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The Dresses I Didn’t Pick

I know I said I didn’t want to overwhelm this blog with all kinds of wedding stuff, and that’s why I started Twyf Becomes Wife. However, since Joni was here for this excursion, I thought I would share my experience finding my wedding dress. As you may know, I have been working as a Wedding Consultant, helping other brides find the dress of their dreams for their big days. But, due to Valentine’s Day being a particularly slow day at work, I had the opportunity to try on a few dresses. I have known since January what the dress for me would be, but since I don’t plan on having to shop for another wedding dress ever again, I figured I might as well put on a few that weren’t really my style. I will say this: I didn’t pick any of these dresses for myself. As I often tell my brides, each of these dresses is beautiful, but they belong with someone else.

This was the first dress. From the Vera Wang White Collection, this ivory ballgown has 100 yards of tulle(!), which is about 10 times more than I can deal with. It has always reminded me of a very extravagant ballet tutu. Its an absolutely gorgeous dress, but I feel like I could have camped out under it. I just don’t have the personality to pull off this kind of gown, and I wouldn’t be able to get anywhere near Brian.

Ugh. Please ignore the weird claw thing I’m doing with my hand. I don’t know what to do with my hands in pictures; you’re lucky most of these aren’t in Madonna-esque “Vogue” poses.

dress

The champagne embroidery on this dress is really nice, and I love the shape the corset gives me, but I wasn’t feeling how the back was split… or how long the train was in general. This was getting closer to what I wanted (nothing poofy), but still not it.

Then there was this dress. I absolutely love the illusion back, especially with the lace and the buttons — my consultant didn’t button all of them, that would have taken quite a long time because they’re tiny and there’s a bunch of them. The ruching on the front was nice, and it also helped emphasize an hourglass figure, but I felt like the heavily beaded lace on top was a little too much. It emphasized a little too much, if you catch my drift. I like how it looked from the front, but then, there was the back…

Um… I just don’t think I care too much for the train on this. I would have wanted it bustled up for the entire ceremony, because that line down the center just doesn’t look right to me. The longer I look at it, it kind of reminds me of something from Star Trek… Sorry. Its a lovely dress, and if it weren’t for that train, it would have been a very serious contender.

Maybe I’ll be able to actually pull of this whole “bridal” look…

So,what does my dress look like? Well… it doesn’t look like any of these dresses. I waited until I could come back with my mom and sister to order it, because there was no way I was doing that till my mom got to see it. I will tell you that its soft white, not super white. I don’t want to channel Casper the Friendly Ghost. I’ll have a color accent to match my Maids of Honor and my BridesDames. Its very me. If you want to read more about my adventures in wedding planning, and other wedding-related topics, please check out Twyf Becomes Wife! However, I plan on being able to reveal my dress in about… oh.. 13 months.

Tags: bridal gown, fashion, getting married, trying on wedding dresses, wedding dress, wedding dress shopping

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Categories Fashion, Uncategorized, Weddings
Author twyf

The Best DIY Project for Your Fall Wardobe: Infinity Scarf

4 Oct

Sweater weather. Those are my two favorite words to hear in late September. However, with the weather we’ve been having in northeast Ohio, real fall weather hasn’t really appeared until the last week or so, and it’s still not consistent. It’s supposed to be in the mid 70s this afternoon. I’m hoping the fall temperatures become more reliable soon. Fall is, hands down, the best season in my book, and it always has been. Even though January 1 traditionally rings in the new year, I always feel like fall brings a fresh start with a new school year, or a second try if your year didn’t begin as you’d hoped it would. (At least this year it did for me, since I wasn’t heading back to class for the first time in 20-some years this fall. I just really like buying school supplies and picking out my “first day of school” outfit, ok?) Fall means great September thunderstorms, mugs of hot chocolate or hot apple cider (apple anything, really), watching the leaves turn beautiful shades of red and orange, new seasons of my favorite television shows, pumpkin ice cream, football and marching bands, and cozy scarves. Actually, I love all staples of a fall wardrobe, but cardigans and scarves are really at the top of the list.

