Sunday, May 24, 2015

How to Make Sparkling Earrings Using Hot glue

I always prefer studs instead of dangling earrings whenever there is need for change of earrings. Otherwise I usually stick to a simple gold stud.I kind of like stripes and patterned studs but I don't usual find them in the size and design I want .I have designed a few in clay but those where little heavy to wear.So I wanted a alternate way to make my own earring with all the specifications mentioned above.So, I came up with the idea of making sparkling earrings using hot glue. I am sure you would also like them and want to know how to make them.So, lets get started



Materials Required :
  • Hot glue gun
  • Earrings post
  • Nail polish or Acrylic paint or paint pens
  • Rhinestones or glitter or gold paint pens to add sparkle
  • Mod podge and a brush to seal your earring
  • Tweezers if you are using Rhinestones
  • Micro nib pens if you want to add patterns (I used Micron)
  • Scissors to trim the edges (if needed)
  • Styrofoam board or anything soft to hold your earrings post while drying (I am used thermocol board)
  • A tile or any surface which is easy to remove the glue from.(Wax paper doesn't work, I tried :))
  • Blade to remove the glue from the tile
  • Super glue or E6000


Step 1:  Making the glue base
            Making the glue base for the earring is very simple and it just takes 2 to 3 trials to understand how it works.You may wonder how the glue base shown in the picture is so smooth without glue strings. Actually when you press a amount of glue in the tile to form the base it will initially have the glue end peaking out when you take the glue gun off (You know what I mean if you have worked with the hot glue ) but it will eventually disappear when the glue dries.
First , make a dot in the center and swirl around to make the circle of your desired size and pipe out some more glue to complete the base. Don't think much to get it right the first time.I assure I did not :) ,so be happy and have fun while making and enjoy the process.Once you got familiar with the process of making the base move on to the next step for customization. There are many ways to customize these glue earrings and I will share the all possible ways I can.



Step 2: Glitter Earrings 
            Make the glue base as explained in step 1.While it is hot ,pour the glitter on it as shown in the picture. Also make sure the sides are covered in the glitter. Once it is covered , shake the excess glitter into the container.Allow it to dry
            



Take the blade and slide it under to remove the glue base from the tile.



Apply a coat of mod podge to seal the glitter. You can also use clear gloss spray if you have or even clear nail polish can also do the trick but don't scold me if you clear nail polish turns into a glittery one ;) May be you can pour a little in a paper plate and use it with a paint brush


Once the sealing is dry , dab of small amount of super glue or E6000 to the earring post and attach it to the glue base.(Pictures in next step )Allow it to dry and you are ready to rock in your glitter earrings :)



Step 3:Rhinestone Earrings 
           Make the base and while it is still hot, add the rhinestones with the help of tweezers in your desired design. Add the rhinestones and push it a little to ensure it is embedded nicely in the glue.Allow it to dry.




Once the glue base is dry you can paint it with nail polish at the back. If you have a precise brush you can also paint in the front. Painting at the back gives you matte look (Yellow, green and purple) whereas painting in the front gives glossy look(Black one).






Once the nail polish is dry, dab of small amount of glue in the post (as shown) and stick it to the glue base.Allow it to dry and Voila!! you are now ready to wear your bright and shiny earrings.


Step 4: Patterned Earrings
             Make the glue base as explained in the step 1. Once it is dry, take a micro nib pen and draw your desired pattern at the back of the glue base. Allow it to dry for few minutes


Paint your desired color nail polish above the pattern drawn and allow it to dry.


Once it is dry , dab a small amount of super glue of E6000 to the earrings post and attach it to the glue base. You are now ready to wear !!! It was pretty quick ,isn't it ?



Step 5: Make the glue base directly on the earrings
            So, you don't want the matte finish and want to eliminate a step by directly creating the base in the post itself? yes you can do it that way too. Again this needs a trial too, you can see my first trial was a total flop. But, I figured out how it works :), This is what people says "Learning from mistakes".So, I am saying again don't worry if you don't get it right the first time. 



Follow the same procedure as creating the glue base, the only difference is, you are using a post instead of a tile.Pipe a small amount in the center and make a swirl till it covers the edges and add a small amount of glue to level it. It will be as shown it the pictures below.





