DIY Patriotic T-Shirt

You would not believe how easy this DIY painting project is.  Make up your own design after learning the technique . . . recycle and refashion some old t-shirts!

Click here for the tutorial from Michaels.

Recycle Your T-Shirt

I'm always looking for ways to refashion t-shirts and older clothes in general. Love this design that is quick, easy and so comfy and casual.

Experienced sewers can easily make a pattern to use on pieced fabric.  This design would be awesome to refashion an old flannel shirt by piecing fabric together and using the pattern.  Use your imagination!

Click here for the tutorial!

No Sew DIY T-Shirt with CrissCross Back

Another beautiful design by Anne at Wobi Sobi!

Recycle and refashion those t-shirts you don't wear much anymore with this quick and easy no-sew design.

Click here to go to the tutorial . . . while you are there, check out the rest of Anne's awesome designs.

DIY Multi-Strand Chain Watch

Awesome idea for refashioning and recycling old watches and chains!

With this basic technique and design by Kirsten from the blog Studs and Pearls, you can use your imagination to come up with so many possibilities! 

 Click here to go to the tutorial.

DIY Printed Jeans

Fabric embellishment . . . one of my favorite things!

You would not believe how simple it is to create your own printed jeans.  

What awesome inspiration!  This method is not just for jeans . . . you can embellish t-shirts, fabric for purses, notebooks, canvas or tennis shoes . . . there are unlimited projects this technique can be used for.  

Click here for the tutorial.

No Sew Tie Dye Kimono

Look at what you can do with an XL t-shirt!

Of course you don't have to do the tie dye since the design of the shirt is so awesome :)  Love this design!!

Anne from WobiSobi.com shared her tutorial for this awesome Kimono on ILoveToCreate.com.

Check out her blog for more inspirational designs and techniques . . .

I have also included this button on my listing of favorite blogs for future reference!

Denim Jeans Mini Purse

What a cute little mini purse or belt pouch made from denim jeans legs!

Click on the link at the end of this post to go to the tutorial, which can be used as a guide.  I love the techniques used in the construction of the purse. 

The purse itself can be made fancier by using fabric embellishments, jewelry and buttons.

Let your imagination be your guide :)

Click here to go to the tutorial!

Baroque-ish inspiration

The fabric embellisher extraordinaire and refashion designer in me was immediately inspired by this gorgeously ornate and baroque-ish jacket I ran into while perusing one of my favorite new blogs (more on that later) . . .

The blogger was commenting on "the fierce force of ornamentation, brocade, bling, bang & baroque that assailed the runways" last Fall. 

Since I remarried and pretty much retired for now, I completely missed this awesome trend. Honestly, I have not paid much attention to my love of fashion and design for several years . . . well, since my love of being in love took over.

While the look is gorgeous offset by a white background, my first thoughts went to denim since my fashion and design tastes gravitate toward recycling fabric and bringing new life to used jeans.

This post is strictly inspirational. The look of the jacket so grabbed my attention that I had to write about the inspiration for future projects which are not confined to fashion, but transcend to home decor and beyond!

About the blogger . . .

The blogger is Carolyn Espley-Miller aka Slim Paley, whose blog is uniquely stylish, beautiful and entertaining.  She is the wife of Dennis Miller (one of my favorite comedians and entertainers of all time).

Carolyn is totally awesome and I am in the process of reading her entire blog . . . it is that good.  The jacket is one of many jewels I have discovered within the pages of her blog.

Huffington Post describes Carolyn as "a Santa Barbara based Lifestyle blogger with an eclectic eye for all things design related. She is well versed in photography, fashion, food, interior design and gardens."

Start exploring her blog on the very entertaining article this gorgeous jacket came from, Loco for Rococo.  Hope you enjoy her blog as much as I do!

Denim organizer

What an awesome concept!  

This denim organizer was originally made to organize belts,

 but I'm thinking of all types of ideas, like a lingerie or

 jewelry organizer.  

The pockets can be designed using the denim waistband part

 that has the button closure or secure a specially designed

 denim flap with velcro.

How about using denim pockets for

 the various sections? 

So many ideas!  

Roll it up and store in your luggage for organizing all

 those little things you take on a trip.

Click here to go to the original blog post.

Follow Hong Kong Chic for an

 awesome array of inspiration!

Love this blog . . . and she participates in
 numerous linky parties too.

Denim Placemat

Denim refashioning and recycling 

is one of my favorite things!

Check out my latest find . . . a cute denim placemat . . . I just love the little pocket for silverware! Would be very cute to make denim napkins to match. 

Sorry, I have been unable to find a tutorial on how to make it, but if you are an experienced sewer, it doesn't seem to be very difficult.

Here is where I found the photo for some inspiration.  The article has many ideas for denim refashioning and recycling!

Refashioned sundress

Love this refashioned sundress!  

It is amazing how you can take old clothes and make something new.

Check out the transformation from a frumpy dress to this beautiful sundress . . . 

Click here for the tutorial.

Crocheted Denim Rag Bag

I love the idea of crocheting strips of denim, not only for this project, but for so many other projects.