I’ve already shared super-simple tutorials for DIY makeovers for your summer and winter wardrobes, and now I’d like to give you one to top off your fall looks. Infinity scarves have been popular for a few years now, and while I love my cute floral patterned ones from Charming Charlie’s, this scarf will take you through fall and into winter, and is much cheaper than anything you can get in stores. You should be able to make two scarves for less than $6 — keep an eye out for JoAnn’s Fabrics and Crafts coupons! If you’re using a sewing machine, this project should only take you less than a half hour. If you’re hand-sewing like I did, get comfy with your Hulu Plus queue — I’d suggest 2-3 episodes of Downton Abbey. (Not “Downtown Abbie,” as Brian referred to it.) I started watching this a couple of weeks ago and I absolutely love it. Anyway, here’s what you’ll need to get started with your new accessory:

1.75 yds of medium-weight plaid/flannel fabric
Mine isn’t very thick and not very fleece-like. Consider that it will be doubled over and then wrapped around your neck twice.
Spool of thread
Any color that coordinates with your fabric will do.
Straight pins
These are so much more helpful than I ever realized… I wish I’d used them for other projects I did this summer.

Step 1.

Put on moccasin slippers and refresh your mug of cocoa. Lay the fabric out flat on the floor or a long table, lengthwise. Cut the fabric on the folded edge along the entire length, giving you two identical pieces. Toss one piece off the the side and use it to make a gift for a friend later! Fold your piece of fabric lengthwise with the right side of it facing in. It should be about 10-ish inches wide now.

Step 2.

Pin your fabric together on the “open” edges, leaving about 3/4″ for a hem. Sew along the entire length of the fabric to close the open edges and create a tube. For this part, it was nice to have a straight line on the fabric to follow with my stitches. Once you’re done sewing the edges together, be sure to remove all of the pins.

Step 3.

Turn the fabric right-side out and lay the tube out flat. (It will be the same way it was when you were sewing the open edges together, except now the edges have been hemmed inside. On one end of the tube, fold the edge down about 1″ to create an even hem. It should look like a shirt sleeve at this point.

Step 4.

This part is a little tricky to explain, so I drew a little diagram to make it easier to understand. (I promise it’s easy to do.) Keeping all of the fabric flat, insert the open edges (cut end) from the opposite end of the tube between the folded down edges (hem end). It will be helpful here to pin everything together. Now, you’ll sew through all 6 layers of fabric, as shown in my handy little drawing. Make sure you’re getting all of the layers, since this is how you join the edges and close up the loop.

Step 5.

It doesn’t exactly matter where you tie the knot at the end, since no one is going to see it anyway. For my scarf, however, just so I didn’t snag it on anything, I flipped over the little flap created by the hem and tied my knot underneath.

And you’re done! Wasn’t that easy? Now go show your new fall scarf off to your friends and see if they believe you only had to sew two straight lines. Make a mistake? That’s ok, these scarves are very forgiving. After all, it’s just a piece of fabric wrapped around your neck.

Tags: autumn, best DIY project, clothing, craft project, DIY, DIY accessories, DIY clothing, do it yourself, Downton Abbey, easy, easy diy project, easy fall wardrobe makeover, Fall, fall wardrobe, fall weather, fashion, hand sewing, hot apple cider, hot chocolate, infinity scarf, instructions, JoAnn Fabrics and Crafts, Pinterest, scarf, scarves, september, sewing, step-by-step photos, style, sweater weather, tutorial, tutorial with photos, wardrobe

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Categories Beauty, DIY, Fashion, Inspiration, Photography, Uncategorized
Author twyf

Having a Good Hair Day: A Sleek, Sophisticated Up-do Idea

5 Sep

Good hair days and bad hair days. We all have them. I sometimes feel like my bad hair days greatly outnumber my good hair days. Mostly, this is because I generally hate my curly hair — I much prefer it when it is straightened. But, we all want what we can’t have, don’t we?

So, when my cousin’s June wedding was approaching, I knew that I needed to find a good hairstyle to rock. I wanted something sleek and sophisticated. Something that was an up-do, but not too fancy. And most important, a hairstyle that wouldn’t fall completely down after a 10 hour day full of smiling, crying, hugging, celebrating, and dancing.

Up-dos are always a gamble. I’ve had enough in my life to worry about whether I’m going to like what my hair looks like on the day of the event, let alone cringe years later when I looked at pictures. Looking back, I don’t think that I ever had a formal up-do/hairstyle that I ever completely liked.

