Aztec Print Shorts

I saw the idea for these shorts last summer while I was searching on Pinterest, and knew I had to have them.  But I just never got the time to make them...until today. 

 If you are going to make these, make sure you have a big chunk of time on hand, because they will take quite a while to make.  The nice thing about making that, though, is that there is alot of down time in between steps, so you can work on other things around the house while waiting to move to the next step.

So, here is how to do it:

First, you are going to need these things: a pair of shorts(or pants you cut), black acrylic or fabric paint, clothing bleach, paint brushes, a small dish for paint, a bucket, and possibly oxyclean. (not everything is pictured)

First thing I did was get the shorts completely wet, then wrung them out.  Next I filled a bucket with bleach, just high enough to cover the part of the shorts I wanted to bleach.  Then I stuck the shorts in so that the bleach only touched where I wanted it to touch.

I just left them there in that bucket for about 5 minutes to soak, then came back and checked on them.  They weren't white enough, so I dumped out the bleach into the sink, rinsed the shorts, and did step 2 a second time.

This is the result I got:

Oh no, they are yellow.  I'm not gonna lie, I freaked out. 

So after talking to my mom, and doing ALOT of googling, I decided to try using oxyclean on the bleached part.

So, I sprayed the entire bleached section and rubbed it in, then let them set in the sink for about 10-15 minutes.  Once that time was up I threw them into the washing machine with some junk towels, and washed them for about 40 minutes.  I was super disappointed to see this when they came out(still wet):

STILL yellow!!  I decided that I could live with that, and threw them into the dryer with the junk towels for the normal 40 minutes.  When i came back to take them out, they looked like this:

I'm not going to question it. 

So, next came applying the print.  I decided to use a similar pattern to the ones I posted as an example up top.  My first step was to use an extra fine point sharpie and a straight edge to draw lines for where i would put my design. 

Then all I had to do was draw in my design.  At first i used the straight edge, but then I just decided to eyeball it

Then I painted with the black paint onto the spaces I wanted.

Then onto my next design.  This one is really easy because all you have to do is use a 1/4 size paint brush, and paint straight lines(unless you want it to be smaller or larger). 

The front is finished:

For the back, I just got creative and did my own designs.  It would even be completely fine to leave the back plain.

And thats it!  It did take some time, but it was so worth it! Especially since I got the shorts at Goodwill for $1.25!!  Hopefully you feel inspired to try this DIY, or even a similar one.

make your own mug cozy!

 I can not wait to try this!

 Not only is this so cute and but its fairly simple if you know how to sew. The instructions are on picture.  If I try this I will definitely post it!

Here is your last minute V-day gift!

Scratch offs! Dont have time or money to buy a present before V-day? All you need is paper, a white crayon, acrylic paint and 10 minutes!
Now you can go online and find hundreds of free printable templates, or you can make your own.
Once you have your template printed or drawn, you need to write gift ideas on each scratch off spot. I'll have a list of ideas at the bottom.
Then, color over each spot with your white crayon. *Important*: be very thorough and and dont miss any spots!
Once thats done, you need to apply your acrylic paint over each spot. You can get this paint in small bottles for a few bucks at any craft store. You may need several coats to cover the words underneath.let it dry for a while, then voila, a scratch off card for your significant other, or maybe a friend.
Ideas:
Bake you cookies
Make you dinner
Dinner(or lunch) on me(at a place they choose)
Wild card/they choose their gift
Movie Night
Spa day(mostly for your girl friends)

I hope this is helpful to you and saves you the stress of trying to figure out what to get :)

Oil-based sharpies

This is relating to my last post.
Something I have been hearing about lately is oil-based sharpies.
Oil-based sharpies supposedly work a TON better than regular sharpies for crafts.
They adhere to ceramics, pottery, wood and glass, and are dishwasher safe.
The pack I am picturing here is about $19.99(a bit pricey, but you will most likely use them a ton)at just about any craft store.
I would definitely suggest looking into these if you are big on making projects that require you to use a sharpie.
If you do try them, definitely let me know what you think :)

Cute mug idea

This would be so great for gifts or just for fun. And you could do a variety of things like pig noses, mustaches, etc.
How to do it:
One way to decorate mugs is to use sharpies. Oil-based sharpies will work the best, and wont come off in the dishwasher.
First you need to get yourself a plain, basic mug, which are available at almost any store, including places like CVS or Walgreens. Put your design on that mug and you're good to go!

Floral fabric letters

i love this, its perfect for personalizing any room

here is the link to how to make this:

http://ideasmag.co.za/craft-decor/words-on-the-wall/