How to Make Your Hair Punk?

Manic Panic has a hair color chart. You can buy these products for trying out hair color ideas. Manic Panic products work best when it comes to trying out any punk hair coloring ideas.

Pre-Bleach the Hair
Before you try out any hair color ideas, make sure you pre-bleach your hair. If you don't pre-bleach your hair then the hair color product you use will not give its total effect, and you will end up with a dark hair color shade, when you desired for a bright hot punk color. So, remember to pre-bleach your hair before you dye your hair. But, maintain proper caution while bleaching hair to minimize hair damage from coloring.

Punk Hair Color Ideas on Black
Black hair color base looks totally awesome. There are many ways to try out cool punk hairstyles with black hair color base. Dye your hair total black if you don't have natural dark black hair. On this you can get some hot hair color streaks. Don't go overboard with too many color. Just single hair color streaks look great. Get one or few hair color highlights of a nice bright color.

On black purple hair highlights look great, and give a nice mysterious look. If you want a hot look, then go with flamingo pink hair color shade to get highlights. Another way to color black hair punk, is to get the tips of the hair dyed into a hot color like red, electric blue or light blonde.

Punk Hair Color Ideas on Blonde
Blonde is another great hair color base for punk hair coloring. On blonde you have more options to color your hair than black, as it is a light hair color on which you can try both hair highlights and hair lowlights. Get your hair dyed into a neutral blonde hair color shades if you are not a natural blonde. Then get some lowlights if you want to add more texture to your hair, remember that lowlights need to be done only by a professional and has to be a shade which is two or three times darker than your blonde hair color base.

Now comes, the choice for highlights. You can practically try out every single punk hair color shade with blonde, as everything goes great with blonde hair base. To go with pink hair color ideas try out hot pink highlights, or mix hot pink highlights and orange color highlights. If you want a totally unique look then try out some electric blue highlights on blonde. You can get the highlights done throughout the hair, or just in bangs, or just two chunky highlights on the sides of the hair.

Total Dye Punk Hair Color Styles
These were the various colored punk hairstyles for guys and girls. However, feel free to experiment with some crazy hair color ideas. You can totally dye your hair with hot pink or electric blue or even acid green. Or get even a checkered pattern as shown in the picture, or even get spiky hair and color every spike with a new color.

So, give your hair a total punk look, by using the above punk hair color ideas. But, remember to pre-bleach the hair before you try out any hair color ideas.
By Pragya T
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/punk-hair-color.html

How to Make Flower Hair Clips

Hair accessories can make even the simplest of hairstyles look very attractive and fetching. But unfortunately the ones that we get in stores are very generic and you can find every second women sporting them. And the designer hair accessories for women are so exorbitantly priced that not everyone can purchase them. So the next best thing to do is to make your very own hair clips and barrettes. Floral hair accessories are all the rage this season and they look very attractive when pinned on hair. There are many materials that you can use for making floral hair accessories like hair bands and hair clips. One of the simplest hair accessories that you can make at home is flower hair clips. You can use materials like lace, fabric, satin and grosgrain ribbons for making exquisite hair clips. Here we are going to discuss all about making flower hair clips using different materials.







How to Make Flower Hair Clips Out of Fabric

Sometimes using the simplest material for making a DIY project can give you the best result. Given below is a step by step instruction on how to make flower hair clips for girls using fabric.

Things required

• 1 yard silk fabric (in a color of your choice)
• Strong glue
• Small faux pearls
• 1 snap clip
• Card paper
• Needle
• Embroidery thread
• ½ inch piece of felt
• Pair of sharp scissors

Procedure

To make the flower hair clip, first mark a 2 inch diameter, 1 ½ inch diameter and 1 inch diameter circle on the card paper. Now cut around these circles and keep them aside. Now place these circular templates on the silk fabric and mark them with a pencil. Cut out the fabric and keep aside. Now take the largest of the circular piece of fabric that you have just cut and divide the circle into six equal parts. Mark this with a pencil. Next with a sharp pair of scissors, cut into the markings making sure that you cut only two thirds from the edge of the circle.

