DIY Toothy T-shirt

Whether you're celebrating Shark Week, looking for a rainy day activity, or in search of a costume that even kids who aren't into wearing masks can get behind, this toothy long-sleeved T-shirt is the ticket. Far from being holiday-exclusive, bust out your shirt any time you're playing a spirited round of "Top o' the Food Chain." I stuck with gray, white, and silver to summon my boys' inner sharks, but you could easily adapt your color palette to include dragons, dinosaurs, or even a Gruffalo (and, it should be noted, you can make it in multiple sizes)!

No-Sew Superhero Cape

Here's a classic I recently adapted from my second book, Generation T: Beyond Fashion, because, hey,  it's superhero season (okay, okay, when is it not...). A plain T-shirt is the key ingredient to this phonebooth-like transformation. Whether you're a superhero at rest, or in action (leaping tall buildings in a single bound, racing faster than a locomotive, and generally exercising capabilities beyond those of mortal men (and women) -- you know, the usual), this cape has got you covered. Well, partially covered. The superhero in my household requested an orange lightning bolt on his cape, so once I created the basic shape, I made a couple of stencils I could layer to get the two-color effect.

2-in-1 Picnic Blanket Game Board

The only thing better than playing board games, in my opinion, is playing them al fresco (even if you find yourself caught in a passing rain shower!). Grab an old flat sheet or a plain table cloth and draw a checker/chess board, a tic-tac-toe grid, a Chinese checkers star, or a backgammon board. When it's time to picnic (hello, Fourth of July), grab the sandwiches and the game pieces and hit the park with your new blanket (PS: it works on the grass or on the picnic table). Game on!

No-Sew T-shirt Infinity Top: Wear It (in at least) 4 Ways!

The best thing about T-shirt season? Umm...T-shirts. Here's a no-sew T-shirt project to help you kick off a totally sweet summer. Punch it up with custom textiles, and then wear it any way you like -- the possibilities are infinite...or nearly!

Tie-Dye Wrapped Necklace

This quick and easy accessory heralds in a Bohemian springtime. It's the perfect project to use any failed tie-dye attempts on -- or you can tie-dye a whole T-shirt or piece of fabric and host a party! (You can make at lease 10 necklaces from one large T-shirt.) This particular version is directly inspired by the Fabric-Covered Bead Necklace from The Jewelry Recipe Book by Nancy Sorian0 -- substituting in T-shirt fabric (of course) whenever possible!

Pointilism Pocket T-shirt

Pssst! It's officially springtime, and that means it's time to pull all those T-shirts out from hibernation--or bring in some fresh ones to the rotations. In this one, Trompe l'oeil meets pointilism in a faux pocket T-shirt--a great low-stakes revamp that'll do wonders at masking a well-placed food stain or simply sprucing up a plain shirt. Making the dots is so meditative, I'm ready to lose myself in a Lichtenstein-inspired image next!

Neon Doodle Sneakers

What can I say, I've been on a kicks kick lately! Maybe it's all the boot-wearing I've been doing with all this snow and slush we've been getting on the East Coast, but I'm craving some bright, fresh springtime gear (some bright, fresh springtime temperatures wouldn't be so bad, either). I've also been drawing a lot in my sketchbook during these long cold months, and it's nice sometimes to take the doodling out of the sketchbook from time to time.

Sequined Peter Pan Collar Necklace

The perfect accessory for dressing up a basic crew neck T-shirt: a sequined necklace in a Peter Pan-style collar. Even the sequins don't take all that long to place--it's the drying time that's the most challenging to sit through! The ribbon tie makes it adjustable to suit the neckline of the top you're wearing,
and the sequins catch the light just so....

Coiled Paper Coasters

What to do with all those holiday catalogs clogging up the mailboxes? Turn their pages into items (like coasters...) that help celebrate the holidays! Post-Christmas, you can use up any leftover wrapping paper to whip some up before New Year's even--the sky's the limit.

Sparkle & Shine Dot Shoes

Nothing like a little glitter paint to add a quick and easy sparkle to your step. Here's a  snazz-up-your-kicks tutorial that works year round, but is particularly perfect as we head into the holidays (because who wants to stand around and drink eggnog/drop it like it's hot/watch the ball drop in heels?)!

7 Ways To Decorate A Light Switch

I originally set out to decorate 5 light switch plates, but ended up getting to 7 -- I just couldn't stop! For most of them, I used the new "Always Ready" Aleene's Tacky glues (they arrive in the checkout aisle -- no the glue section -- of JoAnn stores starting in November!). It's smart new inverted packaging that has the glue all ready to go -- in other words, no need to shake the bottle anymore to get the gluey stuff into the tip. They are great -- my only challenge was to remember to store them back in their base, tip down!

