DIY: Bow Down To My Bandeau

This is my very own bow bandeau, crafted by the very hands typing this blog post! Just take a moment to examine the design of this piece of cloth. The amount of labor put into this tiny top was overwhelming. Perhaps six hours were spent on my friend's kitchen table. The results, however, are pleasing to my eyes. This item came solely from one, vintage, ankle length dress my grandmother would have worn in the 50's. With a little imagination, motivation, and frequent snack breaks, we were able to create a hip bathing suit top. (Well, I will be using it for swimming but the top can suit many occasions.) As astonished as I am when looking at the bandeau, nothing compares to the shock of knowing these sell for 130$ on Etsy.com. Of course the products displayed on Etsy are completely gorgeous with the most stunning of fabrics and matching bottoms. But, are they really worth all that much? I guess they put a price on their pain and suffering and added that in as well. In comparison with my top to theirs, there is barely a difference. I did not add a strap to mine nor created bottoms but with the extra fabric I have left that is an option. In my opinion I think my DIY project is a good replica and completely personalized to my taste. Since I realized that their is barely anyone who sells these tops for a decent price, I am considering starting my own shop? That is if anyone is interested. They would be customized to your taste, and half the price. (Maybe more) If anyone is interested let me know!

DIY Hair: Ombre Is Not a Mexican Dish

After: New Ombre Hair

I'm one of those people who are constantly on a crave to reinvent their hair, which normally makes my naturally curly locks very angry with me. However, ignoring that crucial fact I decided to try to get the "Ombre" look. For those of you who've had a blind eye towards hair trends, the Ombre look was popular in 2010. When I first heard of "Ombre" I assumed it was some sort of spicy, Mexican dish. I came to realize that it's a gradient effect from which your hair gets lighter and lighter making it appear like your roots have grown out. It's more classy looking then how it sounds- if done right! 

                      What I Adore  

Day before

My natural hair is a very boring, standard, black color with nothing creative about it. One of the main reasons why I adore Ombre hair is it provides anyone's hairstyle with dimension. It makes your locks more interesting to the eyes as you focus on the gradient effect of colors swirling throughout. It satisfied my crave for a new look and can transfer to the spring/summer season. Picture nice beach waves with an Ombre effect? Beautiful!  

Couple weeks after

The Damage

Bleach is a feisty product that should only be handled by skilled professionals. If you have not messed around with bleach before be aware! Harsh chemicals are known for taking your hair for hostage, and returning it with dry, course ends. No mercy!
I came to terms with this and continued with caution.
The aftermath lead to me getting a slight haircut, but it
 was long overdue anyways. Tip: To recover your hair
 get a deep conditioner! It does wonders and is cheap. 

Overall

This is a very simple, cheap look that can make or break your hair. My friend and I experimented with it on my own hair making it so cheap. Salons normally run their rates from 60-120$ depending on where you go due to how long  of a process it is. However, it's very low maintenance, only needing a touch-up every couple of months. I'm looking to re-do mine and maybe go a little higher and blonder with it. Perhaps I will even add a touch of pastel blue to the tips? Hmm... 

Photo credit to: thefashioncitizen

DIY Project: Give Me Galaxy

The "Galaxy" theme has been appearing in many different pieces of clothing this year. Everything from leggings, t-shirts, shoes, and even bows have been embellished with this intricate design and with a costly fee. The price range for a pair of Black Milk leggings are around 70$ dollars excluding the shipping costs! With the lack of stores carrying this design, and the extraordinarily high price tag,  even t-shirts are hard to come across. Desperate for a galaxy printed top I searched the Internet, testing out ways to re-create such a complex design. To my surprise, I came to find out that you do not need very much skill, just a lot of paint!


What You Need
1) Anything you'd like to decorate.
I used an old purple shirt.

2) Paints in varying colors but you
need white for stars. (I'd stick
with Fabric paints.)

3) Makeup sponges, brushes, and a
fine tipped pencil to make dots.

Creating The Design

At first glance, the design may seem very tricky. But, do not be discouraged! The trick to creating this piece is overlapping colors and blending them really well. You want to sponge on varying shades of paint, I used colors of blue, pink, white, and purple. Before starting on the shirt practice your technique! Do not use large amounts of paint on your sponge, stick to the size of a small dot every time you go back for more. Make sure that you keep a very balanced portion of colors. Be aware that the look will not resemble a galaxy until the stars have been added. For a more realistic galaxy add galaxy swirls, and shooting stars. Do not be concerned if you mess up! The glory of this project is you can overlap colors, blend , and mask your mistakes until you are truly satisfied with the ending product.

I am very pleased on how my shirt came out and encourage any one who wants a galaxy print to try a DIY project before reaching for your wallet.
I spent 0$ on this project since everything I needed was laying around my household.
I'm pretty pleased! What are your thoughts?