I was always pushing curls down or making my hair look less puffy. I would agonize in the mirror and ask myself if my hair looked stupid.

My senior prom hairstyle finally gave me something that was close to what I liked:

Senior Prom, 2006. Close, but no cigar.

Then, my cousin got married in 2007 and again I thought I had an up-do I liked, but now when I look at myself in pictures I pretty much hate how my hair looked:

June 2007. In retrospect, not so great.

Finally, finally. Fast forward to June 2012. I did my research. I looked at pictures on Pinterest.

I had a vision. And when the stylist doing my hair started an up-do that I didn’t like, I spoke up. A quick and easy change of tactic got me exactly what I wanted.

Finally, the sleek, sophisticated up-do I desired and a truly good hair day:

June 2012.
Side view.

Back view.

Front view.
Bonus: You get to see what I look like with absolutely no make-up on!

Post-ceremony. 6 hours in. Still looking good!

So, I hope you’ve enjoyed my little hair fashion show! Even if you didn’t perhaps I’ve provided some good hair day up-do inspiration in the process.

Tags: bad hair days, good hair days, hair dos, hair ideas, hair styles, homecoming hair, prom hair, sleek hair, sophisticated hair, to the side hair do, up dos, wedding hair

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Categories Beauty, Fashion, Fun, Hair, High School, Life, Photography, Weddings
Author Joni

“I Have a Master’s Degree in Fierce, I Should Be a Professor!” – Life Lessons from Drag Queens

3 Sep

I can’t lie, readers… I have been very excited to write this post for quite some time. I’ve already written about how I’ve spent my summer, and one of the best parts has been catching up on all of the TV shows I missed while in grad school. While I took Joni’s suggestion and started watching Once Upon a Time, I also followed my sister’s suggestion and started watching RuPaul’s Drag Race on Netflix. One episode in and I was hooked. But, that shouldn’t be a surprise; I think I’ve always been at least a little fascinated with drag queens. When I was a kiddo, I received my introduction to the idea when we watched The Birdcage, starring Robin Williams and Nathan Lane. Later on, it was To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar, but I just couldn’t get behind Patrick Swayze and Wesley Snipes as drag queens. (However, John Leguizamo as Chi-Chi Rodriguez was believable.) It was never something weird for me, seeing a man dressed up as a woman. It was just different, and that was ok. Still is. When I got to college, I loved that YSUnity hosted a drag show during Welcome Week. As entertaining as these ladies (and some gentlemen) were, I appreciated how open they were to any questions the audience had about the lifestyle.

So, back to the Drag Race. I figured I would just have something funny and interesting to watch/listen to while I worked on my craft projects, but I was wrong. Just like any great book, movie, album, or show, there are lessons to be learned that you can apply in your own life. Let me give you the t…

Aaaaaand suddenly, I’m a young Dame Edna.

1. “Don’t be shady, be a lady.” – Venus De-Lite, S3E3

Have you ever thrown shade? Yes, you have. You just didn’t know you were. You “throw shade” whenever you insult somebody else. It doesn’t take much to insult someone — just borrow your 3rd grader-cousin’s book of Yo Momma jokes. A real lady doesn’t stoop to weak insults or general shadiness. But, there’s also reading. As RuPaul said, “Reading is fundamental.” For a good read, a lady must be creative, smart, and witty, but never malicious. Jujubee from Season 2 reads at a college level:

“Legendary, you think you are! Legendary? Looks like leg… and dairy.”

The lesson here is, don’t lower yourself to play at someone else’s level, but always be on your toes.

2. “You better work.”

Obviously. You’ll get nowhere if you’re just sitting around. Work for what you want and give it your all, so when you get it, you deserve it. There were a couple of weeks where my job search was particularly depressing, and I don’t think I applied for a single job during that time. The next week, I wrote in my planner my paraphrase of a famous Wayne Gretzky quote: “You miss out on interviews for one hundred percent of the jobs you don’t apply for.” I applied for five jobs that week. This brings us to our next lesson…

3. Consistency

Much like any adjudicated tv contest (America’s Next Top Model, Top Chef, Design Star, etc.), contestants must be consistent in their performance every week to proceed. Whether you’re competing for a promotion, or aiming to improve something about yourself, it is important to always bring your A-game, so to speak. Once you’ve proven your talent with a certain skill time and again, others will begin to associate that achievement with you. From here, the only way you should go is up. Always be looking for ways to better yourself and go to the next level. While consistency is great, it takes a little something extra to be a champion.

