Have you ever tie dyed anything?  I dyed a t-shirt when I was a kid and I remember that it was an involved process. When Tulip sent me a tie dye kit recently, I was excited to see that their dye was simple and easy to use. Instead of multiple steps with vinegar and soda ash, you just mix their color-fast dyes with water and apply them!

I wanted to create a pretty pattern with the dye and then create something fun out of that fabric. I decided to make fabric jewelry. I was inspired by this braided silk necklace at Martha Stewart and the fabric jewelry closure method for braided bracelets at Henry Happened.  I searched my closet for some old cotton t-shirts for the base fabric.  I also had some dollar store clear ponytail holder beads that I thought would be fun to add.

Want to learn how to create your own tie dyed jewelry?  Just follow these steps below:

Project estimate:

• An old, white, cotton shirt, on hand
• Clear ponytail holder beads, $1
• Needle and thread, on hand
• Craft glue, on hand
• Strong ceramic magnets, less than $1-2
• Tie dye kit (optional), $8 and up

Total: $3 and up

Tulip makes tie dye kits of all sizes, but they sent me this huge tie dye kit that contained: 8 bottles, 12 colors of dye, rubber bands, gloves, surface protector and instructions. I had such a hard time picking what colors to use but I settled on lime, coral and teal.

Step one: Prep your fabric for dye.

If you are using a new garment, be sure to prewash your fabric. I cut apart two old tees and used the front and back panels of each shirt for my project. When you are ready to dye, dampen your fabric.  Pleat the fabric lengthwise and wrap rubber bands tightly every 3-5 inches to create stripes. Repeat the process for all of the panels of fabric.

Step two: Mix and add your dye.

Lay your tied fabric on a plastic surface protector. Wearing gloves, pick out your favorite colors and mix each color in the bottles as directed by the instructions. Carefully apply each color to the desired sections with dye. Be sure to flip your fabric over to get the other side and do not oversaturate the sections.

Tightly wrap your fabric in plastic (I just wrapped the surface protector around the fabric) and allow the dye to set for at least 4-6 hours.

Step three: Rinse and wash.

Now for the exciting part!  You will start to get an idea of what your tie dyed pattern looks like after you carefully unwrap your tied fabric. (Again, wearing gloves!) Rinse out the remaining dye and wash the fabric in your washing machine and dry it. Ooooh and aaahhh over the fancy new color pattern you created!

Now let’s use this fun fabric to make a pretty necklace and bracelet!

Step four: Cut fabric strips for your necklace.

Using scissors, cut approximately 1” wide strips of fabric from your dyed tees. It does not need to be perfect, since you will be braiding it. I like how the frayed edges added texture to the pieces. Depending on how long you want your jewelry to be, one t-shirt should be plenty to create enough strips to  make a long necklace and one bracelet.

Step five: Braid your fabric.

Take 3 strips of fabric and tie a knot at one end. Secure the knot down (with a clip board or under a box lid like I did) and start to braid your strips. When you get to the end of each strip, just tie another strip onto each piece. Keep braiding and adding fabric until you reach well beyond your desired jewelry lengths. (It is better to have a little extra.)

Step six: Attach your magnet closures.

Carefully consider where the fabric knots are on your length of braid. We will be adding beads to those sections in the next step and you want the placement to make sense when you cut your braid down to create a necklace.

Measure how long you want your necklace or bracelet to be. (My necklace was ~24 inches and the bracelet was ~7 inches long.) Trim the braid and attach the fabric ends to a magnet with glue. Repeat on the other end.

(I should warn you that these magnet closures are not super-duper secure. They will hold up to wear, but if someone pulls on the necklace or bracelet, the piece will fall off. If you are worried about that happening, just make a necklace long enough to fit over your head and tie a permanent knot in the two ends instead.)

After the glue on the magnets dry, take two small strips of fabric and fold each one over with adhesive for a finished look. Wrap a folded strip around the magnets on each end and attach them with more glue so the fabric edge is flush with the magnet surface.

Step seven: Add beaded embellishments.

