TODAY's series "In, Out and About" is featuring some of the trendiest items you can make yourself. And on Wednesday, Erica Domesek, lifestyle expert and founder of the lifestyle blog "P.S. — I Made This," shared a few of her favorite summer projects.
Read on to see which of her creative ideas you might want to bring into your own home — then grab your fabric scissors and get started!
Erica's also taking over TODAY's Pinterest account on Wednesday! You can check out her board here.
Painted shell bracelet
What you need:
- Gold chain (circumference of your wrist)
- Gold jump rings
- Clasp
- Colored nail polish
- Clear nail polish
- Cowry shells (with holes or you can pierce yourself with an awl)
Steps:
- Paint two thin coats of colored nail polish on each cowry shell.
- Let dry for a few minutes then paint a thin coat of clear nail polish.
- Loop a jump ring through the top hole of each shell
- Attach the shells across the chain evenly by hooking on the jump rings and closing them shut
- Attach a jump ring to the end of the chain and a clasp on the other
Keepsake cuff
What you need:
- Cuff
- Seashell (or agate or brooch)
- Wire
- Swiss army knife
- E6000 glue
Steps:
- Squeeze a dollop of E6000 onto the backside of your shell. Press and hold it against the center of the cuff for a few seconds.
- Wrap gold wire around both the shell and cuff to secure it in place (P.S- This also adds an extra flare to your new arm candy, so don’t be afraid to wrap more than necessary).
- Snip off the wire end with the scissors on your Swiss army knife. If you don’t have a shell lying around, use agate or coral from your summer beach trip or repurpose a vintage brooch!
Map wall art
What you need:
- Map (print out)
- Awl or hole punch
- Embroidery thread
- Scissors
- Needle
- Picture frame
Steps:
- Find a map that shows where you will be traveling through to get to your vacation destination.
- Find a frame to display your final project in and use this as a guide as to how big you should print the map you have chosen. Resize and/or crop your map accordingly.
- After printing, use an awl to poke holes in a line out the route you will be traveling.
- Thread the needle with the embroidery thread.
- Stitch along the route.
- When you are done with your route, sew an "X" to mark where you began and where you traveled to.
- Put the finished project in your frame to display your keepsake.
Edible Necklace
What you need:
- Scissors
- String (bakers or any similar style)
- Snacks with holes in the middle (mini donuts, mini pretzels, Fruit Loops, etc.)
Steps:
- Cut a string long enough to create a necklace that will easily slip over the wear's head.
- String your various treats along the necklace.
- Tie and knot it once you have the desired mount of snacks on the necklace.
- Give to your little ones and let them enjoy!
Shell board games
What you need:
- Cloth napkins
- Fabric paint
- Paint brush
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Painter's tape
- Sea shells from the beach
- Iron
Steps for checkers board:
- Iron your napkin.
- Measure and mark a square outline in the center of your napkin. Our napkin is a 20" square and we marked a 15" square outline.
- Divide and mark the outlined square into a grid of 5x5 squares. This will make up your game board.
- Use painter's tape to block off every other square. This will ensure your paint lines are straight.
- Paint the squares two alternating colors until your board is fully painted. Two light coats of paint should do the trick!
- Once it is fully dry, remove the painters tape.
- Grab the shells you have collected from your day at the beach and separate into game pieces.
Steps for tic-tac-toe:
- Iron your napkin.
- Measure and tape off a large square outline in the center of your napkin. Our napkin is a 20" square and we marked a 15" square outline.
- Divide and mark the outlined square into a grid of 3x3 squares. This will make up your game board.
- Use painter's tape to block off the game board lines. The taped off area should look like a number sign #.This will ensure your paint lines are straight.
- Paint your lines with two light coats of paint.
- Once it is fully dry, remove the painters tape.
- Grab the shells you have collected from your day at the beach and separate into game pieces.
Shell Jewelry - recently added demo…steps to come!
T-Shirt tote bag
What you need:
- T-shirt
- Fabric scissors
Steps:
- Lay out your t-shirt on a flat surface.
- Cut off the sleeves and the collar (it will look like a tank top!)
- Flip the shirt inside out and cut vertical slits along the bottom of the shirt, this will create 1" wide strips.
- Double knot the strips together.
- Flip shirt back right side out, to hide your knots.
Lawn scrabble
What you need:
- Card stock
- Ink jet printer
Steps:
- Select a font for your scrabble letters.
- Print out letters of the alphabet, one page per letter - we recommend a heavy stock and to make the letter even more durable you can laminate them
- Go outside and play!