A light switch plate is a pretty sweet blank canvas -- small in dimension and fairly low-stakes (in case the creative process doesn't go as planned). But when it does work, what fun! Which switch plate theme or technique would you take and run with?

No-Sew Laced Up Tank Top

Mark your calendars: October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Whether you walk, run, or responsibly conduct a breast self exam for the cause (do it once a month!) here's a T-shirt transformation tutorial (plus a bonus throwback!) to honor all of you making a difference and supporting those affected by breast cancer. Just set aside an old baggy T-shirt, a pair of scissors, and in 10 minutes you've got yourself a fitted tank top (inspired by the Outer Lace tank top in Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-shirt). Get the team together and tie-dye and snip your way to its completion, then wear it for yourself, or wear it for a loved one--I know I will be!

Tie-Dye T-shirt & Hardware Necklaces: 7 Ways!

   

Whether you're celebrating back to school or back to work, here are a handful of quick-and-easy, no-sew techniques to accessorize on the cheap. Just grab all those scraps you've cut from your white T-shirts, rejuvenate them with a splash of tie-dye, and macramé your way to a statement necklace or two (or seven!)
I've always loved shopping at hardware stores for my materials -- washers and hex nuts and some of the more delicate chains lend a nice physical weight to a fabric-based piece while adding an industrial edge to the overall aesthetic.

Ombre-Dyed Crossback Tank Top

Summer is all about easy, breezy fashion (stay cool) and tie-dye (stay fun!). Here's an ombre-style surface treatment for a quick-and-easy T-shirt transformation. From plain white T-shirt to a smock-styled, crossback tank top that's nearly no-sew (about 6 inches of stitching) in no time. Smock it to me!

How to: Make Frida-Style Braids

Happy Birthday to one of my favorite artists: Frida Kahlo. I've been wanting to post this tutorial for awhile now, and the occasion of her birth is the perfect opportunity. Here's a simply way to dress up your hair using an old T-shirt, tie-dye, and scissors. But first, some images of those inspiring braids from the queen of the Mexican art scene, who would be turning 107 if she were alive today...

DIY: Distressed Flag T-shirt

Between cheering on Team USA in the World Cup and all the 4th of July barbecues just around the corner, this project is at least a fashion twofer (at least -- you can save it for next Memorial Day picnic, Flag Day...or whenever you're feeling stylishly patriotic!). With just a plain white T-shirt, some classic gold star stickers (50 of them, to be precise), clear tape, and fabric spray paint, you can, for just a few bucks, make a T-shirt that might otherwise retail for umm...$84(!!!). Here's how.

How to: DIY Birthday Shirts (for Every Age!)

I love using words and type in my crafts (see exhibits A, B, C, D, E, and F...), so was super excited when Scribbles Alphabet Stamps arrived in a recent crafty care package! With a friend's daughter's birthday around the corner, and armed with the new letter stamps and fabric paints, I knew just what I wanted to make: a series of birthday tops, each to announce the birthday girl's age (and yes, there are actual number stamps, too, but I like to spell things out!). I made a series of three, but if you scroll all the way down, you'll see there's no reason why you have to stop at the single-digit ages!

DIY Wrapped Easter Egg Wreath

For this easy, bright DIY holiday decor, I was inspired by this yarn-wrapped egg wreath I stumbled upon on Pinterest. (Oh, and check out Aunt Peaches's yarn-wrapped eggs tutorial right here on iLoveToCreate!) But, being that I have stashes of T-shirt scraps rather than traditional yarn, I adapted the project to my own scrap heap (and recycling bin).
Pick traditional pastels from your T-shirt stash, go for brights, or tie-dye all those shabby old white ones to make ombre eggs.

DIY Alphabet Block Shoes

My toddler is VERY into his letters and numbers lately, so when it came time to think up a theme for a spring shoe refashion, his vintage-style alphabet blocks stood out from the pack (that, and I'm not as good at drawing dinosaurs or trains, which would have been the other top contenders!). And sure enough, when I presented them to him the morning after I made them, he picked one up and said, "ABC shoe!" Exactly, my dear. Now we can practice his letters and colors while on the go!

DIY Phases of the Heart T-shirt

I was inspired by a DIY phases of the moon T-shirt I saw on Pinterest, and thought it would be fun to try a heart shape in place of the moon. Though Valentine's Day is an odd one to celebrate -- it's gotten a little commercial in the past few decades for my tastes, but I do appreciate another opportunity to tell the people dearest to me that I care about them with an extra hug, a simple handmade valentine...or a T-shirt! (PS: Did you know that it's celebrated as "Friend Day" in Finland? I love that!)