DIY with KZieglerDesign

Several years ago, I had to get some nice black shoes for my college choir concerts. They've always been super adorable, but since I've been wearing them more often lately, there's been a bit of wear and tear.

The other day, parts of the black started coming off, and we can't have that. After a bit of thought, and taking mental stock of my materials on hand, I figured out a plan.

They look good as new! My boyfriend said he wouldn't have been able to tell that the shoes didn't come like this in the first place.

What you need:

- Old shoes
- Ribbon
- Thread, needle
- Fabric scraps in corresponding colors

Here's what to do:


1 Clear the shoe of all the bits coming off.

2 Take one end of the ribbon and sew it to the shoe as close to the bottom rubber as you can. I started on the outside of the shoe.

3 Wrap it over to the other side of the shoe, making sure to cover up the icky bits, fold the end over, and sew it as well.

4 Admire your awesome handiwork

5Decorate! I did my best approximation of a flower that 5 Letter Design makes, and I'm pretty proud of it.

Do you have any shoes that need a little TLC? 

How would you redo them?

DIY with KZieglerDesign

Have you ever had a stack of scrap paper that you just wish you could bind together somehow, with minimal effort?

Well, it's super easy, and takes about 5 minutes. I was making up a to- do list for myself (which you will get a digital version of for FREE when you sign up for my newsletter, or buy it in my Etsy shop next week) and wanted all the pages to be stuck together, so I whipped this up...

  What you need

- Glue - I used ModPodge, but I'm sure something like Elmer's would work just as well
- Stack of papers to glue together - A piece of cardboard the same size as your paper
- Black binder clips
- Paint brush

  Here's how you do it

  1 Line up all your papers and cardboard (cardboard on bottom), and clip them all together so nothing can move

  2 Use the paintbrush to apply glue to the side you want bound

  3 Attach another binder clip on the edge you glued (but don't let it touch the glue), and let it dry

Voila! I don't think it gets much simpler than that.

What would you use your glued memo pad for?

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DIY with KZieglerdesign

In college, I took several fiber arts classes to keep me sane - while I'm a huge fan of graphic design (my degree), I discovered I much prefer a more hands on approach to art, not just sitting in front of a computer al day.

One of the best parts about the fibers classes was learning how to screen print.

Even though you spend more time waiting for everything to get set up and dry, having a screen with an imaged etched in it is a grand feeling. Once you have an image set in a screen, it's there forever (unless you wash it out with special chemicals). I still have my screen from class 4 years ago.

The problem with screen printing is that it can cost a lot to get all the correct materials (if anyone's interested in what those are, let me know and I'll be happy to point you in the right direction), and since I'm poor, I had to figure out a way to do it on the cheap. After a lot of researching, trials, and errors, this is what I've come up with:

What you need

- Embroidery hoop

- Sheer curtain fabric - the thinner the weave, the finer the detail

- Something to print on

- Screen printing ink, but you could get away with acrylic paint if you're on a super budget

- Mod Podge or some other type of non water soluble glue (I splurged on this, and now I use it for everything)

- A small paint brush you wouldn't mind dedicating to glue

- An old credit/gift card

- Wax paper if you're printing on fabric (to put underneath the layer you're printing on)

- Sturdy pins (for fabric) or painters tape (for paper)

- An image to copy (solid colors are easiest to follow)

- A thin black marker

- Scrap fabric or paper bigger than your image

- Iron (for fabric)

Here's how you do it

1 Put the fabric in the embroidery hoop and pull it as taught as possible. Put the hoop (aka screen) fabric side down on top of your image, and trace it with the marker. Make sure there's at least an inch border of extra space around the image or the inside of the hoop.

2 Flip the screen over and paint everything you DON'T want to print with the glue. This part is all dependent on how well you paint and what size brushes you have. Let it dry, then do a second coat  - trust me, there will be holes you missed. To check for holes, hold it up to a light and look very closely.

