The Elephant in the Room

Jennifer Meyer Elephant Necklace (Rose Gold) 
Image: Ylang23.com

I kept running across pictures of this amazing Jennifer Meyer elephant necklace over the summer. It is a custom order, and available for $2050.00. If you have been following this blog, you know I will not be purchasing it any time soon. (At least not until I see an elephant fly...)

I may not be able to get this just yet, but I found something to make me happy in the meantime. Not only was I able to (yes, you guessed it) DIY this, but I was able to do so very quickly, and so can you. 

It took me less than 5 minutes. As soon as I saw the elephant beads by Bead Landing at Michaels, I was reminded of Meyer's original. The only other things I needed were Bead Landing's gold toned leather cording and Lilly Ollo's sliding knot tutorial, featured here.

                                            It is by no means any kind of copy, but I like it. 

Play Yen Around

Available at my Etsy Shop

I acquired some play Yen coins in Japan. I thought they would make great charms, and I am thrilled with the results. 

Available at my Etsy Shop

                                         

More on DIY Skin Care

After just a few days of using my DIY makeup remover, my skin is looking so good that my Mom has been commenting on the subject. Since I am so happy with my first foray into DIY skin care products, I am wondering what else I can successfully make. I doubt I can stop completely relying on commercial products. However, after just one usable item, I am more confident that the self-made route can be effective. With that in mind, I wanted to share some tutorials which caught my eye recently.

1. It turns out that one of my favorite brands of clothes (Free People) has a lot of tutorials. I am intrigued by their Sea Salt Spray for Hair DIY.

2. Have you ever seen 'The Doctors?' A few days ago, I caught an episode for the first time. The spokesdoctors listed a plethora of low-priced, DIY beauty products.

They included things such as eyeshadow made out of green tea and eyebrow powder from cocoa powder. They sound great, but I would be concerned about having an aroma best suited for drinks.

Their Pink Bismuth Anti-Acne Mask seems worth trying as well. Besides any skin benefits, their page says that it is a bargain at "$3.99." This is where being a bargain shopper pays off. Generic Pepto Bismol is available at Dollar Tree. If you are interested in trying one out, you can get 4 bottles of mask supplies for the price of their one.

I look forward to trying a few of these. Maybe some of you will beat me to them. If so, please feel free to send over a review and/or any pictures of your results.

(Casey) Newman's Own–DIY Makeup Remover

(Casey) Newman's Own
Makeup Remover
This is where I realize this is
only funny if you already
knew my name... 

This DIY is not about salad dressing, but it does involve oil.

I do not wear a lot of cosmetics, but when I do, I am diligent about their removal. Makeup remover is pricey. Even when buying one of the less expensive brands (like something from Target), they cost around $5.99-7.99 on average.

Readers, I am sure you hear me. It may not be a bottle of Christian Dior at $29/4 ounces (Yeesh!). Even so, I would rather have every odd month's $6-8 earmarked for something else.

This is why I love the wonderful world of DIY. Finally fed up recently, I hit the internet for some research and found a great tutorial. There are several, but thanks to this informative one by Michelle Phan, I am free from buying makeup remover ever again.

Her tutorial called for "extra virgin olive oil, water, and a some kind of container." (Mine was a pump bottle already on hand from MUJI New York). Since the only ingredient I paid for was the olive oil, $4.99 (less than I used to spend on each supply) will last me at least a year–probably more.

I am also delighted by the lack of any ingredients with names like "Dipropylhacoa;lkwjealokeajkfhna;kfahnaknvk3209uatn;lialkwhje." Usuallly, such products have at least 5 similarly named items. Moreover, it works quickly, easily and is quite moisturizing. Next, I will have to scout out a DIY toner. Any suggestions?

DIY Diversion

I began DIYing to either make gifts for other people, or things I needed to organize my room. Those types of things are still the bulk of my crafting. I also make things for my Etsy shop.

I rarely make something for myself like this cute bracelet. However, when I saw these ceramic owls by Blue Moon Beads on sale at Joanne Fabric's recently, I could not resist.

The best part is that this custom-fit bracelet (which would easily have cost 2x more in a store) was so simple to make. Just thread 1.8mm Stretch Magic through the beads. It was done in minutes. Knot three times, and glue the knot if desired.









This was my first time using 1.8mm, and it worked out quite well.

Dewey's Homemade Organ

Watching a few 'Malcolm in the Middle' reruns, recently, I was reminded of one of my favorite episodes. Dewey (the youngest child for much of the show's run), builds his own organ. He pieces one together out of odds and ends from around the house.

The thought of being able to learn the organ by one's self is staggering enough, let alone building it that way. It would be the ultimate DIY project.

No, sadly, I am not about to reveal my freshly homemade organ to you. For now, it is a bit above my pay grade. I love the idea, though.

A search revealed a plethora of homemade organs. (Unfortunately, no tutorials on how to make Dewey's).

I am not leaving you empty-handed, though. Here are two DIY organs which are just amazing:


Pipe organ chair from the crew at 2pointhome.com.

PVC pipe organ by TheCshamblen. Using flip-flops as mallets is a truly inventive revamp. Not to mention the execution of a Sound of Music/The Office/Rugrats medley on PVC pipes. Bravo.

C is for Counter, That's Good Enough for Me

How many of you have a multiple towel system in your kitchen? Maybe you have one to wipe spills on the counter, but another to dry dishes? Perhaps some have a separate one just for the hands? I have known people with many different styles.

Whatever your system, no matter. This is not about how one keeps his or her kitchen. However, if you have more than one towel, let me suggest a tip for keeping them organized. 

Try initial monogrammed towels to keep your kitchen towels apart, easily. For example, get a D for your dishes, or an H for your hand towels. (And now, the title makes sense). If one is a strict adherent to his or her system, there is an added benefit. The alphabetic drying apparatuses make it easy for guests to remember which cloth to use, and when.

19 Twenty Apartments has a brilliant tutorial on simple, chic, monogrammed towels. I would buy these somewhere. I am glad I found the site instead. If you are looking to buy, not DIY (and who doesn't sometimes?) please support a fellow DIYer if you can. Check out these great towels on Etsy, where you can get custom goods and support a fellow artist.