Light a small candle and carefully hold the edge of the circular piece of fabric to the flame of the candle. Since the fabric is made of silk, the edges of the circle will wrinkle up and this will form the petals of the flowers. If the wrinkling is not uniform do not worry as this gives the flower a more natural look. Now repeat the entire process with the 1 ½ inch and 1 inch diameter circular silk fabric. Next assemble all the circular fabrics one over the other, starting from the largest to the smallest. Make sure that the petals are aligned in such a way that it looks natural and attractive. Sew each layer of the fabric together with the help of a thread and glue some pearl at the center of the silk flower. Attach a small piece of felt to the back of the flower and then attach the felt to the front surface of the snap clip. Allow the glue to dry. Your beautiful floral hair clip is ready to be worn.

How to Make Flower Hair Clips with Ribbons

If you are short on patience and want a quick DIY hair accessory, then this flower hair clip made with ribbons fits the bill. Given below are the instructions for making it.

Things required

• 1 yard satin ribbon ( in a color of your choice)
• Strong fabric glue
• 1 bobby pin
• Needle
• Thread

Procedure

For making this flower hair clip, first you need to iron the satin ribbon so that it is crease-free. Next fold the ribbon in half and crease it. Place the ribbon in front of you on the work table and fold the right side of the ribbon towards you in a triangular shape. Now place the left side of the ribbon to the right side over the triangular shape. Place the ribbon which is towards you upwards and the ribbon on the right side towards the left. Continue braiding the ribbon in this way until you come to the end of the ribbon. Now gently pull one of the edges of the ribbon towards you. This will create a beautiful rose. Sew the bottom of the rose and cut off the excess ribbon. Glue the satin rose on the bobby pin and allow it to dry completely. Your satin flower hair clip is ready. You can make more roses with satin ribbons and glue it on to the bobby pin.

These handmade floral hair clips will be one of a kind. You can also experiment with different materials for making flower hair clips and come up with unique looks. Making your own hair accessories is a very satisfying hobby and you can even gift them to your family and friends.
By Rimlee Bhuyan
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/how-to-make-flower-hair-clips.html

boutique style bib tutorial

*** UPDATE***  I had 2 people say that they couldn't open the pattern and I am so sorry!!!  I have changed hosting sites so it should be all fixed but if anyone has a problem PLEASE email me and I will email you the pattern directly!!!  amyedunn@gmail.com

I have been making these chenille backed bibs as gifts for friends and more recently as part of the baby gift sets that I sell in my shop.  They make a really great gift for a new baby, I mean you can never have too many bibs, right?!  They are comfy and cute and easy to make.

Supplies:

• square of fabric 7 1/2" x 10 1/2" for top of bib
• square of fabric 8 1/2" x 11 1/2" for bottom of bib
• square of chenille 16" x 11 1/2" for bib backing
• lightweight fusible interfacing
• thread
• ribbon, ric rac, or trim of your choice (optional)
• rotary cutter/mat/ruler
• 2" piece of 1/2" velcro
• pattern for the bib top           
• pattern for the bib bottom

Tape your two pattern pieces together making sure that the line that joins the two pieces is visible.  Please excuse my crappy hand drawn pattern, this is the first time I have done something like this on the computer!  :)

The first thing we are going to do is join the two squares of fabric.  Place your smaller square with one long side centered on a long side of your larger square with right sides together.  

Sew this seam with a 1/4" seam allowance.  Press the seam allowances open.  You will end up with this.

Take your fusible interfacing and trim it to fit just inside this wonky rectangle you just made.  Fuse according to the directions.  I find that I get a lot less puckering if I DO NOT use steam.  

Flip your rectangle over and line up the seam on your fabric with the line on your pattern piece.  This is so that the seam doesn't end up all wonky on your finished bib.  

