Category: DIY & Crafts

Last Minute Halloween Costume Ideas

Last Minute Costume Ideas - Vivian and Violet

Happy Fashion Friday! Today I’m bringing you some last minute Halloween costume ideas. This is for those of you who say every year your going to have an epic costume, search Pinterest and then out of no where it’s a day before Halloween! We have all been there, life happens. Moving across country, I have none of my crafty things on hand at the moment and luckily I remembered to bring my furry ears along for the journey. Here are two different ideas you can pull together with just some furry ears from your local target or corner store. All the clothes you already have in your closet and what girl doesn’t have black eyeliner in her makeup bag.

‘Cool Cat’

Cool Cat - Vivian and Violet

 Cool Cat - Vivian and Violet

Aeropostale Striped tee similar // Madewell Jean Vest similar // American Eagle Cropped Jeans similar // Madewell Moto boot similar // Bandanna // Forever 21 Silver Boyfriend Watch similar 

The ‘Cool Cat’, this one is super easy! Jean vest, ripped denim, moto boots and a neck scarf are most closet staples these days. If your missing one I’m sure a girlfriend of yours has at least one or all of these. The ultimate cool girl must haves. You could also trade out the jean vest for a leather jacket. You will be the coolest cat on the block!

Here are several links to Cat Ears to help you out!

Lace Cat Ears, Sequin Leopard Ears, Studded Cat Ears, Plain Cat Ears, Target sells plain cat furry ones in store only, local Halloween stores around also always have cat ears to pick from

‘Glam Cat/Party Animal’

Glam Cat/Party Animal - Vivian and Violet

 Glam Cat/Party Animal - Vivian and Violet

Madewell Red Silk Dress (N/A) similar // BCBG Suede Heels similar // Dillard’s necklace similar 

The ‘Glam Cat/Party Animal’, another fun and easy way to look smashing! Grab your favorite party dress, heels and some sparkly jewelry. It’s a great excuse to look classy and have some fun. If you have a group of girlfriends who are last minute with their costumes too, why not make it a group of party animals! With cocktails in hand, you girls will be the classiest party animals of the night!

Glam Cat/Party Animal - Vivian and Violet

Here is my makeup up close. I was going for a minimal look. I used a picture I found online for inspiration here is the link for that!

Easy Cat Makeup

Also a few others for some ideas depending on how minimal or intricate you want to get with your cat look!

Brit + Co Cat looks 

Halloween Cat Makeup Tutorial 

Easy Cat Makeup Tutorial

Happy Halloween! I hope this helps you out if your trying to find a last minute costume that looks like you planned it all along! Any questions or comments below! I would love to hear from you!

DIY Spray Paint Boots

DIY Spray Paint boots

Do you have a pair of old boots you never wear, but would if you updated their look? This is the perfect DIY for you. It’s as simple as using spray paint and tape.

Items you need for DIY spray paint boots:

DIY Spray Paint Boots

1) duct tape
2) painters tape
3) fabric marker (Stained by Sharpie in black)
4) spray paint (Rust-Oleum in flat black, this kind bonds to plastic)
5) newspaper or cover

Step by Step How To:

  1. Pick an area with good ventilation, cover ground (or where ever you are working) with newspaper or an old sheet
  2. Assemble your supplies along with a damp and dry rag
  3. Clean boots with rags to make sure there is no dirt or dust in the way of the paint bonding to them
  4. Tape off areas of the boots you do not want to paint (I used painters tape to cover the buckle and zipper slider. For the soles of the boots and the actual zipper, I used the duct tape because it stayed in place better.)
  5. Spray paint the boots (Follow the directions on the back. Spray evenly to ensure no drip marks.)
  6. After boots are dried remove tape and color in the zipper fabric with paint pen

I used a spray paint that bonds to plastic because my boots are made of synthetic materials. If you don’t have any type of detailing on your boots, you won’t need a fabric marker. DIY Spray Paint Boots

Now you are ready to rock your new boots! If you have any questions, comment below!

DIY Glitter Clothespins

DIY Glitter Clothespins

Have a Wedding or dinner party coming up?? Here is an easy tutorial on how to add some sparkle to your place settings and other items you may need to use place cards for.

DIY Glitter Clothespins

Items you will need:

1) paint brush
2) clothes pins (light or dark wood, which ever you prefer) – purchased from Hobby Lobby: 15 pieces
3) Glitter- Martha Stewart colors (L to R): crystal, smokey quartz, turquiose, lapis lazuli, sterling
4)Mod Podge (I used a matte finish, you could always use glossy)

DIY Glitter Clothespins

Put a paper or news paper to cover your table. I added a smaller folded piece of paper on top of my cover to catch the glitter when sprinkling it on the clothes pin. This made it easier for me to transfer the unused glitter back into the containers when I was done. Make sure you use a different paper for each color so you don’t mix the glitter colors when putting them back.

DIY Glitter Clothespins

Coat the clothespin with Mod Podge. I only wanted glitter on the large flat sides of the pin, so I made sure to not have any glue dripping down the sides.

DIY Glitter Clothespins

Sprinkle the glitter. The more glitter the better to cover the area.

DIY Glitter Clothespins

Once the first side is coated with glitter, wait for it to dry. I waited 3 hours to make sure it was completely dry.

