From Sweatshirt to Pillow Sham

When an item has meaning it can pain you to get rid of it. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and let it go, but if you have a sister that sews you can get her to make it into a pillow sham.

My sis, Halie, ordered this sweatshirt from Korea in 2013 because the characters look like her and her boyfriend. It’s a good resemblance and the accompanying text is pretty funny too!

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Sartoria: comfy and cosy upcycled

Last night the city was covered in a snow blanket. A reminder that even though it is spring I live in Calgary where it can be sunny, snowy, and rainy all in one day. The urge to hibernate in warm and comfy clothes with a hot drink is strong. This reminded me of a great brand that I discovered at the Art Market here in Calgary last November. Sartoria upcycles cashmere and merino wool sweaters into one of a kind pieces. Based and created in Toronto, they embrace “slow fashion” and it shows in the eye catching color combos and fantastic quality. At the Art Market the designer was even on hand to custom make select pieces! Sartoria will be back next year and I’m glad for the heads up so I can put some dollars aside for luxurious long johns. You can also shop from the Sartoria website www.sartoria.ca.

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All photos from www.sartoria.ca

CONCLUSION

Snow isn’t so bad. Especially when you have something warm and cosy to snuggle up in.

Decoupage Cell Phone Case DIY

 

Update: This post was originally published in May 2013. Even though I have moved on to a new iPhone this is a creative and fun way to personalize your phone case. This case lasted a long time and the jewels never fell off! Yay Mod Podge! 

Spring has finally arrived and it’s time for spring cleaning, swapping out the winter clothes for the summer ones, and giving things a general sprucing up. Some of these chores might not be fun but they need to get done. My iPhone case was something that need a spring revamp but instead of just picking one out at the store, which I admit can be fun, I decided to personalize one with this quick DIY. It’s also a great way to use an old case that might be scratched or your just tired of the current image. Just make sure you clean it well so the Mod Podge will adhere properly.

Decoupage is an easy and enjoyable way to decorate pretty much anything with a flat surface. It involves cutting out various shapes of paper, usually from magazines, and applying coats of varnish to seal it. I looked through old issues of Instyle and Cosmo to find pictures I liked then used my trusty Mod Podge to seal it.

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After finding some pictures of gems, flowers, and a cat I laid them out over a plain white iPhone case to get an idea for placement. Then I applied a thorough coat of Mod Podge to the back of the cut-outs and stuck them down. Your fingers will get sticky and you might have to carefully smooth out the paper if there are any air bubbles underneath. I wrapped the pieces around the edges of the case to get a full covering. The inside doesn’t look very pretty but no one will see it. Once you have all the cut-outs you want apply an even coat of the Mod Podge over the entire case. This will help the corners not to raise up.

 

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I wanted this case to be pretty girlie so I added stick on gems and glitter! After letting the glue dry for a few minutes (till it was tacky) I placed on the gems. Then I mixed some glitter with the Mod Podge and applied another thick even coat. I didn’t apply the glitter coat to the inside of the case. Let dry fully for a couple of hours and your case is ready for use!

 

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I wasn’t sure how well the gems would stay on. I’m not very careful with my phone, it usually hides out at the bottom of my tote bag/ huge purse, but I have been using it for over a week and they’re all still there! That Mod Podge really works!

conclusion:

We all use our cell phones so much now. It’s nice to have a case that makes me smile and that I like looking at everyday!