If you want, you can add clear bead to sections of the jewelry. Where there are knots and fabric ends, string a clear bead over the loose fabric end. Use needle and thread to tack the fabric strip down to the necklace. To add a few more beads to any “empty” spots, take a small strip of fabric and tied another bead around the braid in the desired area (sewing any loose ends down, too).

You might choose to use a solid color bead instead, but I like how you can still see the color of the fabric and pattern through the clear beads.

Once the beads are added you can just put your braided jewelry on and enjoy your modern tie-dyed creations!

Wear one around the neck …

or around the wrist another day… or wear them together!

I must confess, it was a lot of fun… yet a little scary to dye my own fabric. I’m kind of a Type A crafter. I like having a vision and plan before I make something. But when I dyed this fabric, I was powerless while the dye set. I kept wondering how it was going to turn out… it was nerve wracking!

But once I saw the color variations and pattern I created, I decided that can’t wait to dye something else with the leftover colors in the kit!

Want to try your hand at tie dye? Tulip Tie Dye Kits are available at Walmart, Walmart Canada, Michaels, JoAnn, A.C. Moore, Hobby Lobby, Hancock Fabrics, Meijer. Tie dye kit contents and colors may vary by store.

And for more fun, crafty inspiration, be sure to follow Tulip and @ilovetocreate on Twitter, on Pinterest or like them on Facebook here or here.

Find tons of tie dye ideas here:

And great tips for tie dye techniques in here:

Find my post disclosure here.

You might call Shannon the Clark Kent of craft blogging. By day, she works as a pharmacist and by night she helps readers find simple and elegant solutions for their home. Shannon enjoys blogging at Madigan Made where she shares easy crafts, DIY décor and much more. She also craves chocolate, loves a thrifty find and strives (often unsuccessfully) to avoid glue gun burns. Shannon resides in the Philadelphia suburbs with her husband and dog (and always anticipates miracles).

I love the "stacked wrist" look, but my bracelet collection is such that I would have to wear every single one that I own in order to achieve the look.  Since I need more bracelets and my jewelry budget is practically nonexistent, I've been happy to see so many wonderful, inexpensive bracelet tutorials recently!  These pretty bangles were made by Jen at The Social Home, who wrapped some simple metal bangles with braided ribbon to give them a super-quick, super-cheap makeover.  My wrist yearns for them!  [how to make braided ribbon bangle bracelets]

Project estimate:

• Bangle bracelets, $1
• Ribbon, on hand or $1

Total:  $1 and up

How are you with your sewing machine? Could your skills be better? Well, here's a free solution from Craftsy: an online class that won't cost you a dime! Sewing Machine 911.

Become a Sewing Machine Master for Free! Learn how to handle your sewing machine with the brand new, free, online Craftsy class, Sewing Machine 911, taught by Claudia Miller, sewing machine MD. In this class, learn how to diagnose your machine’s symptoms and how to easily fix the most common issues, including jammed machines, top thread breaks, needle breaks, and more. Claudia also explains the basic parts and functions of every machine. Whether your machine is still in the box, you’re working on a hand-me-down, or even if you’re an experienced sewist who still struggles with tension, this is the class for you! Plus, it’s free, so there’s nothing to lose. Sign up for Sewing Machine 911 now!

Here is another easy rope bracelet inspired by the designs of Miansai.  Dollar store jump rope can substitute for utility rope and offers a wide range of colors.  This particular bracelet combines bright rope with neutral cord tied in a series of square knots.

Project estimate:

• Jump rope, $1
• Carabiner key chain, $1
• String or light cord, on hand or $1
• Glue, on hand

Total:  $2 and up

For this project you will need about 20 inches of rope and about 12 feet of light weight cord. (For the length of rope, consider how long you want your finished bracelet to be, double that and add another half inch.) You will also need a spring or snap hook, which you can pick up at a hardware store for a few cents or you can use an actual jewelry closure.

The hardest part is creating a double width of rope that looks seamless.  To do this lightly burn the ends of your rope about a quarter inch in from the end. Then trim the end. This should give you an end that will not fray but is also not too stiff or melted.

