DIY Duck Tape School Accessories

by // Leave a Comment

Schools are getting more and more specific about the exact supplies your kids need for school. This is especially true for grade-schoolers. In our school the color and material of folders is dictated as well as for the pencil box. This year, while shopping for school supplies, my oldest was so disappointed that he couldn’t get any of the pretty and unique pencil boxes he saw. His list dictated that he had to have a plastic one. Frankly, the plastic ones are miserably plain. To cheer him up I told him that we would decorate one of the plain plastic cases. That is what inspired the creation of easy DIY Duck Tape school accessories!

 

Duck Tape is a great way to personalize and style up your school supplies and accessories and helped inspired these easy DIY Duck Tape school accessories!

Duck Tape is a great way to personalize and style up your school supplies and accessories.  There are over 250 prints and colors to choose from, making each project unique in it’s own way.  Duck Tape is an easy crafting medium for kids of all ages and often does not require additional supplies (glue, scissors, staples, etc.). Have you seen all of the awesome new designs you can find it in? They have everything from glittery tape to your favorite sports teams! You know I love anything glittery but since this project was for my son, alas, we didn’t go with the glitter. Instead, we used the adorable gnome pattern and the rad Star Wars one. Using two totally different tape patterns meant creating 2 unique projects. The first is this crazy easy pencil box.

 

[bctt tweet=”Want to know how to inspire creativity with your kids this back to school season? Check out my blog beautiful @theduckbrand craft ideas + steps! #DucktoSchool #ad” username=”diyadulation”]

 

Duck Tape is a great way to personalize and style up your school supplies and accessories and helped inspired these easy DIY Duck Tape school accessories!

Pencil Box Materials

Duck Tape is a great way to personalize and style up your school supplies and accessories and helped inspired these easy DIY Duck Tape school accessories!

Step 1

Cut a piece of tape that is slightly larger than the middle indentation of the box.

 

Duck Tape is a great way to personalize and style up your school supplies and accessories and helped inspired these easy DIY Duck Tape school accessories!

 

Step 2

Place the piece of tape on the right side of the indentation. Make sure that the ends of the tape hang over the edges.

 

Duck Tape is a great way to personalize and style up your school supplies and accessories and helped inspired these easy DIY Duck Tape school accessories!

Step 3

Next, trim the edges of your tape by opening up your scissors and running the blade firmly down the edges.

 

Duck Tape is a great way to personalize and style up your school supplies and accessories and helped inspired these easy DIY Duck Tape school accessories!

Step 4

Cut a second piece of tape and line up the patterns to match as best you can.

Tip:

  • Cut this piece of tape larger than the first. This makes it easier to match the patterns.

 

Duck Tape is a great way to personalize and style up your school supplies and accessories and helped inspired these easy DIY Duck Tape school accessories!

Step 5

Next, trim this tape as you did the first piece.

 

Duck Tape is a great way to personalize and style up your school supplies and accessories and helped inspired these easy DIY Duck Tape school accessories!

Duck Tape is a great way to personalize and style up your school supplies and accessories and helped inspired these easy DIY Duck Tape school accessories!

Step 6

Repeat steps 4 and 5 until the entire indentation of the box is covered in tape.

 

Duck Tape is a great way to personalize and style up your school supplies and accessories and helped inspired these easy DIY Duck Tape school accessories!

Step 7

Next, cover the outer edges of the box. Start at the back, right corner and carefully wrap around the outside.

 

Duck Tape is a great way to personalize and style up your school supplies and accessories and helped inspired these easy DIY Duck Tape school accessories!

Step 8

Trim the latch indentation with your scissors as you did above.

 

Duck Tape is a great way to personalize and style up your school supplies and accessories and helped inspired these easy DIY Duck Tape school accessories!

Step 9

Also trim the ends and the bottom overlap of the tape (if there is one).

 

Duck Tape is a great way to personalize and style up your school supplies and accessories and helped inspired these easy DIY Duck Tape school accessories!

Step 10

Add your final piece of tape to the back edge of the pencil box.

Step 11

Lastly, trim any excess from the edges.

 

Duck Tape is a great way to personalize and style up your school supplies and accessories and helped inspired these easy DIY Duck Tape school accessories!

This is such an easy way to dress up a plain pencil box. Choose Duck Tape in the pattern that your child loves to help him or her express style while staying within school supplies parameters. Kick the style up even more with the Duck Tape backpack tag on Monday. It is a great way to label the bag with important information that your child needs or to find its way home if lost.

