Repurposed Jeans

I have a box full of jeans that are worn and frayed at the bottom. I was going to throw them away when I found a semi-tutorial on Pinterest for turning jeans into a skirt. I decided to try it with one of my pairs... I love a good jean skirt! Especially if I can say I made it myself! =)

So, this is what I did.... I cut the legs off the jeans at the knee, leaving enough length for a 1 inch hem.

Then, I cut the seam in the front and back. It actually is easier to sew if you go ahead and cut the seam off.

I used the scraps I cut off to make panels for the front and back of the skirt.

Just trim the panel, leaving some overhang for sewing the skirt together. Pin the front panel in place.

Sew the front panel on and trim the excess off from the inside, taking care not to cut the threads.

You can do the same for the back, but I decided to add some pizazz and put on a few ruffles. Before attaching the panel to the skirt, you need to pin the ruffles in place and stitch them on. I just used a straight stitch right down the middle of each ruffle. Then pin the panel in place and stitch it on.  



Now the last step is to hem the bottom all the way around. I didn't stop there. I decided to create a little interest and do a few detail stitches along the front panel. I think that made it look more handmade and not like any other skirt you can buy. =)

All done!!!! I wore it to prayer meeting at church Sunday night with a yellow top and pinned on a rossette I made with the same fabric I used for the ruffles.

B is for Boy! An amazing baby shower on a budget!

If anyone can throw a shower on a budget, I can! I found this out a few weeks ago, when I threw a baby shower for my friend. It helps to either be crafty, or have a close crafty friend!! =)

I made most of the decorations by hand, and most of the supplies came from the Dollar Tree! I will post more pics soon, but I was so I excited to share this with you, I just had to give you a sneak peak and give you some of my money saving secrets! The cake design looks like an expensive fondant iced cake, but no! It is delicious buttercream and only the kite and wagon are fondant! This saves $!! (My Mom baked the cake and I decorated it, so if you can do this, it will save you lots more!)

I am big on saving aluminum cans, jars, etc. for use with decorations. The centerpiece in the upper right picture is simply a paper-wrapped aluminum can. I used my Cricut to cut out the grass, tricycle, cloud and kite. I bought florist foam from the Dollar Tree (the package was $1 which made 4 centerpieces), and hot glued a cube of it inside of the can. Then I attached the cloud and kite to a wooden dowel and stuck it down into the foam. I covered it up with some green easter grass. Easy, cheap and looked great!

To add a little personal touch, I also framed one of the adorable invitations in a $1 (Dollar Tree) frame. The printable invitation can be found at willowtree84.etsy.com. Printable designs are an inexpensive way to have personalized invitations without emptying your pockets! I uploaded the jpeg to Walmart's online photo center and ordered them as 4x6 matte pictures. This worked out perfectly!

The cupcake toppers can be purchased as a printable file (willowtree84.etsy.com), saving a ton of money and you can make as many as you need! Just print, cut and glue to a toothpick.

The Cricut also came in handy when making the pennant banner! cut every single bit of it out on my Cricut, then just glued it all together. The pennants already have holes for stringing yarn or ribbon through for hanging. This was the perfect touch to the front of the cake/food table. The best part is the only cost to me was the paper and glue stick I used!

Another cute centerpiece idea is the pinwheel decoration. I simply cut the pinwheel out of white carstock and glued it to a wooden dowel. Then I attached a small wooden circle, painted red, to the center of the pinwheel. You could use a button in place of the circle and it would look adorable! You can use any coordinating container, but I used these cute little metal containers I found at the Dollar Tree for $1. Again, I used the foam and easter grass in the container. Super inexpensive and cute!

I hope this sneak peak will inspire you to create an amazing shower on a budget! Please feel free to comment with questions! I will be posting more pics and ideas soon!

Plastic tablecloth background- $1

Clouds and kites cut from cardstock using a Cricut

Onesies hung on a clothesline- $1 each from the Dollar Tree

Aluminum cans! Great repurpose!