Carefully cut around your pattern piece.  You are going to cut the same piece out of your chenille.  You will end up with two identically shaped pieces.  I flip my chenille over so that the soft, fluffy side is down.  I think it is easier to get an accurate cut this way.  It also assures that your two bib pieces will match up perfectly.

Now you are going to add your ribbon or other trim.  Center the ribbon along your seam, use lots of pins to insure that it doesn't slip when you are sewing it down.  Sew along both sides of the ribbon (or down the center if you are using ric rac).  If you choose not to put something over the seam, I would recommend topstitching on either side of the seam to help stabilize it and to make it a little more attractive.

At this point,  we are going to add the velco and a label, if you have one.  Pin 1 side of the velcro to the right hand tab of the fabric bib piece and the other side of the velcro to the right hand tab of the chenille bib piece.  I position the velcro in the center of the tab about 1"from the curved edge.  

Now put the two bib pieces right sides together being careful to match up both tabs and, of course the rest of the bib.  Use lots of pins to keep the layers together and help to keep them from shifting.  The chenille can creep a little so I tend to pin closer than I would normally.  Make sure that you clearly mark a space at the bottom of the bib to leave open so that you can turn it right side out after it is sewn together.  The second picture shows my pen marks.  I leave an opening that is about 2 1/2" to 3".  

Starting at one of your markings, sew around the perimeter of your bib with a 1/4" seam allowance.  Remember to backstitch at the beginning and end.  Go slowly, especially around the tabs and the neck opening.  

Carefully turn your bib right side out and use a chop stick or turning tool to gently poke out those tabs.  Iron everything nice and flat with a steam iron.  Neatly turn under the edges of the gap that you left open for turning and iron them so that you can get it ready to close when you topstitch in the next step.  ***Remember to be careful ironing around velcro as it can melt!***

Pin your opening closed.

Topstitch all the way around your bib with an 1/8"-1/4" seam allowance.  Make sure you have thread in your bobbin that matches your chenille.  I always find it helpful to lengthen my stitch slightly when topstitching multiple layers or thick fabrics, like chenille.  It puts less stress on your machine and leads to a more even stitch length for the topstitch which is always more attractive!

Voila!  Now go find a cute, chubby little neck to put your bib on!!! :)

Other suggestions for materials and embellishments:

for the backing - 

• terry cloth
• minky
• vintage chenille blankets

for embellishments -

• appliques
• ribbon
• pom pom tim
• lace

If you make any bibs using this tutorial, I would LOVE to see them!!!  Enjoy!  :)

***please note that this tutorial is for personal use only, thank you!***

fabric covered tack board tutorial

During our renovation of my sewing room my husband, Doug, had the idea of creating a floor to ceiling tack/inspiration board.  We hung the board with velcro instead of nails so that I could change the fabric covering if I ever wanted to and so that you wouldn't see any type of fasteners.  I loved the idea of having a place to organize ideas and works in progress that was also attractive and decorative all at the same time.  Mine may be a little bit over the top in size but the process is the same no matter what size you make it!  We thought someone else may like a board like mine too, so here is a little tutorial on how we made it.
Doug made a frame for the board out of crown and other decorative molding but you could also use a picture frame with the glass removed or paint a faux frame around the board after you hang it, the possibilities are endless just use your imagination!

materials:

• homasote cut to the desired size (can be purchased at Lowe's or Home Depot and they will cut it to size for you).  Make sure you have it cut slightly smaller, about a 1/4", than the inside of your frame so that you have room to place it in the frame after you apply the fabric.
• staple gun and 1/4"staples (larger staples will go through the board)
• hammer or rubber mallet
• muslin or light colored fabric large enough to overlap the edges all the way around your board by 1-2"  ( My board measured 80 1/2" x 37 3/4" so I cut my fabric to 84 1/2" x WOF)   *** if you are covering your board with dark fabric you can skip this step, I did this because the homasote is somewhat dark and you could see that through the Nicey Jane print that I used.  You could also paint the homasote white if you wanted.  
• printed fabric cut to the same size as you cut your muslin above
• industrial strength adhesive velcro (available at Home Depot or Lowe's)
• frame of your choice