Featuring my personal favorite Drag Super Star, Raja (the Professor of Fierce)

4. Sashay Away

After the bottom two contestant are called out to “lip sync for their lives,” RuPaul chooses which queen will stay, and who will sashay away. While one could leave a negative last impression on others (see: Mimi Imfurst), a real lady displays class and poise whenever it’s time for her to leave. Sure, you could go for the “memorable” route of jumping down into a full split as you exit the runway, but I think it’s a little tacky. And, painful.

Go the graceful route... just... sashay.

So long, Mystique Summers Madison…

5. “If you don’t love yourself, how the hell you gonna love somebody else?” – RuPaul

Miss Ru says it at the end of each episode, and it is perhaps the most essential lesson of them all: the most important love is self-love. Several of the beautiful queens who compete on Drag Race tell stories about how members of their family don’t accept them for being gay, let alone being a drag queen, and the other girls reach out to support them. There are a lot of reasons why a person, gay, straight, purple, etc., could have a hard time loving themselves, especially when it seems that those who matter most don’t show them love and acceptance. If you can’t love yourself for who your truly are, it could be difficult to let someone else in and love the real you. I’ve always, always believed that you have to know who you are and what you want out of life in order to love yourself as a complete person. Then, instead of needing others to feel whole, you can simply allow them to be a wonderful complement to the already-fabulous you.

While there are other lessons I could have mentioned, I felt that these are the most easily translatable. I’m currently catching up on Season 4, and I can’t wait to watch the All-Stars Season. I’d like to add, though, that I’ve learned that it wouldn’t kill me to throw on a little more makeup from time to time. If these men have an easier time turning into an attractive woman than I, a biological woman, do, I think I could step up my game a little bit.

Tags: america's next top, can i get an amen, celebrities, champion, consistency, Dame Edna, drag queens, drag race, drag show, dragulator, Entertainment, fierce, if you don't love yourself how the hell you gonna love somebody else, Jujubee, life lessons, love yourself, Mimi Imfurst, Mystique, Raja, reading is fundamental, RuPaul, RuPaul Charles, RuPaul's Drag Race, sashay away, the birdcage, throw shade, to wong foo, to wong foo thanks for everything julie newmar, Venus De-Lite, you better work, YSUnity

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Categories Beauty, Fashion, Fun, Humor, Inspiration, Life, Pop Culture, Quotes, TV
Author twyf

Easy DIY French Manicure

30 Jul

Do you ever wonder how some people have such perfectly manicured fingernails? Especially when those fingernails sport the always classy and in-style french tips? I always wondered whether everyone always went to the salon to have them professionally done, or whether the nails were complete fakes –simply too good to be true.

I’ve had my fair share of manicures and I know how talented nail artists/technicians are. It certainly is not a job that I could ever have the talent, ability, or coordination to do.

But, ever since I stopped biting my nails last summer, (hooray for kicking a bad habit to the curb!) I’ve been obsessed with keeping my nails polished and looking nice. This, of course, has led me to buying way too much OPI nail polish…but that’s a story for another blog post.

It also, though, led me to learn an easy an inexpensive way to french tip my own nails without going to the salon.

So, here’s my easy how-to guide to a Do-It Yourself French Manicure!

DIY French Manicure

Tools:

French tip white nail polish (or any solid white nail polish)
UV Top Coat (or any clear nail polish)
French tip nail guide stickers (any brand)
Nail polish remover
Nail file
OPI Drip Dry (optional)

Instructions:

1. Before you begin, you need to prepare your nails. Make sure your cuticles are pushed back and look even. Depending on whether you want your nails to be rounded or squared, file them appropriately and make sure they are even.

My fingernails are squared, so before starting my manicure I used a nail files make sure each of my nails looked neat and even.

2. Wash your hands and dry them thoroughly to ensure you are working with a clean nail surface.

3. Place one nail guide sticker on each nail. Be careful to leave enough room between the top of the sticker and the end of your nail for the french tip. Remember, the area you are painting will look smaller after you’ve removed the sticker guide.

