DIY: Braided Infinity Scarf

This is a nifty, new idea I came across and wanted to share with you all because it is an absolutely simple do-it-yourself project that can be customized in numerous ways! To bear the cold weather out there, make yourself this beautiful and practical braided infinity scarf. Viscose jersey works well in all seasons, however, it's light enough that you can wear it in the summer but if you build the scarf bulky enough it will keep you warm in the winter.

You will need to purchase jersey fabric (it is easiest to work with but you can try other types of fabric, especially once you get comfortable with the technique), enough so that you can braid the fabrics together and wrap them around your neck loosely and they fit over your head. You will probably need 1 yard of fabric per scarf you make because you can cut it with fabric shears or scissors lengthwise to make multiple pieces. If you want your scarf to look full and rich, you should use more fabric so that it hugs the neck luxuriously and doesn't look like it was made out of scraps.

All you do is make a small braid with some smaller segments of the fabric, a medium sized braid with middle-sized pieces and a large braid with larger chunks of the fabric. Then you want to leave one piece un-braided so that you can get that fuller look on the bottom. Sew your pieces together in a large infinity circle so that the seam comes to the back of the wearer's neck, make sure all of the pieces are attached to one another. If you add clip-on buttons at the back, you will be able to make one or all of the pieces interchangeable so that you can adjust your look anytime you want!

You can do this in multiple color combinations or fabric styles and patterns, be as creative as you like with this simple project. You'll have the most unique scarf and I can guarantee you that nobody will have its duplicate!

Here are some beautiful fabric recommendations that would make absolutely breathtaking DIY scarves! Happy crafting, everyone!

DIY: Make Your Own Gold Glitter Clutch

DIY: Gold Glitter Clutch by polyvore-editorial featuring glitter handbags

ASOS oversized clutch bag
¥150 - asos.com

Jimmy Choo mesh handbag
$1,150 - mytheresa.com

Anya Hindmarch glitter handbag
$578 - my-wardrobe.com

Jimmy Choo metallic clutch
$595 - net-a-porter.com

Anya Hindmarch clutch bag
$578 - my-wardrobe.com

Amazon.com: Value-Pack 10-Pc Foam Paint Brush Set - Wood Handles:...
$2.47 - amazon.com

Amazon.com: Mod Podge Matte Finish 8 Oz.: Toys & Games
$8.74 - amazon.com

Marchesa by Lenox "Marchesa Rose" All Purpose Bowl
$30 - bloomingdales.com

Amazon.com: Martha Stewart Large Glitter Florentine Gold: Arts, Crafts...
$18 - amazon.com








You can use any foam paint brushes from hardware stores, any clutch you have laying around the home that you're sick of and want to spruce up and don't be afraid to try different kinds of glitter. When choosing glitter, make sure you choose finely milled glitter as opposed to large milled glitter because it will look classier and be easier to manage as well as less lumpy. 

Lace nail art design

Are you looking for a fun and easy interesting nail trend to keep you away from the hum-drum same styles you're used to doing all the time? This is a simple and fun look involving lace that you can purchase anywhere (even at the dollar store). I stumbled upon this look and was absolutely shocked at how breath-taking these nails can look for how little effort it requires. What do you think about this look? You can choose to do the lace all over your nails, on fake or real nails, or you can choose to just do portions of lace randomly placed on your nails. I personally am a fan of the unique nails, each nail looking like a different lace portion of the same pattern, whichever piece strikes my fancy on each finger.

What you'll need:
- Base coat (any color you choose)
- Top coat (clear nail polish)
- Small-patterned lace (so it fits over your nails, honeycomb pattern is simplest to work with) in any color
- Small nail scissors
- Nail art pen (if you choose to draw more designs like swirls or dots over your lace to add intricacy)


This is actually a very simple process to do. First, you will want to cut out the portions of lace you want to use and measure them up with your fingernails. Once you've gotten all the pieces cut out (or you can go one by one if you choose), you want to apply a base coat (it can be clear nail polish or nude/colored opaque, you may even want to consider glitter polish if you're going somewhere fancy). This look doesn't require any extra glitz and glamour, however, because the lace will present so well on its own. After you apply your base coat, wait until it's dry and apply a clear coat of nail polish generously over top, gently use a tweezer and position your lace on top of the clear coat before it dries. This is important because you want the lace to tack onto your nail by sticking to that clear coat very well. After everything is dry, soak it up one more time with another clear coat of polish over top so that your lace won't frill or come off during hand-washing or rigorous activities! If you want your nails to be even more interesting,  you can draw on borders, swirls or dots (even cheetah prints with little 'c' shapes) with nail art pens. Remember to be creative and use different colors of lace, nail polish, and nail crystals over top to keep your nails looking very cool! Your friends will envy you for your expensive-looking manicure; you don't have to tell them you did it yourself!

Water-Marbled Nails

Finished design from this tutorial

Do you want to achieve salon-grade manicures at home with interesting designs but you're not very artistic? Well, I have the solution for you. Don't bother spending your money on magnetic nail polishes or nail polish strips, you can learn to do this right at home without having to go out and purchase anything.