Step 1

After you have cut the homasote to your desired size, the first thing you want to do is apply the velcro to the back of the homasote (it doesn't matter what side, just pick a side to be the back).  The instructions on our velcro said to allow the adhesive to cure for 24 hours to insure maximum hold so be sure to read the directions fully!  You may also want to put some staples through the velcro to further secure it.  Place a generous amount of velcro strips along the width of your board, make sure you start and stop the strip about 1" away from the edges so that the fabric won't cover the ends of the velcro strips.  Then hammer the staples in, just for fun!

Step 2

Next you are going to cover your board with muslin or some other light colored fabric.  As I mentioned above, this step is totally optional.  I did this because the dark shade of the homasote could be seen through my desired fabric.  I used white kona to cover my board.

Place the homasote on a flat surface face down and staple one long edge of your muslin to the wrong side of the homosote, place staples every inch or so along the edge.  Only allow about 1-2" of fabric to be on the back side of the board to assure that you will have enough to cover the good side and fold back around to the back on the other side.  Be sure to keep the fabric off of the velcro to assure that the velcro can stick to it's other side on the the wall.  

Continue to staple all along one long side until the fabric is secured along the entire length of that side.

Step 3

Flip the board over so that it is right side up.  Stretch the fabric over the good side of the board.  Starting in the middle and working your way out to the corner, pull the fabric taught (but not so tight that it will put stress on the fabric or the board) and wrap it around to the back side of the board.  Be sure the homasote is free of any dirt and that there is nothing on the board or fabric that will cause lumps in the fabric when it is stretched across.  Make sure you smooth out any puckers or wrinkles before stapling.   Secure with staples just like you did on the other side.  Make sure you leave the edges of the velcro exposed.  Secure all along the length of the board so that now you have completely secured your fabric along the long sides of the board.  

Step 4

Now you are going to do the same thing to the other two sides stopping about 1" away from the corner.  When you get to the corner, fold the fabric neatly into a mitered corner keeping it as smooth as possible on the back.  If there is too much bulk the velcro will not grab onto it's other half and the board will not stay securely on the wall.  It doesn't have to be perfect!  You will not see the miter, especially if you are placing it in some type of frame.  Just make sure there is no puckering on the front before you secure it with the staples on the back.  Do the same for the other 3 corners.  Trim all of the excess fabric away from the edges and corners.

Step 5

Now you get to do the same thing again with your "good" fabric.  Make sure that you iron all of the creases out and that you keep an eye out to make sure it is not getting lopsided as you pull everything taut.  The only thing we did differently this time is that we did the whole process right side up so that we could keep an eye out for the fabric alignment.  We placed the board on top of a table with the edge hanging over.  

Step 6

Once again, you want to trim as much excess fabric away as possible so that the board can be as close to the wall as possible, allowing the velcro to stick.

Step 7

Now that you have your board covered, it is time to hang it!  We placed the two sides of the velcro together so that they were stuck together as they would be on the wall.  Take the covering off of the back of the velcro exposing the sticky back.  Stick it up on the wall where you determined it should go.  If your board is large, remove it carefully making sure that the one side of the velcro remains on the wall.  This will allow the glue to cure and assure that the hold will be strong enough to bear the weight of the board.  We left ours off for 24 hours, like the instructions suggested.  Then you can carefully place the board back up on the wall where it belongs.  If it is large, start at the bottom and line it up slowly as you edge it into your frame.

Step back and admire your beautiful new inspiration board!

Please let me know if you have any questions or if something isn't clear!  I will be happy to help if I can! :)  If anyone makes a board using this tutorial, I would love to see it!  Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you also enjoyed this sneak peak at a little corner of my new sewing room!  The full reveal will come as soon as all is finished!  :)