The stickers are much wider than your fingernail. Try to center the sticker guide when you place it on the nail.

4. Using French tip white nail polish, paint the tip of each nail. Try not to paint too thick of a layer — this could make the polish gummy and cause smudges later. You can always go back and do a second coat if necessary.

For this tutorial, I used Avon’s French Tip White nail enamel.

This is what my nails looked like after one coat of the French Tip White polish.

5. Allow the first coat of French Tip White to dry for at least 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, add a second coat of the white polish if necessary. Allow to dry another 15 minutes.

6. Once your nails have dried for at least 15 minutes after your most recent application, carefully remove the nail guides. Don’t be alarmed if the white polish pulls slightly when you remove the stickers. As long as you have let your nails dry long enough, removing the stickers should leave a clean line.

7. After removing all of the sticker nail guides, apply a coat of clear nail polish such as a UV Top Coat.

Here are my nails after one application of the UV Top Coat. For extra shine, apply a second coat after the first has completely dried.

8. To ensure that your nails are completely dry and to prevent smudging, consider applying a drying agent like OPI’s Drip Dry.

9. Your nails are now french manicured! Enjoy the classic and sophisticated look!

Tags: beauty, beauty tips, DIY, diy manicures, do it yourself, drip dry, easy french manicure, french manicure, french tips, manicures, nailpolish, nails, OPI nailpolish, UV top coat

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Categories Beauty, DIY, Fashion, Learning, Life, Uncategorized
Author Joni

5 Must-Have Beauty Products for a Glamorous and Naturally Beautiful Weekend (and Whole Year)

27 Jul

The weekend and end of July are almost upon us, so it’s time to talk beauty. Whether hanging out around the house or going out on the town, this Dame always likes to look her best. Here’s five of my favorite beauty-related products to help you embrace your glamorous and naturally beautiful side.

1. Neutrogena Healthy Skin Radiance Cream, SPF 15

I cannot tell you how much I love this cream. And let me tell you, I do not exaggerate. Up until a few months ago, I never wore any kind of moisturizing cream on my face. I don’t really know why — I just never got into the habit. One of the main reasons, I guess, is that I was blessed with a very good complexion and have very few skin issues on my face and never really felt the need to moisturize. Earlier this year, I started noticing that my skin was a little more blotchy than normal but I didn’t really know what to do about it. After seeing a TV beauty segment on radiance creams, I decided to give one a whirl. So, I ran down to the neighborhood drug store and picked up Neutrogena’s Healthy Skin Radiance Cream. After using it consistently every day for several weeks, I noticed that my skin tone had evened out and that the red blotches were gone. This cream makes your skin feel amazing and gives it a cool and slightly tingly sensation. But the best part of the radiance cream: it truly makes your complexion brighter. You truly glow.

Pros: Gives you an even, glowing complexion; inexpensive (around $10); makes your face feel fantastic.

Cons: None!

2. Maybelline Dream Nude Airfoam Foundation

A lot of my friends don’t wear foundation, but for some reason I do. I started in high school and once I got used to wearing it, I feel naked without it. That being said, however, I’m never entirely happy with any given foundation. It’s always to orange, or too light, or too heavy on my face. Maybelline’s new Dream Nude Airfoam Foundation is one of the better one’s that I’ve tried over the years. I comes out in a mousse-like spray, goes on even like you’re airbrushing your face, isn’t heavy, and doesn’t make you look like you’re wearing a lot of make-up. Unlike the Neutrogena Radiance Cream, however, the Maybelline foundation does have a few drawbacks to consider before your buy it. But, if you’re looking for airbrush quality foundation at a drugstore price, I suggest you try it. Plus, during these summer months when many of us a rocking a tan, this foundation goes on light enough that you don’t have to buy a darker shade for summer.

Pros: Provides an even, airbrushed finish; isn’t heavy; versatile.

Cons: Color really sticks to hands/fingers during application; can stain polished fingernails.

