DIY Elbow Patch

While perusing Pinterest one evening, I came across an intriguing tutorial on the wonderful art of needle felting. I had to learn more – especially after realizing it entailed repeatedly stabbing a needle up and down into a piece of fabric or sweater. A satisfying stress reliever that results in something wearable? Sign me up. And now that I can officially call myself a needle felting maven (and nerd), trust me when I say that you’re going to have a blast with this technique. So grab your supplies and let’s get started on a pair of heart shaped elbow patches!

You’ll need:

• a wool sweater
• a 36 gauge felting needle
• a piece of dense foam cut to size or needle mat
• some wool roving
• a 3″ heart cookie cutter
• an iron

With the sweater on, place a piece of tape about half an inch below the elbow. Do the same with the opposite elbow. Remove the sweater and insert the foam block into one of the sleeves.

Align and center the bottom of the cookie cutter along the top of the tape. Pinch off a few tufts of wool roving.

Fill the cutter, spreading out the wool fibers evenly.

At the base of all felting needles are tiny, sharp burrs, which grab and interlock the wool fibers. While holding the needle vertically, repeatedly stab it into the wool roving and through the sweater. I found it easier to work around the outer perimeter of the cutter first and then work my way inwards. Important tip: To prevent breaking the needle, always keep the needle upright and never at an angle. And don’t forget to pay careful attention to your fingers while felting as the needle is extremely sharp. Honestly.

Continue stabbing away until the surface is flat and even. Fun, right?!

Remove the cutter and use the tip of the needle to reign in any stray fibers, if necessary. Don’t worry about the holes as they will be mended later.

Patch up any bare or uneven spots by adding more wool roving where needed.

Carefully peel the sweater away from the foam. Notice that the fibers have transferred through to the backside of the sweater.

To smooth and set the patch, spritz with water and press with an iron on the wool setting.

Repeat the same steps the other sleeve.

Ta da! Your heart shaped elbow patches are finished!

HOW TO STYLE BEACHY WAVES

There is nothing more sad than spending an hour curling your hair, only for all the curls to fall out thirty minutes later! I had this predicament for years until I finally switched to curling my hair with a flat iron. It was the best hair decision I ever made! When I used a curling iron, no matter how much product I used, it would always fall out by the end of the night. But since I've started to use a straightener it holds throughout the night with little or no product and it only takes me about five minutes to style! I couldn't keep this secret all to myself, so I thought I'd share!

I used a one inch GVP flat iron and heat protection spray to make sure I didn't damage my hair.  Here's how I style "beachy waves" with my flat iron in 5 minutes...1. Part your hair into three sections. If you have thicker hair or lots of layers, part it into four or five sections. 2. Begin curling each section at a time. To do so, start at the highest point you want curled (I started about five inches from the bottom) clasp it to your hair and curl your hand outwards as if you're turning a door knob. Once you've turned your hand as far as possible, release. 3. Then, return the straightener at the end of where you just released and repeat the process. 4. Curl each section into one large curl so that you end up having 3-5 curls all together. 5. Next, gently run your fingers through your hair, separating the curls. 6. All done! This hair-do is perfect for any occasion and took less than five minutes. Hooray! 

Here's another variation- mermaid curls! 1. Begin curling your hair, one thin section at a time. You'll want each piece to be thin and wide to create more volume. 2. For the top sections of your head you'll want to begin curling at the root. Do this by clasping the straightener to your hair and curl your hand outwards as if you're turning a door knob. Once you've turned your hand as far as possible, release. 3. Then, return the straightener at the end of where you just released and repeat the process until you've reached the end of the strand. 4. Continue this process until you've curled the top half of your head. 5. Tip: Want to make your hair look longer? Instead of curling the longest layer underneath from to root to end, only curl the last four inches. The uncurled section of the strand will be hidden by the top curls and with less curl it will make those long strands peek out the bottom and won't take away your length! It also prevents it from having too much volume in the middle section of your hair which can make the top look flat. 6. All done!

And most importantly, don't get discouraged! It takes a few trys to get the hang of it

DIY Beach Hair Spray

DIY Beach Hair Spray

In mid-Michigan, summer is at long, long last, finally upon us. A time for cut off shorts, tank tops, and beachy waves.

However, if you don't live near an ocean (or just don't feel like going to the beach for a hair do) there's an easy way that you can get the summery look with items you probably have in your bathroom cabinet!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of warm water
• 3 tablespoons of salt (sea salt is best, but I used regular old table salt and it worked like a charm)
• 1 tablespoon of hair gel (can be the spray kind too)
• 1/2 a tablespoon of conditioner (can be the leave-in kind)
• Optional: a couple spritzes of your favorite perfume to give it a little extra oomph
• A spray bottle to put it all in

Directions:

1. Add the salt to the water and shake vigorously to mix it well.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients and shake again to ensure it's completely mixed.