Tools for this project

What you'll need:

• Q-tips
• Toothpicks
• Nail polish colors (at least 2, must not be fast-drying)
• Top-coat (can be fast-drying)
• Nail polish remover 
• Nails (real or fake will do)
• Tape (any kind really)
• A disposable cup
• Room temperature water
• Paper towels

You will want to prep your nails before you do anything else and make sure they are well cleaned, and apply a coat of nude colored nail polish so that the variation in color in your own nails does not affect the water-design and show through. Then you will want to set up your work space by placing down a paper towel to cover the table you're working on so you don't get it all dirty. Fill your disposable cup about three quarters of the way up with room temperature water (you can use filtered or tap water, some people say filtered water is better because there will be less bubbles in it). It is important that you use room temperature water because hot water will cause the polish to spread too fast and cold water won't let it spread enough. Place tape around your nail and on your fingertips so that you don't get your fingers all messy and have to go back with tons of acetone to clean them off. This step is a definite time-saver, although it may not seem so at the beginning.

Open your nail polishes up because time is of the essence when you are doing this, this doesn't mean rush, be meticulous but quick. Carefully place a drop of nail polish in the water and then place the next color inside the middle of the previous color. Do this over and over until you have your desired bulls-eye of colors.

Then use your toothpick to swirl the polish or drag it in and out to create a pattern. My personal favorite is starting from the second line and dragging it into the middle, but make sure you do not pull up, push the toothpick into the middle so that the nail polish does not separate. Wipe your toothpick clean after each swipe with the toothpick because the colors will stay on it and affect your design in a not-so-pretty way when you place it back in.

Place your fingernail down into the water wherever you think the design looks nicest. You can even put all of your fingers in at once if you want a random-looking swirl on each finger. Do not lift your fingers out of the water immediately. You will want to leave your fingers in the water and wait about 30 seconds until you take a q-tip and clean out the excess polish in the water (around your fingers). This will clear away any potential polish like a thin skin so that it does not affect your beautifully designed nails. Then you can lift up your nails. Wait a little while for them to dry and then remove the tape from around your fingers carefully so that you do not smudge anything. Use a q-tip dabbed in nail polish remover to clean up the sides of your nails and your cuticles of any nail polish. Repeat this process with all of your nails.

Before removing the tape

After removing the tape

Apply a topcoat as the final step to stabilize your design and make it glossy and this will also help to get rid of any excess water bubbles floating on the surface of your nail. You can make all kinds of designs with this technique, I only experimented with two nails so far but I've seen some beautiful designs on Google!

DIY: Make your own glitter nail polish!

This is a very interesting idea and you can either make these for yourself if you're tired of the same old boring nail polish colors that you see at the store or aren't willing to pay a lot of money for new shades. You can either give these as stocking stuffers or gifts to your friends and family.

You can make your own glitter nail polish very simply and the tools you will need are as follows:

• inexpensive topcoat or nail polish in any color
• nail glitter or crushed makeup pigment/mineral eyeshadow
• funnel (or a makeshift funnel made out of paper)

First you will want to take your selected nail-polish or topcoat (choose a topcoat if you want the glitter to be on a clear background) and shake it up so that it is homogenized. Then you should choose which colors of glitter you want to use, they can be chunky glitter or fine mineral pigments and they can even be both. What you choose should reflect your personal style and you can achieve infinite amounts of different looks with this technique. Then you will want to funnel your chosen glitter, one at a time, into your nail polish bottle. Finally, all you need to do is shake your bottle and make sure you get the glitter evenly distributed throughout. This is a great way to make inexpensive nail polish colors from the 99 cent drugstore brands (like Wet 'n Wild).

As a tip for application, if you want to achieve a gradient effect, so that the tips of your fingers look as though they were dipped in fairy-dust, apply your first coat of transparent glitter nail polish starting a quarter of the way down your nails (if your cuticles are the uppermost, as in the picture above). Then apply the second coat only on the bottom half, and finally the last coat (or as many as you need for the desired effect) only on the bottom quarter

DIY: Hairclips!

Do you have loads of broken jewelry, cute buttons, or antique post/clip-on earrings that nobody wears anymore? I have a great do-it-yourself solution to create your own hair clips! These can be snap-clips, barettes, pins, or anything you can imagine! If you're tired and uninspired with what you see in your local stores for hair accessories, then create your own. 

What you see below are hairclips that I have created from various necklaces, pins, hairbands, and just random crafts-flowers. The sky is the limit. As long as you can find closures at any pharmacy, Wal-Mart, or online, you can create your own stylish accessories that reflect your personality and swagger.

My rule of thumb is that if I can make a remotely flat backing out of whatever I have, it can go onto a metal clip-backing. Sometimes putting metal onto metal can be difficult if you don't have a soldering pen, but I have an ingenious and simple method of going about it: Gorilla Super Glue. That's right, it's just that easy, and if you're having a hard time with one piece slipping off the other, then take a piece of old cloth/leather from a piece of clothing you were likely going to throw away and glue that onto your clip first and then glue your applique on the other side of it. This will allow for some movement without snapping the glue apart while you're handling with your clips. Remember to cut off excessive parts of your pendants if you want to use them on your clips so that they don't tangle in your hair. I've received many compliments on my creations, so let your imagination run wild and don't be afraid to re-invent your jewelry, buttons and baubles!

Pieces currently awaiting transformation