Denim and Lace Refashion

Fall is officially here, but it didn't stop the weekend from bringing out absolutely gorgeous weather! Sunshine, warm breezes, and the perfect opportunity to wear shorts for the last time. I've had my eye on pairs of shorts edged with lace for awhile, but never found the right pair to purchase or make. After discovering a pair of jeans that needed refashioning I knew it was time. I'm absolutely in love with the result, of course making me wish I had done this back in May instead of September. Whoops! 

Materials

- Jeans or jean shorts

- Lace

- Sewing machine

- Scissors

I'm not sure about you, but I hate it when my favorite jeans wear out! They always seem to get holes in the places that are not fixable either. Luckily, they can usually be redeemed. So grab your pair and let's go!

Despite the front looking just fine, the side thigh was completely worn out. Making it awkward to wear and not terribly attractive. 

               

Starting at the rip I cut across both legs.

                

 After testing several types of edging and material I realized that I loved the look of this lace. 

I did not have enough lace to go around each leg so I decided to just sew it on the front. First though, I hemmed each leg to prevent fraying and to give the shorts an even edge.

               

Once the edges are hemmed I placed the lace over the top and sewed it into place. I also sewed both the top and bottom of the lace to ensure that it stayed on. With my leftover scraps I hand sewed them onto the back pockets for some extra embellishment. Now I can't wait to wear them!

So what do you think? Ready to make your own?!? 

Garbage Box Refashion

Garbage cans (or baskets, or pails...who knew there were so many names?) are a part of everybody's home. Often they are the last thing we ever think about sprucing up, yet they can be the most fun. Recently I discovered a need for a garbage can next to my sewing table. Not wanting to spend any money on a new one, I looked around to see what I had on hand to make my own. I was thrilled with the results and especially how fun and easy it was to make! Read on to make your own.

Materials
1. Cardboard box (any size you wish)
2. Contact paper (found mine at the Dollar Store)
3. Mod podge (or any glue you have on hand) and a brush
4. Scissors
5. Ribbon

Finding some leftover contact paper from a previous project, I knew it would work perfectly to make a plain boring cardboard box into something pretty and usable. Due to it being leftovers I was not able to cover it as perfectly as if I had a full roll, but ultimately this did not prove to be a problem. No matter how much you have, simply cut the paper to fit the size of your box.

Even though I was using contact paper I was worried that the paper would not permanently stick to the cardboard. As a result I slathered mod podge on the sides before placing the paper on top of it.

As you can see I couldn't fit my pieces perfectly due to having leftover pieces. As a result I placed one strip all around the bottom that came most of the way up the box. Then I took another strip and wrapped it on each side and down the insides of the box.

Lastly, to hide the seam around the middle I tied a matching ribbon to give it some extra flair!

All ready to go! It looks pretty snazzy next to my sewing table too. Now I'll just have to remember not to dump anything liquid into it :)