Tag Archives: DIY

Boozy Boots: Refreshing Boot Shapers

Are the boots in your closet tipsy? Do you wish you were instead? If your boots have trouble standing on their own, here’s a sneaky little trick I learned recently. I saw a guest on the Today Show do this, so I can’t take credit. But I did road test it and I can attest to the effectiveness of a wine bottle boot shaper. 

boots before

Before: crumpled boots

Step 1: Drink two bottles of wine
Step 2: Rinse out the bottles and place one in each of your boots
Step 3: Put your boots in the closet

wine bottle in boot

During: giving wrinkles the boot

You might collapse after downing the second bottle, but your boots will stand at attention. Just be sure to rinse out the bottles before taking them to your closet. If there’s a bit of wine in them and you knock one over, you’ll mess up the carpet in your closet (and no, I’m not writing from experience…well, maybe).

boots
After: boots in a row

Boots (l to r): Me Too, Liz & Co., Wanted

This isn’t just about aesthetics. Of course we all want nicely organized closets; however, keeping your boots in good form will prevent wear and tear around the ankles. Falling over in a closet isn’t good for anyone.

Note: For those of you who don’t drink wine, there are probably non-alcoholic beverages sold in a similar-sized bottles. I personally can’t think of any.

Experiment with bottles shapes. I find I need a Riesling bottle for my narrow boots; wider, more casual styles benefit from a nice Syrah.

If you wear a different pair of boots each day, and don’t return any of them to your closet, by the week’s end, your front hall will be cluttered with boots and your boot closet will look more like a booze closet. People might think you’ve been secretly stashing wine. So tidy up, and put the bottles back in the boots so no one will have any cause for concern.

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Filed under DIY, Fashion, Thrifty

Cable-knit Pillow Project

I went to Goodwill this past weekend and got inspired. In addition to the Windows 7 skirt I fashioned from a gigantic men’s t-shirt, I made a cable-knit pillow from a sweater.

cable-knit pillow

Here’s how I did it: Fearing the knit would unravel if I cut the fabric first, I flipped the sweater inside out, measured and marked a 14″ x 14″ section (of the front and back of the sweater and sewed it on three sides. Then I cut it and turned it right-side out. I used the sweater’s original finishing at the waist as my fourth side.

I bought a pillow form, slipped inside the casing, and sewed it shut with three non-functioning buttons. Well, I guess they function as closures for the pillow. They don’t function as buttons because I didn’t add buttonholes (who am I Martha Stewart?).

If absolutely necessary, I can always cut the buttons off and remove the stuffing, but both the pillow and casing are washable so, when needed, I can just throw the whole thing in the machine. That is, if you don’t buy it first. I added the pillow to my Esty shop, just in case someone finds it easier to buy this one instead of making one from scratch.

As always, I give this project an E for easy (I wouldn’t have it any other way).

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Filed under Crafts, Decor, DIY

Windows 7 Takes Fashion World by Storm

Okay, maybe not exactly. Unless if by “Windows 7” I mean “Jean” and by “fashion world” I mean “her closet.”

I took a little trip to Goodwill this weekend and decided to get creative. I found a cute blazer from Canadian Chain, Smart Set, and snapped it up for $8.99 (partially out of a sense of nostalgia and partially because it really is a versatile blazer). Then I found a cream-colored cable-knit sweater for my pillow project. And then, I hit the jackpot: a black men’s XXXL (yes, that’s four x’s) t-shirt. Someone out there didn’t appreciate his Windows 7 t-shirt (obviously company swag acquired in a giveaway promotion-type thing). Well, it set me back $1.99. And now it’s a skirt. You can see how well it goes with my new blazer.

Windows 7 skirt

Blazer: Smart Set (via Goodwill)
Skirt: Former t-shirt (via Goodwill)
Necklace: Fremont Sunday Market street vendor
Boots: Liz & Co.

Here’s how I did it. First, I washed the thing thoroughly! Then, I cut off the sleeves, sides, and neck so I had two giant squares of fabric. I re-sewed the pieces together (along one side) and sewed a 2″ wide elastic band to the top (as an exposed waistband). I stitched the second side closed and left a slit in the bottom. The shirt was the right length so I kept the bottom hem as-is, but you could cut and hem it to any length you want.

I’m a lousy tailor so this (as with all my projects) gets an E for easy. If it were difficult, I wouldn’t have succeeded. I also don’t use patterns (a possible explanation as to why I’m no good with a sewing machine) so I had no idea how this would turn out. I was picturing something more A-line and flouncy, but I suppose that would require more fabric. I was pleasantly surprised to end up with a pencil skirt. I liked the nerdy, high-tech connection, so that’s why I chose a Windows logo, but you could do the same thing with a sports jersey, a t-shirt advertising a good cause, or your even favorite brew.

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Filed under Crafts, DIY, Fashion, Technology