HIGH on DIY

If you are like me and haven’t even thought about what you’ll be wearing for new year’s eve celebrations, this is the perfect last minute DIY for you. It’s quick, inexpensive and the final result is all the sparkles you need to ring in 2013. If you have been following me on Pinterest, you know that I’ve  been really inspired by jeweled skirts lately. With everything embellished (esp. sweaters) being so big this season, an embellished skirt would be a perfect addition.

Let’s get started. Here’s what you’ll need:

• A skirt (I picked a short fitted black one)
• Flat-back acrylic jewels (I got a packet of Bead Landing ™ Acrylic Jewels from Michael’s)
• Aleene’s Jewel-It Embellishing Glue

Step 1: Layout your skirt on a flat surface and get rid of any major creases or wrinkles. Keep the front of the skirt facing up.

Step 2: Start arranging the round jewels on the skirt following the pattern shown in the picture. Begin from the top or the bottom of the skirt. You might need more/less jewel in each row depending on the size of your skirt.

Step 3: Place the square jewels around the round ones. Of course, you can switch up the pattern if you have another design in mind.

Step 4: Once you finish arranging the jewels on the skirt according to the design, pick a jewel and add a drop or two of glue on the back of the jewel.

Step 5: Let the glue sit on the jewel for a few minutes and then place it back carefully in it’s place on the skirt. Press it down slightly. To avoid gluing the front of the skirt with the back, I put a layer of magazine inside the skirt. If you prefer sewing the jewels on, they come in sew on (with holes) form as well.

Once you are done gluing all the jewels, let it dry for a few hours. Then you have your bedazzled skirt ready for your new year’s eve party or any other occasion!

You can style this embellished skirt with a simple top to dress it down or if you like to dress it up, add bold necklaces to the simple top or pick a top with playful prints.

I really hope you enjoyed this quick DIY! Have a fabulous new year’s eve and a very happy new year! Thank you all so much for the love and support so far in 2012, it means a lot! I know that we will have another great year being more HIGH on DIY!

Inspo images via 1, 2, 3, 4. Also on Pinterest here & here. All other images by HIGH on DIY.

I am sure that there is going to be plenty of gift wrapping in the next few days and to help with that, I have the perfect holiday DIY for you! It is inspired by one of my favorite artists, Lisa Rodden, who creates beautiful hand-cut paper art works. With this way of gift wrapping, you don’t really need to decorate the gift any further with ribbons, colorful strings, etc. The wrapping paper and my cutout template will do all the trick. It is a very fun, unique and easy way to make your gifts extra special for your loved ones. Let’s get started!

Here are the few things you’ll need:

• Gift Wraps – 2 Contrasting Colors (I got an orange tissue paper and a blue heavy-weight gift wrap; found both at Walgreens)
• Clear Tape
• X-Acto Knife & Cutting Mat
• Printouts of Cutout Template

Step 1: Pick one of the colors to be the first layer of the gift wrap and the other color to be the second layer. Make sure to use the heavy-weight one for the second layer. Create the first layer by wrapping your gift with the first color, the orange tissue paper in my case.

Step 2: As the cutouts are placed on the top part of each gift here, we need to identify the part of the second layer gift wrap that will fall on the top area of the gift. So, take a piece of the second color gift wrap in the size needed for the gift and carefully wrap it around the gift without using a tape but making creases along the edges. Then unwrap the second layer.

Step 3: There are two designs in the cutout template I provided, pick the one you want to start with. Lay down the second layer gift wrap flat on the cutting mat. Place the template on the area of the top part of the gift you want the cutout. Then using the X-Acto knife, cut along the dashed lines on the cutout design. (The dotted line in the middle is just to separate the two designs.)

Step 4: Following the creases formed in step 2, re-wrap the gift with the second layer wrap and secure it with tape. Make sure the cutouts fall on the top part of the gift.

Step 5: With the template as a guide, lightly fold or bend along the solid lines of the cutout designs on the gift. Fold or bend in the direction away from the gift so the contrasting color can peak through and cutouts can get a more 3D look. Repeat steps 3 & 5 to add more cutouts to the same gift.

There you have it! You can make these in many different colors and also create your own cutout designs — the options are unlimited! It is quick but the end result is beautiful. You can also make greeting cards in the same way by using a slightly thicker paper for the second layer.

I hope you enjoyed this DIY; I would love to see pictures if you give this a try! Happy Holidays, have a wonderful time with your family, friends and other loved ones! Until next time, get your creative fix & stay HIGH on DIY!