3 Let it dry completely (I usually wait overnight, but it probably only takes a couple hours), then stretch out the SCRAP FABRIC OR PAPER (with wax paper under the fabric so it doesn't soak through), pin or tape it down. Lay the screen on top, fabric side down.

4 Get a decent amount of screen printing ink (or paint) on the old credit card, and while holding the screen firmly in place, drag the ink at a 45 degree-ish angle across the screen where the image is to be printed. Re-dip as much as you need to get the space covered.

You're doing this on the scraps first because it is the best way to test for any holes you missed. Lift the screen up and check for any little random dots. While the scrap is drying, wash out the screen with water (if you don't wash it out, the paint will harden and thus you'll have a useless screen). When it's dry, fill in the holes with more glue, and let it dry.

You can do as many test runs as you like until you're satisfied with the outcome. When you feel like your screen is ready, print it on the actual object and away you go!

5 To finish it off, let the screen printed image dry completely (overnight is best). In the morning, the paper is good to go. If you're printing on fabric, turn the iron onto a medium-high heat, and iron the back side of the fabric first (you'll notice that the ink looks like it's seeping farther into the shirt) for a couple minutes. DON'T move the iron around much at first - the ink needs the heat to help it set. Then do the same to the front side and let it cool before wearing or washing.

I made a shirt to go see my favorite band, Ok Go (you know them, they're the treadmill guys)

Now get moving! 

But first, tell me what you'd print, and what you'd print it on!

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DIY with Kzieglerdesign

$2 Wreath

A couple years ago I was a bit strapped for cash but wanted to decorate my apartment, so I wandered into the dollar store.

The dollar store is spectacular for decorations, because there are so many! I spent at least $20 and decorated my whole house. I've kept a lot of it, and now I want to show you my $2 wreath (since it's decorating time).

What you need:

- Garland
- Ribbon
- Wire hanger (and something to cut it with)
- O-ring
- Thread

Here's what you do:

1. Take the hanger, undo the hook, and make the most circle-y circle you can. It takes some patience, but I believe in you! For a bigger wreath, use multiple hangers

2. Wrap the garland around the wire circle. Remember to keep a finger on where you started.

3. When the whole string of garland is wrapped and your 2 ends are together, take the thread and tie the ends to the wire, leaving long-ish tails on the thread.

4. Take those tails and tie the O-ring to the wreath. Make sure to leave a little extra space between the wreath and the ring so when you hang it, the bottom of the wreath doesn't stick out from the wall (I learned this the hard way)

5. Wrap the ribbon around the wreath (making sure to cover up where the ends meet, but not covering the O-ring) and finish the ends off however your heart desires. I tied mine in a bow.

6. Hang on the wall for instant, cheap holiday cheer!

What deceptively cheap ways do you decorate?

Visit Kim's Blog
 

DIY with Kzieglerdesign

DIY Padded Wall Art

Padded art is a great way to add a bit of extra dimension and texture to any room.

Use some fabric that compliments your decor, hang a series of solid colors, do a bunch and arrange them together as a large art piece, or create your own designs on them with paint, more fabric, or anything else you can think of!

It's also a great way to use up some of those fabric scraps you've been saving for the perfect project. So grab your wood, fabric, batting, tape (or staple gun), and things to decorate with, and head over to kzieglerdesign to see how it's done!

DIY with Kzieglerdesign

DIY Sandal Wall Hanging

I love my Vera Wang sandals, but I didn't have a great place to keep them. I didn't have room for a good shoe holder, and I wasn't about to smash them into a box or drawer. Then I got the idea to hang them on the wall. After a few simple steps and maybe 10 minutes, I had a creative way to store my sandals (and have they always be ready at a moment's notice). Plus, it gets them out of the way and up off the floor for when the cold weather comes - don't want any dirty road salt dripping on my sandals, thank you very much.

What you need:

- Sandals (duh)
- Ribbon - any width you want, I used some that found in my leftovers pile
- Buttons - one for every shoe. I was lucky to find enough of the same kind of button for my project, but if you're into a multi-button, or even multi-color string look, go for it!