DIY Glitter Clothespins

Once the glue is dry, pick up the clothes pin and gently tap it on the paper to remove the excess glitter. Turn the pin over and repeat the same steps to coat the other side of the clothespin.

DIY Glitter Clothespins

Both sides of the clothespin should now be covered with dry beautiful glitter. Now coat one side the clothespin with Mod Podge. This will give you a smooth even finish when dry.

DIY Glitter Clothespins

Here is the clothespin covered with the top coat Mod Podge. Let dry completely 2-3 hours. Turn the clothespin over and repeat.

Coating the glittered clothespins with a top coat of Mod Podge with keep the glitter in-tacked. When you go to pin them you won’t have glitter falling everywhere.

However, I did not coat the white crystal clothespins with the top coat of Mod Podge. I did one clothespin and it made the glitter almost disappear. If you are using really light colors opt to not put the top coat on those pins. I have used many colors and that was the first color I had any issues with the glitter not looking as sparkly.

DIY Glitter Clothespins

The finished clothespins!

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You can use them for place settings. Here I am showing you two ways. You can clip it to the wine glass or set it on the plate. It adds a fun sparkle to you dining table.

DIY Glitter clothespins

Photograph: Ryan Yamada

DIY Glitter Clothespins

Photograph: Ryan Yamada

The other two pictures are from my wedding. I had a dessert buffet where a lot of the guests were asked to make their favorite dessert. I had place cards made with the dessert name and person who made it. (Here I took off the names for privacy) It was a great way to get the guests involved. Everyone really loved all the different kinds of desserts they could pick from and also see who made them. The glitter clothespins added a fun touch to the dessert tables. I used regular and mini size clothespins to hold all the place cards.

The sky is the limit on these fun sparklers. You could glue a magnet to the back and use them on the fridge. They also work great when making signs for parties or special events.

What would you use a glitter clothespin for? If you have any questions please leave a comment below!

DIY Creaseless Hair Ties

DIY Creaseless Hair Ties

I love creaseless hair ties and I haven’t found anyone who doesn’t love them. I think they are the cat’s meow! They are fantastic to use in your hair, but they also look super cute on your wrist when your not using them. Do you ever go into an expensive store, see them and think “Hey I could totally make these myself”? Here is a DIY to show you how to make your own fabulous hair ties in any awesome pattern you can find.

DIY Creaseless Hair Ties

Supplies you will need:

1) Lighter
2) Scissors
3) Measuring Tape
4) Elastic 3/5 inch, you can also use 3/8 inch (70% nylon, 30% spandex: I bought my from Hobby Lobby, they have all kinds of different designs, check you local craft stores or online for more patterns/colors)

DIY Creaseless Hair Ties

Measure your elastic

DIY Creaseless Hair Ties

Cut elastic at 9.5 inches. Experiment with making it larger or smaller so that it fits your wrist or hair just the way you like it.

DIY Creasless Hair Ties

After cutting elastic, fold in half and line the edges up together.

DIY Creaseless Hair Ties

Tie elastic in a knot.

DIY Creaseless Hair Ties

Tighten the knot, make sure it is towards the end of the band to create a small tail.

DIY Creaseless Hair Ties

Hold the elastic band in your hand and light the lighter. Hold the flame near the ends of the elastic to create a seal. You will see it seal once the flame is close. Don’t get to close, it could catch on fire.

DIY Crealess Hair Ties

Now you finished and ready to start rocking your awesome hair ties!

What is your favorite design? Leave me a comment!

DIY Statement Rings

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My first post comes from inspiration from a very dear gift given to me. My great grandmother’s jewelry was officially given to me by my mother, back when I was in high school. She would find me going through the jewelry all the time when I was a little one. My mom knew my love for vintage things starting at a young age. I got the idea to repurpose the jewelry reading a fashion magazine (I don’t remember which one), way back when. The magazine talked about how designers would go to flea markets hunting and repurpose their findings into beautiful jewelry. I wanted to find different ways I could wear the clip on earrings and broaches with my everyday outfits. Here is my favorite way I have utilized the beautiful costume jewelry!

Items you will need for DIY Statement Rings:

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1) Jewelry glue (found at craft store: mine is from Hobby Lobby)
2) Sandpaper
3) Clip on earring or broach
4) Ring blank (found mine on Etsy, you can also find them at craft stores)
5) Diagonal cutting pliers
6) Sharp knife (incase you need to cut a portion of the backing off)

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start with the earring and cutting pliers

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bend backing off the base of the earring, this gives you better visibility of where to cut the backing off, cut as close as possible

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sand the left over area where you cut so it is no longer sharp, this helps to not scratch or cut yourself when wearing the ring

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before you glue the earring to the ring blank, put the ring blank on your finger

place the earring on top and see how you want to position it when gluing

take ring blank off your finger, add a small amount of glue to the ring blank (be careful to not get glue on your skin)
attach earring how you want it positioned and hold it for around 15 seconds so the glue can set

once the glue is set, place your new ring down to dry for at least an hour before wearing, you can place the ring on its side or with the earring facing down on the table while letting it dry completely

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now you have a beautiful new statement ring you can wear

If you don’t have a box of vintage jewelry laying around no worries. Thrift stores are a great place you can find a ton of awesome costume jewelry. Earrings and broaches are great items that are easy to repurpose into beautiful rings. Bonus when you buy earrings you can keep one for yourself and give the other ring to a friend!

backside of rings

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