DIY: PIMP UP YOUR HANDBAGS

Good day everyone,

More good news from the house of creativity and DIY projects. Lol, okay from Kays fittings. Since my last DIY project, it seemed like something snapped in me and I've just been itching for another project. Now, in Nigeria, especially in the south, there is so much heat and humidity. One of the problems I have with such a weather is that my leather accessories (shoes and bags) don't last as long as they should. Have ever bought an outfit and it got bad or spoilt within a week of the purchase? Well, that's exactly what happened to me and it was my inspiration for this DIY project. I got a dress, and on the first day I was supposed to wear it, it got a tiny iron burn on it. I was so upset about it that day, but I didn't throw off the dress. Then, another time, I bought a green bag and was so excited about it that I decided to wear green outfits to work for the whole of the next week. You wouldn't believe what happened next. Within the first 3 days of using the bag, it started to peel! Went back to the seller who decides to replace it when her next shipment comes in, I'm still waiting.

Some years ago, a particularly design started trending in Nigeria. People made accessories (like shoes, bags, bangles e.t.c) with ankara material (Nigerian prints). I got the idea for my latest DIY project from this trend. A thought ocurred to me on tuesday night that I could actually give my burnt dress to my tailor to add a cloth or sequence or sash to the burnt area and transform the dress to another style. The moment I concluded on what exactly to add to the dress, it immediately transcribed to the bag. "I could do the same for my peeling bags" I thought. At that moment, I decided to use a cloth to cover up my bag and start using it my again. Problem was I didn't know who to give, so I decided to try it out myself. "Afterall, I fixed a shoe" I said to myself. I'll just get on with how I transformed the bag in the photo above from an ugly duckling to a swan.

WHAT YOU NEED:

• The bag you want to fix. (Not every bag fits in, some may need a professional's touch really or some sewing)
• Lace material (usually 1yard)
• Clear glue (yellow toothpaste-like pack in photo above)
• Some sequence for extra effect
• A pair of Scissors
• Measuring tape

PROCESS:

• Determine and measure the extentvof the damage so you'll know how much lace material to cut out.
• Cut the lace into the shapes and sizes you'd need. You also have to know if you simply want to cover the bag or add a design like I have done above.
• Next, glue the pieces to the bag, one piece at a time. Fold the edges so that it appears sewn rather than glued on.
• For the extra puzaz, add the sequence, equally spaced or in a certain pattern so it doesn't come out tackier than when you started.

** make sure to wipe off any glue that spills out on the edge. This particular glue easily comes out the hands. You can also choose a different color of lace or sequence as long as it turns out beautiful.

So there you have it! Who ever said you couldn't eat your cake and still have it? I  made the mistake of showing the end product to my mum, now I have about 3 bags to fix. Lol. Have a great day.

Cheers....

DIY: GETTING MORE WEAR OUT OF YOUR SHOES

Hello everyone, 

Sorry for being away this long, I don't know why, but I seem to be having some kind of block, (Maybe it's writer's block). Anyway, I did something interesting yesterday, and I decided to share it with you. As the title implies, it is a DIY project. If there is one thing that I love, it is DIY projects, (unfortunately, I don't get to do a lot of them). Infact, the only other "almost" DIY project I have done is documented here. Apart, from DIY projects, another thing I love is style (I'm sure you must have guessed as much by now). However, what you may not know is that, among all the style items, I love shoes the most.

So, I had some shoes that were on the verge of moving  to the other side (trash), but I wasn't ready to let go of all of them just yet. I started thinking of ways to buy a little more wear out of them before I am ready to replace them. Sadly, I didn't have much choice. Suddenly, I noticed that the problem with one of the shoes was not in the leather or the sole, but with the insole (the part where your feet rests). The covering of the insole was peeling off and because it's a sandal, it was obvious. I decided to give a shoemaker to change that part. Then a day before I sent it off for repairs, I saw a slippers looking like it had it's insole covered with cloth. Thus, this superb idea was born!

WHAT YOU NEED

1. Your shoe that needs repurposing
2. Fabric for covering
3. Glue (preferably clear glue)
4. Scissors

HOW TO FIX IT

• Be sure to have all you need ready. You don't want to be running helter skelter half way through.
• Carefully dismantle the shoe into different parts as shown above. Be extra careful with the insole, it could break.
• Apply the glue on the top part of the insole (the part where your feet rests), the place the fabric/material on it.
• Ensure that the material is well placed and that it is smooth on the insole. Do the same for the sides of the insole. 
• Measure what length of material you'll need to fold unto the back of the insole.
• Cut off any excess material, then glue the material to the back.
• Glue on the top (uusually leather) of the sandal as it was when you dismantled it.
• Glue the insole back to the sole and voila! You have a brand new shoe to last a little longer for you
• Make certain that the glue dries properly and each component of the shoe is properly placed, so you done end up with a forward - backward shoe.

That's it for today folks, hope you had fun reading it, do have a great week. 

P.S. ** you can do the same thing for your bags and accessories like bangles, hair bands, e.t.c.

Cheers......

DIY- A NEW TREND

If you love the arts and crafts like I do, then you'll understand why I'm bringing this trend to you. DIY simply means "Do -It -Yourself". This has been in existence since time immemorial, but people are warming up to the idea once more. There are simple ways to make beautiful things just by adding a few knick knacks together. A few weeks ago, I posted some articles on "Recycling your long forgotten household items" and  "Discovering pinterest". Well now I'm taking a step further. The items to be used doesn't always have to be old and long forgotten. By doing it yourself,  they can be brand new items, stuff you use on a regular basis or still something old.

Things you can do yourself can range from gluing a whole lot of buttons to your table lamp or vase, covering your fan blades with fabric or using your old window panes as picture frames. The list of what to do and do by yourself is endless. You have to know one thing though, you have to give a spunk to the object at the end of the day. Enjoy the craft!!!

RECYCLING YOUR LONG FORGOTTEN HOUSEHOLD ITEMS

I know, I know, now "what kind of topic is this?" you might ask and "why would I want to recycle old stuff when i can easily go out and get brand new ones?", some others might ask. But my question is this "why not?". " Have you ever had old worn-out jeans that you loved so much and didn't want to throw away even though it's now torn in a few places and you then decided to cut them to make them shorts so you can wear them around them house to carry out your daily activities since you can't wear them out anymore?" " have you had long hair for a while and now you want to have a new look so you just cut them a little shorter or style them differently?" Well that's exactly the same thing as recycling.

What are the items you have in your attic, basement or warehouse, items you haven't thought about in a pretty long time? Recently, I did a thorough clean up of my dad's warehouse and I found some items I felt might just be useful to me on the long run. I found 3 wooden frames, a beautiful wallpaper, a light lap rug, some materials, shelves, chairs, tables and throw pillows. These items might sound odd to be found in someone's warehouse but not when your father has been in the furniture business since before you were born. I found a few more that I haven't decided what to make of just yet.

Framed Lap rug

Framed Wallpaper

The chairs, tables, shelf, throw pillows, I decided to use in designing my home office. The materials I used to make curtains for the office too. The wallpaper, wooden frames and lap rug were framed and now I have beautiful artworks. Don't they look absolutely beautiful? Would you have guessed it? Are you still thinking it's a waste of time to rummage over your old stuff and see what you can make out of them? I don't think so. So dears, don't be afraid of a little dirt, go see what you have hiding in your storage places. This exercise will even help you see things that are no longer useful to you and you can just purge them out and create more space. Happy digging!!!