons to make loops, then stitch 2 buttons on the other side. In our memory, but now serving even better purposes: The Cancer Research canvas bag before the make over

I bought a really nice canvas bag from a Cancer Research shop some years ago. Love it but don't use it enough, mainly because it's a little too flat (no gusset) and I'm a girl with many things. I've been trying, but can't seem to make it more useful than just fitting a couple of thin folders in it. So I had 2 choices: force myself to take it out regularly and let it get dirty, OR, don't use it and let it get dusty and mouldy. Such a dilemma. During my recent travel, I was rather annoyed by the fact that I have nothing in the right size that can house both a passport and a boarding pass. They are either too narrow for the passport or the opening is too short for the boarding pass, and I'm quite skeptical about folding it. After some window shopping/market research trips to the shops, all I could find are either very expensive leather goods, or the cheaper PVC version that won't last a year. I decided that I'd put my little fingers to good use an...

We're moving all contents to a new site If you've come here through an old bookmark, please update accordingly.  Looking forward to seeing you at the new Handmade Beaded Handbag URL 😊 😘

We're moving all contents to a new site If you've come here through an old bookmark, please update accordingly. Looking forward to seeing you at the new  URL   😊   😘 Due to work, I have to keep quite a few flash drives - each for a different type of job or client - in my bag. Although there are small compartments in my bag, I still find myself having to ransack through other stuff in the same pocket to get to the right flash drive. I've looked everywhere for a flash drive organizer but I just can't find one that I like; and most importantly, I do try not to make unnecessary new purchases. So I went to get some inspiration and help from my sewing box, and made this: I found some fabric scrap big enough for my flash drive organizer pattern, an old zip I saved from some old clothes, and an old and partly used Ikea fleece blanket (which I've used some for the snake stuffed toy ). Here are the few simple steps of the making of the flash drive organ...

We're moving all contents to a new site If you've come here through an old bookmark, please update accordingly. Looking forward to seeing you at the new  URL   😊   😘 I have to wear an access tag to work but I've never understood why the tag holders have to be designed the way they are. The lanyard that the office provides has a clip with sharp edges (red arrow), and my arms often get caught on it as I'm a naturally clumsy person. Also, the fabric based lanyard absorbs sweat and dirt so easily in this hot weather, it looks manky and disgusting. Not to mention that it is a plain ugly sight! I tried looking for a commercially made tag holder but they are expensive yet not very user-friendly; and they don't last. After a few scratches and losing some skin on my arms, I had to do something about it. I dug out some fabric scraps I've been keeping for a while, and picked this one - a family member brought some really nice materials back from a trip...

We're moving all contents to a new site If you've come here through an old bookmark, please update accordingly. Looking forward to seeing you at the new  URL   😊   😘 Here are the oven gloves-turned-Christmas stockings: Here is what they looked like before: Being taken apart for cutting: Nothing's wasted!

We're moving all contents to a new site If you've come here through an old bookmark, please update accordingly. Looking forward to seeing you at the new  URL   😊   😘 We like throwing small dinner parties and enjoy some home cooked food and nice wines - with proper crockery and cutlery - NO disposable ones! But having to keep washing up and drying wine glasses is a pain, especially when everyone seems to get their wine glasses mixed up and decided to get a fresh one. If only we can have something to individualise each wine glass, but obviously not buy putting a horrible looking sticker label over the glass. When I first saw this brilliant product at a department store, I knew that's what I need to add to our wine accessories - some wine glass charms! But they aren't cheap; in fact, they are really expensive! Minimum RM50 for a box of 6 or 8 charms, and that's all you can get: just the 6 or 8 different designs. That's when I decided to make our o...

We're moving all contents to a new site If you've come here through an old bookmark, please update accordingly. Looking forward to seeing you at the new  URL   😊   😘 The bottom hem is sewn together to make the base The top bit is hemmed up to leave openings for the drawstring Each corner of the bottom is sewn into triangular flap to make a depth on the base Leftover fabric (from the top bit of the dress) made into pockets on the inside of the bag. The rest of the leftover fabric is used to make a pocket on the outside, complete with zipper (a used one from some old clothing) The drawstrings are taken from an old belt which buckle was broken . The loops holding them at the bottom of the bag is made from the shoulders of the dress. A new drawstring knapsack!

We're moving all contents to a new site If you've come here through an old bookmark, please update accordingly.  Looking forward to seeing you at the new  Beaded tiara headband URL   😊 😘 I've used only fishing lines as I haven't any steel wire, and buying some just for that is going to defeat the purpose of using up existing material. Fishing lines are soft and flexible so they can't be worn like commercial tiaras. However, they turned out to be dual-purpose: 1. to be worn as a headband, and 2. as a necklace. Perhaps I can make up stories about some fairy princesses whose tiaras can turn into magical necklaces that give them power, and I think the girls would like that.

We're moving all contents to a new site You can find us here at the new  Drawstring bag from excess fabric URL   If you've come here through an old bookmark, please update accordingly 😊 😘 My habit of saving up stuff and trying to make them useful traces all the way back to my teenage. This is my first handmade bag, made using the excess fabric from my blouse. My mum and her sisters were tailors so they used to make all my clothes and I learned stitching and operating the sewing machine by watching them work. I didn't do this all by myself, of course. One of my aunties helped me with the more complicated bits. And we'd a sewing machine then so it was not exactly hard for a 16-year-old. More than 2 decades on later, this bag is still in good condition although it might be a little too small and girly for me now. I can always give it to my nieces, or use it as a gift packaging... well I'll make sure it's put to good use. Note (21 Feb 2010) ...

We're moving all contents to a new site You can find us here at the new  Handmade beaded pearly bracelet URL   If you've come here through an old bookmark, please update accordingly 😊 😘 I have a dress with some lovely beads sewn on the front, but they started to come off after several wash (although I only do hand washing because we don't have a washing machine). I've tried sewing them back on but some beads have gone missing so I had to take them all off and kept them with my stash of beads collection for future use. After a few drafts and drawings on the back of some old receipts (yep I use them as note pads), and a couple of trials and errors, I made myself a new pearly bracelet out of those fallen beads from my dress. This one is a slip-on with no hooks or buckles so it's really convenient, and just in time for Christmas!

We're moving all contents to a new site You can find us here at the new  multi-compartment handbag URL   If you've come here through an old bookmark, please update accordingly 😊 😘 I thought maybe I could create something out of what I have in the house. These are what I used: A good sized black shopping bag I received free from a magazine about 5 years ago (I took off all the sequins on the bag to keep for future craft use) A small black M)phosis (a clothing label in Asia) shopping bag 1 of the 2 non-woven black shoe bags that came with a pair of shoes I bought in Singapore A truly ugly-looking foil coated complimentary shopping bag from Visa A few black zippers taken out from old clothes, been lying in my sewing box for month, or years Here is what I did: Folded and sewed the M)phosis shopping bag onto the outside of the large bag, to make a zipped-up pocket. Sewed 2 other zippers onto the 2 shoe bags, then sewed them onto the inside of th...

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We're moving all contents to a new site You can find us here at the new  handmade phone sock URL   If you've come here through an old bookmark, please update accordingly 😊 😘