Here's what you do:

1a. Lay the sandals on the floor as far apart as you'd like them to be when they're hung (don't forget to account for gravity) - you'll only need 2 pairs for this.

b. Lay a button slightly above each sandal.

c. Take the ribbon and stretch it out from the button above the top pair of shoes, through the toe loops on the bottom pair of shoes, then up to the button above the bottom pair of shoes. Add a bit extra to make a loop around the button, and that's your length for each ribbon. Cut one of these for each shoe. Keep the buttons where they are (so you know how far down they need to be).

2a. Take one piece of ribbon, button on top where it needs to be, then take another ribbon and put it under the first ribbon. The bottom ribbon should start just above where the button is.

b. Sew the button through both pieces of ribbon.

c. On the top piece of ribbon, measure the distance from the top down to the button (feel free to guesstimate). Go that far down on the bottom piece of ribbon and place the next button. Take another piece of ribbon, and repeat steps 2a-b until all your ribbons are sewn together.

3. Remember the extra you left for the button when you were measuring the ribbon? On the bottom end of each piece of ribbon, fold it back and sew it to make a loop. Make a loop on the top of the top-most ribbon so you have a way to hang it (I hung mine from tacks).

That's it!


I know, it looks like a lot of steps, but it's really not. To attach the shoes, do it just like you laid out your ribbon. 

What creative ways do you store your shoes?

Visit Kim's Blog

DIY with Kzieglerdesign

Free and Easy Halloween Projects

I've been at my parent's house the last couple days, and my mom and I were decorating the house. Some of these are old standards in my house, some I came up with on my own.

So grab your construction paper, glue, tape, string, scissors, paper towel, paper clips, markers, pipe cleaners, and toilet paper (yes, toilet paper), and head on over to kzieglerdesign to find out more on how to make these adorable projects!

DIY with Kzieglerdesign

I had a pair of blue Converse sneakers that fit well, but never wore. I didn't like how they blended in with my jeans - I prefer a pop of color on my feet. One day, I decided to attack them with a Sharpie, and now they're purple!

After they were all colored, I set them in the open window for a couple hours to get the stink out. So far, the color's rubbed off on the laces a bit, and I haven't worn them in the rain yet, but I have a feeling the color won't run too much. Just be sure to not wear your favorite socks the first time :)

The best part is, this process will work great on pretty much any kind of shoe, just make sure to give them enough time to dry.

What color would you make your shoes?

DIY with Kzieglerdesign

How To Make a Ribbon Flower

It's gradually getting colder outside, but I always like to cling to summer as long as possible with these adorable ribbon flowers.

What you need:
- Thread, needle, pin

- 12-18 inches of ribbon, any size/color/shape you like. Use multiple strands in different sizes to create a layered effect

- Scissors

- Small scrap of a strong, sturdy fabric, like leather or felt


What to do:
1. Fold one end of the ribbon to the back side at an angle and pin.

2. On the longer side, stitch along the edge to the other end. Use wide stitches, and leave extra thread at the end.

3. With a new piece of thread, stitch the sturdy fabric scrap to the back side of the angled edge (where you pinned it). This will be the center base of the flower.

4. Take the extra bit of thread from the first seam and pull on it, scrunching up the ribbon. As it scrunches, start wrapping the ribbon around the center until you come to your desired shape and amount of layers for the flower.

5. Hold the shape tight, and fold the flat end of the ribbon in, to the inside. Sew zig-zags through the back edges of the flower and the sturdy fabric until the flower is secure.

From there, you can attach the flower to hair bands, bobby pins, or use hot glue to attach it to magnets, pins, or buttons.

What color would you make with your ribbon flower?

Click here to visit Kim's website

DIY with Kzieglerdesign

Tis the season of garage sales and going back to school. Combine some fun finds with a clock kit from a Michael's/Hobby Lobby/Menards/Home Depot-like store to keep you on track this new school year:

What you need:

-Cymbal (or other circular object with a hole in the middle)
-Clock kit
-Battery

For all the details click here.

Click her to visit Kim's website