DIY: Bow Gloves (Gift Idea!)

 

I am so darn excited about this DIY! I was inspired by these great Bow Bracelet Gloves at Anthropologie. These gloves would make an excellent gift for mom, or sis, or auntie... Or whatever sweet lady on your holiday shopping list likes to keep her hands warm and look adorable at the same time!

What you need:

Gloves
Fabric
Needle & thread
Scissors
Iron (not pictured)

I found these gloves at Old Navy for $4! I love a bargain.

To get started, you'll need to cut a square of fabric that is about an inch wider than the wrist of your gloves and double the height of whatever sized bow you want. You can make a big fat bow or a skinny bow, it's up to you! ie: I cut my fabric about 4 inches tall, so my finished bow is about 2 inches tall.

 

Next, you want to flip your fabric square over so that the right side faces down, and fold the top and bottom edges inward so they meet in the middle. Iron this flat so it stays in place.

 

 

Lay your glove so that the under side faces upward, like shown. With the right side still facing down, place the fabric onto the glove in the approximate place that you want the bow to hit on the other side. You are going to sew it, then flip it inside out, to get it in the correct position.

 

I found that the easiest way to get started is to line one of the rough edges of the fabric along the glove seam, and sew right beside it. Sew all the way across, then go back across again and finish it by tying a knot inside the glove.

 

Now sew the other side the same way so that you have this:

It helps to put the glove on before sewing the other side of the bow, then marking lightly with a pencil where you want the edge to hit. Line the rough edge of the bow fabric up to the pencil mark and sew it just the way you did the other side.

To finish the bow, you need to make the center band. Using the same idea as before, cut a small piece of fabric and fold the edges inward to the center. Right side should be face down. Iron the folds to hold it in place.

Now take the folded piece of fabric and fold it in half again, so that the smooth ironed edges are laying on top of one another. Iron this again to hold it in place.

Place this strip of fabric under the bow, between the bow and glove, and wrap it around so the rough edges meet in the middle of the bow. Sew this together.

 

Now flip the bow over the bottom of the glove and over to the other side:

 

Repeat these steps with the second glove and that's it!

 

 

DIY: Painted Makeup Brush Set (Gift Idea!)

Each year I make it a point to do a few DIY gifts for my friends and family. For one reason, because I enjoy making things. For another, because people seem to appreciate a handmade gift that you designed specially for them. And last but certainly not least, because a handmade gift can often save you quite a bit of money!

One DIY that I've been wanting to try is a set of fun personalized makeup brushes. I never got around to it before, because I wasn't really in the need for new brushes... But when my teenage cousin asked for makeup for Christmas, I knew it was time to check this project off the to-do list!

I got these bamboo brushes at my local pharmacy for only $6! They are actually really good brushes that even came with a cloth sack. This project is so easy, all you need is...

A makeup brush set
Nail polish
Tape*
Toothpick or other thin paintbrush for painting designs*

*These are optional supplies but will help if you want cleaner lines!

The steps are so simple, it's just a matter of taping off parts you don't want to paint and then painting on the rest!

 

Lay down some paper to protect your work surface!

Nail polish dries fairly quickly which is great, but make sure each coat is dry before moving on to another section. Especially if you're going to be taping on top of an area you've just painted!

You can use a toothpick dipped in the polish to do polka dots! Drop a blob of paint onto a piece of paper and dip into it that way, rather than sticking it straight into the bottle.

That's it! Let them dry fully and they are ready to use.