Necktie Rabbit Ears

   

 Have you ever been to Books of Wonder on 18th st. between 5th and 6th? Well, it is one of the cutest children's bookstores. I performed there on Saturday as the March Hare in Alice in Wonderland with Haberdasher Theater. I was very excited to work on my costume and put together some inspiration on Pinterest and Tumblr. I was wondering how I would get my hands on some ears UNTIL the director handed me a pair of ties to add to my costume. When I looked at those ties... I saw ears!                     

 Necktie Rabbit Ears

What you'll need-

2 Neckties

1 Headband

Glue Gun and Glue

Strong Wire

Wire Cutter

Scissors

Pen, Chalk or Fabric Marker

Seam Ripper

I bought two matching neckties from a thrift store. I picked very long ties for the extra fabric. I used materials that I had around the house for assembling these, but you could get as high or low tech as you desire. I made these ears quite quickly and took lots of photos!

First decide how long you would like the ears and cut! I cut them a little bit longer than I wanted them in case of error and for attaching. We are using the Front end of the tie for the ears.

With the small back end of a tie I covered my pink H&M headband. Great thing about this tie

was that I could just slip it on!

I hot glued one side of the necktie at the end for a secure fit. 

I left the other side free in case of error.

Next I wired the ears. I measured out a length of wire and trimmed it. I then threaded the wire through each ear. There are two ways to do this and I tried both. The tie lining allowed me to show the wire in the back or to not show it (keeping it hidden within the lining of the tie). I hot glued both into place.

Attaching the ears to the headband was the hardest part. 

With a marker I noted where the wire would attach and proceeded to rip the seams of the tie attached to the headband. I then pulled the ears through and was able able to twist them around the headband to keep them secure. I finished up with some hot glue on the wires and to seal up the headband.

And Ta Da! Here is how they turned out. 

What do you think??

DIY Umbrella Chandelier from Free People

          I'm so excited to share this guest post from Free People, a premiere bohemian clothing boutique. (I'm sure you have heard of them...) This project is so inspiring and pretty. I have a window in my kitchen that looks into the living room that needs something new hanging from it. It NEEDS it. I've been thinking about a chandelier and luckily this project has come into my life! AND Wouldn't this be a great project to use up-cycled materials with? Enjoy! 

The Free People store display design team recently created beautiful umbrella chandeliers for the Pittsburgh store. Take a look at this intriguing chandelier display made of paper umbrellas, stripped and then beaded, which we hung above the dressing rooms to evoke the spirit of artist Sylvia Marius.

Here’s a DIY for you so you can tackle this abstraction on your own:

You’ll Need:

1.       A paper umbrella (Not the kind in your Tiki Palace Drink. Think: Chinatown! Party Supply stores!)

2.       Cord, twine or heavy string.

3.       Beads! There are never too many beads in the world.

4.       Scissors.

5.       Strips of fabric, for fun.

6.       Tape or glue.

You’ll Do:

1.     Open umbrella. Cut paper from the umbrella frame. Don’t cut the string parts. Just remove the paper. (You can leave some paper for artistic purposes too.)

2. Wrap handle and post of umbrella in fabric strips if desired.

 

3. Measure pieces of twine that will span from one spoke’s end to the umbrella handle, when the umbrella is fully opened. Add a few inches for tying and knots. Tie one end of twine to end of umbrella spoke.

 

4. String beads. If you like, you can sting beads and knot them, leaving string in between beads to space them out.

5.  When finished beading, tie the end of the twine to the umbrella handle. Don’t pull too tight, but a little curve in the spokes will be OK. Secure both ends with tape or glue.

6. Add strands of beads and/or strips of fabric as your heart desires.

   

 

Hang ‘er up and you’re done!

 

This guest post was contributed by Free People, a premiere bohemian clothing boutique. For more DIY posts, check out their blog at http://blog.freepeople.com/ every Wednesday!