Now feed your rope through the snap hook and butt the two ends of the rope together.  Lightly glue with fabric glue and then also glue to the other half of the rope, as show below. Allow glue to dry.

Fold your cord in half to find the center, and then tie the center around one end of the bracelet.

Tie a series of square knots until you reach the end of the bracelet. (See this tutorial for how to tie square knots.)  Then tie off your cord.

Enjoy your summer-ready bracelet.

Whether it is expired or you're just no longer using it, the generally accepted way to dispose of an old credit card it to chop it up into small pieces before throwing it away.  When it came time for Yuka from Clossette to cut up one of her old cards she did some strategic trimming, leaving a portion perfect for creating simple, personalized jewelry.  And putting your credit card on a necklace is a far cry more economical than putting  necklace on your credit card!  [how to make a recycled credit card name necklace]

Project estimate:

• Old credit card, on hand
• Jump rings, on hand
• Chain, on hand or $1

Total:  Free and up

This Mother's Day, our hearts are heavy for our friend Heidi from HoneyBear Lane and her family.  Earlier this week her sister-in-law Alice passed away just a week after giving birth to a beautiful baby girl.  She leaves behind her husband (Heidi's brother), her infant daughter, and two young sons.

In memory of Alice, Lara from Less Cake More Frosting designed a beautiful set of free printables, which you can download at HoneyBear Lane.  Alice had a PhD in music and was an incredibly gifted pianist; her love of music is the inspiration behind these images.

The emotional weight of this loss is huge, and the family is struggling to come to terms with it.  While there is nothing we can do to help ease their pain, as only time can heal such wounds, we can help with another aspect: finances.

Heidi has started the Alice Hansen Family Fund to help defray the bills that are stacking up:  medical bills (the family had no health insurance), funeral costs, and the day-to-day expenses of raising three young children without a job.  (The newly-widowed father recently completed his Masters Degree but has not yet secured employment.)

We urge you to visit HoneyBear Lane to learn more about Alice and her story, and how you can help.  Even if you can't afford a monetary donation, you can share the free printables on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or any other means, using them to help spread Alice's story.

Thank you, dear readers, for taking a moment out of your Mother's Day to help a family mourning the loss of a mother.  If you see your mom today, hug her extra tight, and remember to tell her how lucky you are to have her!

This postcard paper cipher is placed over your postcard and can be used to encode a message, then decode the message after it's been sent. The cipher code can be sent either in a separate transmission or hidden somewhere on the package itself, allowing savvy codebreakers a clue on how to decipher your message. Though this cipher is not as sophisticated as some digital ones, it's a fun, low-tech and effective!

Project estimate:

• Measuring tape, on hand
• Postcards, on hand or $1
• Card stock, on hand

This paper cipher works by filtering out (or omitting) a portion of the plaintext to reveal the secret message (ciphertext). It may sound complicated, but it's easy once you see how it works. I chose to make my cipher sophisticated and use all four alignments of my card (top/bottom facing up, and top/bottom facing down) ? four ciphers will be created from one sheet of cardstock. You can create more or less ciphers depending on the complexity of the message you want to send.

Start by measuring the width and height of the space you want to write your message. Transfer these measurements to your cardstock, creating a boundary box for your cipher to fit. Then, divide the width by four and draw vertical lines to separate the box into four columns (as we are using four ciphers to decode this message, which corresponds with the four alignments of our cardstock). Next draw horizontal lines about the height of your writing down the boundary box to create a grid, you'll need an even number of rows. You should now have a grid of equally sized rectangles inside your boundary box. I've included a template for a grid that can be printed on your home printer (A4 / 8.5"x11") that will fit the writable area of most standard post cards. Just "save as", print, number and cut out your cipher.

Next, label the rectangles with numbers. Starting by labeling the four corner boxes with the number 1, then move towards the centre of the sheet labeling with numbers. Eventually the numbers will converge, at this point move on to the next column and continue numbering towards the centre. Continue until your grid is completely filled in.