Poke the earring post on to the Styrofoam or any kind of foam board to dry.Poke the earrings on the edge so that when you paint it, it will be easy to reach the edges. Paint it with nail polish of your desired color choice. You can also use acrylic paint instead of nail polish


Allow it to dry and draw your desired patterns like dots, stripes or any pattern using a contrast color paint pen.I used medium point gold sharpie paint pen to add dots, so it was not so precise but I like the handmade look :) . If your prefer precise dots use a fine point paint pen.



Allow it dry and add a coat of mod podge or any sealant of your choice. Let it dry and you are ready to wear :)


Step 6: How to trim the glue strings or irregular edges

         If you have a uneven piece of glue strings at the edge, use a normal scissor and trim the edges as shown.Easy !!!


Step 7: How to correct the mistakes

          If you make any mistakes while drawing the patterns or if you want to change the color, simply use nail polish remover to do the trick. It wipes off easily as it would with the nails.


Step 8: Trial with paint pen 

         I used paint pens instead of nail polish to paint the back of the glue base but it was not looking even and I kind of felt it need more coats.So I would say it is better to paint with nail polish or acrylic paint.




Here is how the earrings look when I actually wore it. Do you like it?? I absolutely love that it satisfied all my specifications.:) There are lot of possibilities to make these earrings to suit your taste. I bet you are going to have fun making these.




Is there any interesting project that you tried with hot glue?What do you think about these earrings?? Share with me in the comments below.As always I will be happy to hear from you. 

Monday, May 18, 2015

How to sew an Apron with gathered bottom


This idea of sewing an apron came to me when my brother wanted a gift for his friend who loves baking. I wanted to make a dressy apron and so I ended up with the gathered bottom apron.You want a similar one ?? Come along to learn how.



Materials Required :
One yard of printed cotton
Half yard of solid cotton
Matching thread
Sewing machine/ Fabric glue
Fabric scissors
Marking chalk
Straight pins
Kraft paper for pattern
Ruler and pencil
Scissors
Iron

Step 1: Make pattern for the top of the apron with the measurements as shown in the below picture using kraft paper.Pin the pattern on the fabric with centre fold and cut a top piece for the apron.

Step 2: Cut the bottom piece from the remaining fabric (20"X 30") and also cut pieces for neck ties and waist ties from solid cotton fabric. Neck ties measurements : Length - 20" Width - 2" Waist ties measurements: Length- Approx 50" Width - 3". If the fabric is not 50" you can cut two 25" pieces and join together with a seam.Open the seam and press.





Step 3: Fold the 2" neck strip into half and stitch along the whole length of the strip with 0.25" seam allowance.To give an angled finish for the edge, mark an inch on the seam allowance side and make an angled stitch as shown below and trim along the stitch. Turn inside out using a stick or safety pin.Iron the strap and make a top stitch with 1/8" allowance for neat finish.Repeat the same for another strip to make neck ties.










Step 4: Fold and press the sides of the top piece and sew the sides of the top piece.Repeat the same for the bottom piece and also sew the hem of the bottom piece


Step 5: Cut a facing strip with measurements same as the top of the apron by adding seam allowance to attach neck ties.Stitch the sides of the facing strip and pin the facing strip with neck ties in the middle and right sides facing each other as shown below.Stitch along the top edge and turn the facing strip to the wrong side.Fold and press the hem of the facing and stitch to secure the facing strip.






Step 6: Use needle and thread to make basting stitch or use sewing machine to make gathering.Pull the thread at one end to make gatherings match the hem of the top piece and spread them evenly.Make a stitch to secure the gathering.Place the top piece right sides facing each other with top piece's hem aligning the bottom pieces's top.Make a stitch to join both the pieces together.








Step 7: Press the waist stripes 0.5"on both the sides. Place one strip on the front and one at the back with centre line of the apron sandwiched between the straps and pin them together. Centre the straps so that the waist ties are equal in length on both the sides.Sew them together to secure the waist ties to the apron.Voila !! The Apron is now ready to wear !!






What do you think about this apron ?  Have you stitched your own apron ? What kind of apron do you own ? Share you apron story in the comments below.

Want to know how to sew an apron from men's shirt?Check this link.