Back in the day when I had a boutique, I would barter merchandise with my customers for their old jeans because of their versatility.  Being the pack rat that I am, I still have tubs and tubs of denim in my storage room waiting for me to be creative again.  So I am always looking for cool and unusual projects to keep in mind for the future when I finally get my craft room organized.

My idea would be to make the strips of denim crocheted into "fabric" so they are ready for future projects.

Several projects come to mind . . . rugs, pillows, applique for clothing, fabric for a jacket, blankets, hats . . . as well as purses . . . I could continue thinking and coming up with more and more projects!

Click here for the tutorial to make the purse or get the technique for how to crochet the denim strips together.

Recycled sweater hats

Give those old sweaters a new life!

Love this idea since I love hats and

I'm imagining these cool hats embellished

with a flower made out of the same

sweater or coordinating color.

Click here for the tutorial.

Man Shirt Messenger Bag

It is about time that it has become fashionable for a man to have a bag to carry his stuff in.  I've never understood the concept of the poor guys having to stuff their stuff into their pockets.


Another reason for man bags . . . ladies in a hurry to do the laundry lead to mishaps!


I'm so guilty . . . and I'll never forget this . . . The Captain has a habit of leaving his wallet and stuff in his pockets.  When I'm in a hurry getting the laundry done, I run around the house gathering up clothes as I get the washer started.  You know where I'm going with this . . . when he went to look for his wallet, it was getting washed in his jeans!  Too funny now . . . but not so funny then, as he scrambled to get his wallet out of the wash and everything inside was soaked.  :) OK . . . I'll be honest and admit I thought it was funny at the time . . . he didn't!


The time has come for man bags, although your man may need some coaxing to agree!  I'd love the combination of a flannel shirt and jeans for the bag . . . the manlier (is that a word?) the better so he will actually use it.


Honestly, I love the design and would love to make one for myself as a tote bag or an organizer . . . very cool idea!  Thanks to Megan at The Crafty CPA for this awesome project!  Check out her blog for more clever ideas :)

Click here for the tutorial!

Beaded Flip Flops

These are the most awesome

refashioned flip flops I've seen yet!

The embellishments are pieces of old jewelry . . . you know the ideas are running wild in my head with all the boxes of vintage jewelry I have sitting in my office.  The possibilities of matching outfits, jewelry, hair accessories . . . they are endless!  What an awesome discovery :)

The creative mind behind these gorgeous flip flops is Ashley from Make It and Love It.  These aren't the only cool flip flop refashions she's come up with.  You must check out her blog and be amazed!

Click here for the tutorial

Modern tie dye

Tie-dyeing was all the rage

 in the late 1960s and early 1970s,

 identified as the hippie style.

The look is accomplished by folding the material into a pattern, binding it with string or rubber bands and applying dye to only parts of the material. The ties prevent the entire material from being dyed.

You can recreate the tie-dye look easily with fabric paint . . . really, it is all in the folding . . . you don't have to mess with all those chemicals if you don't want to!  Click here for the tutorial :)

There are so many patterns and

 techniques when it comes to tie-dye!

Want more information?

Click here for a list of tie-dye links

More Flip Flop Fun

Last month I posted a creative flip flop tutorial and since then I have seen many more.  Refashioned flip flops are a big thing these days!  Everyone loves flip flops :)

Heather at A Couple of Craft Addicts has been hosting an awesome two-week series of flip flop tutorials with all kinds of creative ideas for refashioning your flip flops.  Click on the graphic to go there!

Flip Flop Fun

Flip flops are one of my favorite things!

Since I live in Florida, if I'm not running around barefooted, 

I'm wearing flip flops or some type of sandals.  It is part of

my lifestyle that is simple and easy.

I've bought the fancy embellished flip flops and have thought it would

be fun to experiment and refashion some of my old flip flops.  

I was so happy to find the following tutorial that gave me

 some basic construction ideas . . . can't wait to pull out 

some of the  old flip flops and give them a new life!

Click here for the tutorial

Another idea for those cool fabric flowers

 I'm seeing all over the place!

What an awesome idea!  I'm imagining some denim flip flops

embellished with those zipper flowers that are made from

 recycled jeans . . . using a combination of both tutorials.

Click here to go to the tutorial for these flowered flip flops.

I really need to get my crafts room

organized and  ready to use again!

My hands are itching to be creative :)

Make awesome slippers out of jeans!

In all my years of crafting with jeans, I have never seen a project

like these awesome slippers!  They would make a very nice gift.

Actually, you could use any type of material to make these slippers

 . . . like these . . . I'm thinking of the endless possibilities!

Click here to go to Nancy Minsky's tutorial for denim slippers.

Click here to go to Nancy's website, 21st Century Dressmakers.  

This website is one of the best I've run across in a very long time!

It is visually artistic, creative and oh so inventive.

She's the jeans queen!

  What a treat for  sewing crafters :) I love it!

Here is one of the most awesome denim slippers I have seen yet!  I found the photo on Pinterest, which leads to a dead link, but it is great inspiration!