This pencil will also help your kids express their fun and unique style at school. As if the project isn’t awesome enough, Duck Brand Duck Tape is letting me give you some free tape to create your own back to school accessories! Grab your entries now below. Then start brainstorming your next fantastic Duck Tape project!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more information check out Duck Brand Duck Tape on their Website. Also visit their awesome Pinterest Board for more fun back to school projects.

Easy Star Wars Sleep Shorts

by // Leave a Comment

There is nothing better than slipping into comfy pj’s at night. It is a comfort that starts in childhood with your parents zipping you into footie pajamas after a warm bath. It makes you feel safe and loved. That’s why a soft and comfortable pair of sleep shorts is the perfect gift for your kids. It is easier to make than you think even if you’re not a skilled seamstress. These fun and easy Star Wars sleep shorts can be made in under an hour, no pattern needed!

Affiliate links may be used in this post. Ordering a product through these links may result in a commission. Read the full disclosure here.

 

Comfy pj's are the best part of bedtime! These fun and easy Star Wars sleep shorts can be made in under an hour, no pattern needed!

 

[bctt tweet=”These fun and easy Star Wars sleep shorts can be made in under an hour, no pattern needed!” username=”diyadulation”]

 

Materials

 

Comfy pj's are the best part of bedtime! These fun and easy Star Wars sleep shorts can be made in under an hour, no pattern needed!

Step 1

First, lay your piece of fabric flat and iron any wrinkles out of it.

 

Comfy pj's are the best part of bedtime! These fun and easy Star Wars sleep shorts can be made in under an hour, no pattern needed!

Step 2

Fold the piece of fabric in half (long ways) twice. It should look like the photo above.

 

Comfy pj's are the best part of bedtime! These fun and easy Star Wars sleep shorts can be made in under an hour, no pattern needed!

Step 3

Fold the pair of athletic shorts in half and place on your folded fabric. Line up the straight edge of the shorts with one side of the folded fabric. Leave a quarter inch of the fabric edge exposed. This will be the side seam.

 

Comfy pj's are the best part of bedtime! These fun and easy Star Wars sleep shorts can be made in under an hour, no pattern needed!

Step 4

Cut around the pair of shorts and be sure to cut through all of the layers of fabric. Leave a quarter inch allowance on all of the sides of the shorts except the top (waist). Leave a 1.5 inch allowance at the waist.

 

Comfy pj's are the best part of bedtime! These fun and easy Star Wars sleep shorts can be made in under an hour, no pattern needed!

Step 5

Pull apart the cut out pieces of fabric on because one of your edges lined up on a fold. There should be 3 cuts of fabric.

 

Comfy pj's are the best part of bedtime! These fun and easy Star Wars sleep shorts can be made in under an hour, no pattern needed!

 

Step 6

Place the 2 smaller cuts of fabric together with right sides facing each other. Make sure that the cuts are lined up.

 

Comfy pj's are the best part of bedtime! These fun and easy Star Wars sleep shorts can be made in under an hour, no pattern needed!

Step 7

Pin the straight edge of the fabric together and sew the seam.

 

Comfy pj's are the best part of bedtime! These fun and easy Star Wars sleep shorts can be made in under an hour, no pattern needed!

 

Step 8

Open up your newly sewn piece and match with your second, unsewn, piece. Line up the edges of the fabric with (newly sewn seam in the center) with right sides facing together. (See picture for reference.)

 

Comfy pj's are the best part of bedtime! These fun and easy Star Wars sleep shorts can be made in under an hour, no pattern needed!

Step 9

Pin the curved edges at the top of the left and right sides.

 

Comfy pj's are the best part of bedtime! These fun and easy Star Wars sleep shorts can be made in under an hour, no pattern needed!

 

Step 10

Sew where you have pinned. Stop where the fabric comes to a point (about the middle of each side).

 

Comfy pj's are the best part of bedtime! These fun and easy Star Wars sleep shorts can be made in under an hour, no pattern needed!

Step 11

Pull on the straight seams of the fabric so that your curved seams are lined up in the center (when you lay them flat, they should look like shorts).

 

Comfy pj's are the best part of bedtime! These fun and easy Star Wars sleep shorts can be made in under an hour, no pattern needed!

Step 12

Pin each inseam.

 

Comfy pj's are the best part of bedtime! These fun and easy Star Wars sleep shorts can be made in under an hour, no pattern needed!

Step 13

Sew each inseam separately. Start your stitch at the bottom and sew towards top. Be sure you overlap the curved seam’s stitch slightly. Repeat for the second inseam.

 

Comfy pj's are the best part of bedtime! These fun and easy Star Wars sleep shorts can be made in under an hour, no pattern needed!

Step 14

Pin the bottom hems of each leg.

 

Comfy pj's are the best part of bedtime! These fun and easy Star Wars sleep shorts can be made in under an hour, no pattern needed!

