One Earring To Rule Them All!

Yes, I'm a nerd. But this post is actually about one earring that can do everything!

Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? 

Not if you make an earring that is interchangeable!

What you'll need:

Some fun beads

A clasp (I chose a lobster claw clasp by Blue Moon Beads)

Earring Hooks

Decorative eyepins (also by Blue Moon Beads)

Some Imagination

STEP ONE: Thread your pin through your bead and make sure to leave a good sized hoop at the end.

Do this to both beads to complete a matching set.

STEP TWO: Repeat step one with as many beads and colors as you want. 

This is where your imagination will come into play. 

Let it run wild. Try some fun beads!

                     

STEP THREE: Wear your awesome new earrings that can be different for every occasion!

Hammered Chain

I love the hammered look. I would love to get silver and hammer my own hoops, but I have no space for more tools and things. My room is quickly turning into a craft room with a bed in it. Haha!

Anyway, when I get my hands on hammered hoops, I try to put them to good use. 

I love these earrings because they are simple, but make a statement.

Since they are silver (which is my favorite), they will match with pretty much every outfit.

And, like most of the things that I craft, they are easy to make!

What you'll need:

Hammered rings

Chain (I chose a few different sizes)

Jewelry pliers

Earring hooks

Basically, let your imagination run with it. 

Put chain where you want it. 

Put as much chain as you want!

Use different colors if you want. 

It's all up to you.

Blue Moon Beads has an awesome line of chains. Every size and color imaginable! 

That's a good place to start.

Let your imagination soar!

Shapes of Style

Add some funky style to your look!

 Who says that necklaces have to follow one style and flow?
This necklace uses many different shapes to make up a unique and spunky piece.

Faceted beads from Blue Moon Beads paired with square jump rings gives character.

I hardly ever see square jump rings around, which means the sky is the limit.

Squares, diamonds, ovals, abstract, round, long, short, colorful, bright, dark...the list goes on and on.

Making jewelry unique to yourself if the entire reason I started making jewelry in the first place. 

If you've never given Jewelry a try, go ahead! What's the worst that could happen?

You might just surprise yourself.

Huge Chain

I was so excited to find huge chain in my new box of Blue Moon Bead goodies. 

Huge jewelry and statement pieces are so in right now. 

I haven't been the biggest fan of the large stones, but I love, love, love chain!

I was so crazy, thinking about all the things that I could make. (It was almost overwhelming)

So, I settled for keeping it simple, stupid!

The great thing about huge chain, is that you only need one strand of chain!

This could complete your whole outfit! And it's so simple! Just add a clasp to the chain.

Chunky Bracelet

Who doesn't love stretchy bracelets? I love the layered look that is in style, but there is also the bulky look.

There are a lot of pluses to the bulky look vs layered.

First of all, you need less bracelets...like one!

If you can find a fun bracelet that compliments your outfit and is bulky, then you're done. No searching for three other bracelets that match different shades in your shirt or anything.

Blue Moon Beads offers so many options in their bulky beads. These are drilled with two holes, to make stringing them super simple!

String them with stretchy cord and you've got a comfortable and stylish bracelet!

So many colors, so little time!

So, what's your vote? Layered or bulky?

Style Stretch

So, my latest box of beads came full of pendants, chains and beads that I normally wouldn't choose to make jewelry with.

It took me a while; long hours of staring at all these items and wondering what I was going to do with them.

All I needed to do was open my eyes! If you look around, big and bulky beads are in style right now, and so, inspiration was laying around every corner.

"Statement" jewelry is what it's called. For this necklace, I tried to balance a few good statement pendant with softer tones. 

Though this necklace didn't take me very long to make, it still makes a statement, which is the point!

Blue Moon Beads has a huge line of big beads for every taste out there!

It was kind of fun, to stretch my creativity in a way I never thought about before.

I made fun earrings, they aren't meant to go with the necklace, but they were just as easy to make!

 

I took a few pendants and slapped on some chain. These dangles are fun because they are lightweight and completely unique!

So, if you haven't dared try make something with the new style of big and bulky beads, I suggest you get out there and stretch yourself!

Let your creativity soar!

Tote Makeover Tutorial

If you're like me, you have a million organizing totes everyone filled to the brim with craft items. 

You may even have so much stuff that you forget just what you have. (Only craft-hoarders will understand that one. Haha) 

Hey, I'm not judging. In fact, I'm right there with you. I need an intervention!

Well, if you are a craft-hoarder, you may not like the idea that most organizing totes are clear and everyone can see all the junk...cough cough...craft items you keep. 

To me, it all looks so cluttered, even when its organized.

So, I was fishing around Pinterest for something to fix that little problem. 

And I decided to do...drum roll please...

a Tote Makeover!

This project is very easy, but may be time consuming (I had 5 totes to makeover). If you have one, it should take you around an hour.

Here's what you'll need:

Totes (I did the totes that have drawers.)(3 medium, 2 small/tall)

Scrapbook paper

Modge Podge

Paint brush/ Sponge brush

Spray Paint (5 totes=2 cans)

Newspaper (To put under the tote when you're ready to spray it)

Step 1: Take the drawers out of your totes and make sure your tote is clean. (If you've had them for a while, they gather dust in little nooks and cranny's like nobody's business!)

Step 2: *Get a color of spray paint that will match the paper you've chosen. I chose gray so that it could match well with my room and pretty much any color of paper I chose. 

(optional step) You can sand the tote a little so the spray paint has something to grip. Or you can buy a spray paint with primer in it. They also sell spray paint especially made for plastic. Any of those options will work. If you don't, the paint will scratch off easily if scuffed.

*Spray the totes. (I did this in two sittings. I sprayed one side, waited for it to dry then flipped it upside down and sprayed the other side)

Step 3: While you wait for the paint to dry, take the drawers that you pulled out and measure the fronts for the scrapbook paper. This may be a little tricky because a lot of totes have bends in the drawer handles. It took me about two tries to get the proper size.

Step 4: Modge Podge the inside of the drawer, stick your paper to it, color side out and then modge podge the back of the paper to give it a good seal. Yes, you'll probably get modge podge on your fingers.

Be sure to press the paper into the drawer face very well, you don't want any bubbles.

(I've seen some tutorials that do this with fabric. Same basic concept as the paper)

Step 5: When everything is dry, put it all back together and fill the drawers to your hearts content. Now, it doesn't look all cluttered, but crafty instead. 

I took a few more scraps of paper that I had and made little labels for my drawers. 

Perfectly organized and neat! I love it!

I hope this tutorial helped. Now you only have one thing to ask yourself...what color of paper are you going to put inside the totes?!

Let your creativity SOAR!

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