3. Covergirl Exact Eyelights Eye-Brightening Mascara

I’ve been using Covergirl’s Exact Eyelights mascara for several years. It comes in four shades, all that correspond to your eye color: brown, blue, green, and hazel. I truly adore this mascara. Not only do I feel that this mascara does what it is supposed to do to make my eyelashes long and full, it truly make my eyes brighter. When I wear this mascara, I never need eyeliner.

Pros: Great mascara, comes in both regular and waterproof, brightens eyes.

Cons: Doesn’t give you specific color choices if you like to mix it up.

4. Neutrogena Naturals Fresh Cleansing + Makeup Remover

The fact that I had and still have a good complexion is something of a wonder, since I really did nothing to take care of it. A fact that makes me even more thankful for it today. In addition to never using moisturizer, I also never took my make-up off or washed my face with a cleanser. I just washed my face in the shower with whatever soap/body wash I was using. So, when I bought the radiance cream, I also bought Neutrogena’s Naturals Fresh Cleansing wash and makeup remover. I like it because it leaves my face cool and soft. It doesn’t dry it out. It also doesn’t leave my face red and feeling hot like some other cleansers do.

Pros: Good for sensitive skin; leaves your skin clean and removes make-up; gentle; doesn’t burn eyes.

Cons: None.

5. Nite White Teeth Whitening System

This is the only item on my list that you can’t buy at your local drugstore. I’m including it though, because it’s a great teeth whitening system that really works. I purchased Nite White through my dentist — which is my suggestion to you. Truly, always ask your dentist or dental hygienist before starting a whitening regimen so you protect the strength and health of your teeth. Nite White comes in little syringes which you place into trays (I have personalized trays that fit to my teeth that were made at the dentist’s office). While you can (as the name suggests) use the whitening system overnight, you also can do it during the day as one treatment only takes about 2 hours. Each syringe gives about 4 treatments. Nite White provides great whitening results and I had no adverse effects.

Pros: Great results; better that whitening strips; effects last for a long time with periodic maintenance.

Cons: More expensive. (Example: My dentist runs a special every spring where you can purchase the system for $100. All proceeds are donated to charity. Normally, however, the system costs at least double.)

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Well, I hope that my 5 Beauty product suggestions have given you some great ideas for staying glamorous.

Remember: Beauty products are meant to enhance your natural beauty. You’re already beautiful. Embrace that beauty.

Tags: airbrush foundation, beauty, beauty products, brightening cream, brightening moisturizer, embrace beauty, eye brightening mascara, facial cleanser, foundation, makeup, makeup remover, mascara, maybelline, moisturizer, mousse foundation, natural beauty, neutrogena, neutrogena healthy skin, neutrogena naturals, radiance cream, sensitive skin, spf 15, teeth whitening, teeth whitening system, whitening trays

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Categories Beauty, Fashion, Life, Shopping, Uncategorized
Author Joni

DIY Braided Strap Tank Top

15 Jul

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a DIY tutorial on this blog. The last one was how to revamp a pair of plain Jane high heels into something a little more fabulous. This time, I’ll show you how to make an item from your t-shirt surplus a little cuter and much more suitable for hot summer days. (In Ohio, that’s all we’ve had lately.) If you’re anything like me, you have drawers full of “free” t-shirts from college or high school. I’m pretty sure that t-shirts were the currency of the realm during my undergrad, getting a new shirt for every major event in which I participated. Many of those t-shirts are being transformed into a quilt as a sort of souvenir for my years at YSU. I’d be further along in the project, but I didn’t realize how tedious it was to iron on interfacing to the backs of each of the quilt squares. I went through half of them and quit to start on a new craft project. It will be finished this summer, though, and I can’t wait to see how it turns out.

I also have a lot of t-shirts that I’ve picked up along the way from different things. Concerts, travel, or even a random wandering through Goodwill… I’ve found some pretty cool shirts. I really only wear t-shirts to work out, but lately, it’s been too hot to wear a t-shirt with sleeves, and it gets annoying to have to push them up every twenty steps or so. Sometimes, I like the graphic on the shirt, but wish I could wear it under a cardigan (the basic staple of my wardrobe) without the bulk of sleeves. Taking those t-shirts and making them into cute tank tops easily takes care of both of those problems.

This step-by-step tutorial should take about an hour or less, with very little sewing involved. You’ll want to use a baggy shirt in your size or a shirt one size larger than what you normally wear.