Step 15

Sew each leg hem.

 

Comfy pj's are the best part of bedtime! These fun and easy Star Wars sleep shorts can be made in under an hour, no pattern needed!

Step 16

Next, pin the hem at the waist of the shorts. The hem should be an inch and a half (that same excess you left when cutting).

 

Comfy pj's are the best part of bedtime! These fun and easy Star Wars sleep shorts can be made in under an hour, no pattern needed!

Step 17

Sew the waist hem and leave a gap at least an inch wide in your stitch. This allows you to thread your elastic through.

 

Comfy pj's are the best part of bedtime! These fun and easy Star Wars sleep shorts can be made in under an hour, no pattern needed!

 

Step 18

Attach a safety pin to the end of your elastic.

Tip:

  • If you don’t have any safety pins (I did not, as you can see above) you can use a paperclip as well.

 

Comfy pj's are the best part of bedtime! These fun and easy Star Wars sleep shorts can be made in under an hour, no pattern needed!

Step 19

Pull the elastic through the waist and then pull back the fabric so that you can sew the ends of your elastic together.

Tips:

  1. Don’t cut your elastic before threading. This will keep you from pulling the loose end of your elastic all the way out of your seam.
  2. Measure your elastic by wrapping it around the circumference of the waist hem and subtracting one inch from that length. Feel free to mark it with anything because it will be hidden inside the waist of the shorts.

 

Comfy pj's are the best part of bedtime! These fun and easy Star Wars sleep shorts can be made in under an hour, no pattern needed!

Step 20

Cut off the excess elastic and trim any excess threads hanging from the seams.

 

Comfy pj's are the best part of bedtime! These fun and easy Star Wars sleep shorts can be made in under an hour, no pattern needed!

Step 21

Turn the shorts right-side out, wash, and enjoy.

 

Comfy pj's are the best part of bedtime! These fun and easy Star Wars sleep shorts can be made in under an hour, no pattern needed!

Comfy pj's are the best part of bedtime! These fun and easy Star Wars sleep shorts can be made in under an hour, no pattern needed!

Comfy pj's are the best part of bedtime! These fun and easy Star Wars sleep shorts can be made in under an hour, no pattern needed!

Comfy pj's are the best part of bedtime! These fun and easy Star Wars sleep shorts can be made in under an hour, no pattern needed!

Comfy pj's are the best part of bedtime! These fun and easy Star Wars sleep shorts can be made in under an hour, no pattern needed!

Comfy pj's are the best part of bedtime! These fun and easy Star Wars sleep shorts can be made in under an hour, no pattern needed!

Comfy pj's are the best part of bedtime! These fun and easy Star Wars sleep shorts can be made in under an hour, no pattern needed!

This seems like a lot of steps but the project comes together quickly. Don’t forget that you can personalize these to suit your child’s tastes. Also, since the pair of shorts you use to measure dictates the final outcome, the sleep shorts will automatically be their desired length. Pair these with the birthday card frame and have a last-minute gift that is thoughtful and personalized.

See where I’m linking up!

Hanging Toothbrush Organizers from Thrifted Frames

by // Leave a Comment

There is no law stating that organization has to be ugly or hidden. In fact, the more aesthetically pleasing your systems are the higher likelihood that you will use them. If your budget limits you from buying the Pottery Barn organizing systems of your dreams, take heart. These hanging toothbrush organizers from thrifted frames are the perfect budget solution. This month I’ve paired up again with a group of awesome and creative ladies to bring you the monthly Thrift Store Decor Upcycle Challenge. We create a new home decor piece from an item(s) we’ve found at a thrift store, yard sale, resale shop etc. There is no budget or specific theme so we are free to let our creativity run wild! 

Affiliate links may be used in this post. Ordering a product through these links may result in a commission. Read the full disclosure here.

 

Thrift Store DecorUpcycle Challenge 2

Amanda | The Kolb Corner      Chelc| Inside the Fox Den     
Erlene | My Pinterventures     Kim | Made in a Day     Sara | Twelve on Main    
Debra | Shoppe No. 5      Shirley | Intelligent Domestications    
Marie | DIY Adulation     Lindsay | Crazy Organized   Michelle | Our Crafty Mom    
Julie | Live From Julie’s House     Dru | Polka Dot Poplars    
Maureen | Red Cottage Chronicles     Pili | Sweet Things        
Colleen | Life on Kaydeross Creek     Ann | Duct Tape and Denim     Sherry | Savvy Apron   

You can also follow our board on Pinterest for more upcycled decor inspiration!