Now cut out some rectangles and create the cipher. Using your hobby knife, carefully cut out one rectangle of each number shown on the grid. Soon you'll have revealed your super secret cipher.
You can now label your decoder. I put a 1 on the top of one side, then flipped it over and placed a 2 on the top of the other side.

The decoder was rotated 180 degrees and the front and back were labeled again with 3 and 4. These numbers now represent the four ciphers you have on your cardstock. Starting with the 1 cipher, place the cardstock over the portion of your postcard you want to write on, then fill out your message in the cut-outs. When you reach the end of the cardstock, move on to cipher 2, align the cipher with the postcard and continue filling in the cut-out boxes. Repeat this process for ciphers 3 and 4.

After, you should have a block of plaintext nonsense. your encryption is now complete!
Send your postcard through the mail and it'll be unreadable to all but those with the secret cipher (and brainy code breakers).

Maybe you can think of your own twist to make this even better. I'd love to see your results!

Have fun!

We know you've been itching to see who is the winner of our Dollar Tree Spring Cleaning Challenge and the recipient of a $100 Dollar Tree gift card.  But wait no more - you're about to find out!  But first...  Some suspense-building!

About the Judges

The contest was judged by DSC's Heather and Rhonda, as well as a guest judge.  This month's guest judge was Karen from Sew Many Ways.  You might know her from her brilliant fabric storage idea that we shared recently.  She has all kinds of other organization ideas we love too, which made her the perfect choice for judging this challenge.  Check out some of her other related projects:

[cork plant mat message board]

[recycled window bulletin board/wall calendar]

[seedling tray organizers]

Thanks for helping us out, Karen!  We hope you had as much fun looking at all of the entries as we did!

It was a seriously challenging task to narrow all of our great entries down to just as top five, let alone crown a winner - there were so many great ideas!  I know you're all curious, so without further ado, here are our top five favorite submissions:

5.)  Ribbon Organizer by Amber at Obsessive Compulsive Randomosity

4.)  Baker's Twine Storage by Michele at The Scrap Shoppe

3.)  Fabric Hangers by Shauna at Love 2 Dream, Do You?

2.)  Hanging Closet Organizer by Amanda at Who Are You Calling Crafty?

And now the moment you've all been waiting for!  Our #1 pick, and the winner of a $100 Dollar Tree gift card, winning by just one point (we told you it was a tough decision!)...

1.)  Jewelry Display by Rebekah at All Thingz Related

Congratulations, Rebekah!  We will be contacting you so that we can arrange to get your gift card to you!

Thanks to all who entered, and watch for our next Dollar Tree Challenge, coming soon!  Meanwhile, make sure you swing by the challenge link party and check out all of the other great ideas too!

I love pretty notebooks.  I always have.  There was a period in my tween years where I collected blank books and fancy notebooks, amassing dozens of them in which I never scrawled a single word because they were just too pretty to mar.  (Are you really that surprised to learn I was somewhat of a strange child?)  I still have a weakness for pretty notebooks, though these days I am more likely to go for the handmade variety like this woven map notebook by Ruby at Ruby Murray's Musings.  These would make great graduation gifts for any college-bound students you know - and mom would probably like one for Mother's Day too!  [how to make a woven map notebook]

Project estimate:

• Map(s), on hand or free and up
• Composition book, $1
• Scotch tape, on hand
• Double-stick tape, on hand or $1

Total:  $1 and up

Baker's twine crafts are hot-hot-hot right now!  It's showing up in projects from wedding to decor to card making and everywhere in between.  If you like the look of baker's twine but have been holding off on buying it in favor of a cheaper alternative, Laura Beth at A Step in the Journey is about to become your hero.  She figured out an oh-so-simple method to add a dash of color to plain white string for a fabulous faux effect.  Once you see how cheap and easy it is, you'll be adding baker's twine to every project in sight!  [how to make your own baker's twine]

Project estimate:

• String, on hand or $1
• Ruler, on hand
• Colored permanent markers, on hand or $1 and up
• Empty spools, on hand or $1 and up

Total:  Free and up