 

If you can't afford the PB organizing systems of your dreams, take heart. These toothbrush organizers from thrifted frames are the perfect budget solution.

 

[bctt tweet=”Find out how to make these toothbrush organizers from thrifted frames!” username=”diyadulation”]

 

If you can't afford the PB organizing systems of your dreams, take heart. These toothbrush organizers from thrifted frames are the perfect budget solution.

Materials

 

If you can't afford the PB organizing systems of your dreams, take heart. These toothbrush organizers from thrifted frames are the perfect budget solution.

Step 1

First, clean and disassemble your frames. Sand them if necessary.

Note:

  • I chose not to sand mine because there was no lacquer on the wood. If yours do, I recommend sanding.

 

If you can't afford the PB organizing systems of your dreams, take heart. These toothbrush organizers from thrifted frames are the perfect budget solution.

Step 2

Set up a protected surface on which to work and paint your first coat of blue paint on your frames.

Step 3

Set the frames off to the side to dry. Next, clean the glass panes removed from the frames if you are using them.

Note:

  • I didn’t use the glass but, in the interest of full transparency, I had originally planned to. Unfortunately, I am the clumsiest woman alive. I tripped on the extremely flat floor of my office and busted one of the panes on the back of my desk chair. Since I didn’t have a replacement, I was forced to work with what I had. I still love how these turned out despite the absence of glass.

 

If you can't afford the PB organizing systems of your dreams, take heart. These toothbrush organizers from thrifted frames are the perfect budget solution.

If you can't afford the PB organizing systems of your dreams, take heart. These toothbrush organizers from thrifted frames are the perfect budget solution.

Step 4

Trace your cardboard inserts on your yellow cardstock.

Tip:

  • Trace each insert individually. Although both frames are 5×7, the fact that they are thrifted can mean size variations. Make your life easier by tracing each insert separately from the start.

 

If you can't afford the PB organizing systems of your dreams, take heart. These toothbrush organizers from thrifted frames are the perfect budget solution.

Step 5

Cut your traced images out of the cardstock.

Note:

  • If using the glass panes, skip to step 10 now.

 

If you can't afford the PB organizing systems of your dreams, take heart. These toothbrush organizers from thrifted frames are the perfect budget solution.

Step 6

Place a coat of Mod Podge onto your cardboard insert.

 

If you can't afford the PB organizing systems of your dreams, take heart. These toothbrush organizers from thrifted frames are the perfect budget solution.

Step 7

Immediately set your matching yellow cut-out on top.

 

If you can't afford the PB organizing systems of your dreams, take heart. These toothbrush organizers from thrifted frames are the perfect budget solution.

Step 8

Cover the top of the paper with another coat of Mod Podge to seal it. Allow it to dry.

 

If you can't afford the PB organizing systems of your dreams, take heart. These toothbrush organizers from thrifted frames are the perfect budget solution.

Step 9

Repeat steps 6 through 8 for your second cardboard insert.

 

If you can't afford the PB organizing systems of your dreams, take heart. These toothbrush organizers from thrifted frames are the perfect budget solution.

Step 10

Next, put a second coat of paint on your frames. Allow the paint to dry completely.

 

If you can't afford the PB organizing systems of your dreams, take heart. These toothbrush organizers from thrifted frames are the perfect budget solution.

If you can't afford the PB organizing systems of your dreams, take heart. These toothbrush organizers from thrifted frames are the perfect budget solution.

Step 11

Once your frames (and inserts) are dry reassemble them.

 

If you can't afford the PB organizing systems of your dreams, take heart. These toothbrush organizers from thrifted frames are the perfect budget solution.

Step 12

Find the seam on one votive holder and run a line of hot glue down it.

 

Step 13

Next, attach the votive holder to the bottom center of the inside of your frame (where the picture would be).

Tips:

  • Working fast will allow you to slide the votive holder so that it is pressed against the inside bottom lip of the frame.
  • If you use electric toothbrushes instead of manual, use E6000 in place of the hot glue. This will create a stronger hold, allowing it to support the extra weight. Make sure that you allow the E6000 to dry for 24 hours before using your frames.

 

If you can't afford the PB organizing systems of your dreams, take heart. These toothbrush organizers from thrifted frames are the perfect budget solution.

Step 14

Repeat step 13 with your second frame. Once every element is completely dry, hang on your bathroom wall and enjoy!

 

Can't afford the PB organizing systems of your dreams? Take heart. Hanging toothbrush organizers from thrifted frames are the perfect budget solution.

If you’re still looking for bathroom organization, check out this awesome upcycled bathroom organizer. Don’t forget to check out my friends before you go.

Be sure to check out all of the other creative upcycle projects my fellow bloggers have come up with!