Fun and Easy DIY

Using Glitter Foam for hairpins, necklaces, and badges

Glitter Foam comes in sparkly foam sticker sheets that you can cut up and use for practically everything. Personally, I have used them for hair clips (that I also use for badges) and necklaces, as well as decorating a birthday card or two.

 

(Pictured: glitter foam used for a pin, hair clip, and necklace)

Thankfully, since it's seen as a children's craft material, it's relatively affordable and can be found at craft stores and Walmart.

((http://www.walmart.com/ip/Glitter-Sticky-Back-Foam-Sheets-6-x-9-12pk-Assorted-Colors/39535845))

Even buying a 12 pack of this stuff can offer a huge amount of material to work with for badges and hairpins, especially if what you want to make isn't that large.

Today, I'll be covering how to make a hairpin, a badge, and a necklace!

For each they all begin with the same step:

1. Design Creating a design with the foam can be really fun, and since it has a few centimeters of thickness, layering effects work really nicely! I would stay close to two or three layers though, having too many may distract from the original concept of the design. ♡♡On the back of the foam is a layer of sticker paper since the foam has an adhesive backing-- You can use this to draw on your design for cutting! The glitter foam can be cut using a pair of scissors so that part is relatively simple.

2. Assembly When assembling your design together, i recommend having some glue to the side, either craft glue or super glue; the adhesive on the foam is either a hit or miss, meaning it either works really well or is almost non-existent.  ❤A. For the hair clip, have either a Barrett clip ready (you can buy packs online for as low as $2 or in the store for $2-$5) or a hair clip! Before you glue it on to the clip, apply a backing to the foam, such as a thin cardboard or card stock--basically something stable that can support the foam and make sure it stays stiff! 
♥Tip!♥ When I glue a nonmetal and a metal together, I use a simple trick--I lay super glue on the clip backing and the hair clip, then in squish a piece of cotton fabric in between them! The fibers of the cotton in between the metal and nonmetal really make for an extremely secure hold has been the secret to the clips holding up for as long as they do! Make sure the clip is in the position for gluing a let dry, then go to step 3!
 ❤B. The badge is about the same as the hair clip, but for cheap and sturdy badges I use a big safety pin for my backing (but use a size that doesn't stick out from behind your badge). For the glue, I use the same technique as with hair clips; super glue on each side and a piece of cotton fabric in between! Make sure to hold the safety pin perpendicular to the badge while drying so it sticks out, or adjust as you like! For extra support, I'd suggest laying a small strip of foam across the side of the pin that's attached to the badge, just as extra security to hold it in place!
 ❤C. For the necklace, I usually put it on a sheet of thinner plastic material to give it a floating look, though you can make the necklace with cardboard and just put a hole where you'd like to attach a jumper ring or a chain! For the plastic, I use plastic from product packaging, and to put it into perspective, I mostly use plastic from products that have a big window to display what's inside, so it's sturdy, thin, and very clear! Make sure that you leave room for the holes that you will use to attach it to a chain! Use the adhesive backing in your foam design or glue to stick it to the plastic (for the glue, don't worry so much about the mess, you can lightly scrape off extra dried glue with your finger nail). Use a sewing needle to carefully poke hole(s) where you need them! For my necklaces I give away or sell, I connect them with jump rings, but when it comes to my personal use, usually just sew it on to what I'm using!

3. Protection As you are most likely aware of by this stage--this glitter falls off the foam pretty easily, just like most glitter products! A thin layer of mod podge will do the trick, and allow a solid 10 minutes for it to dry (I would say longer, but I'm extremely impatient!). Especially if you use a matte mod podge, you might be taken aback by the now milky white texture of your glitter paper, but don't worry! Like a good sealer it dries clear and allows the glitter to sparkle. smile emoticon

And that's it for this tutorial!! Making these were a little complicated for me at first, but I hope all my mess ups allow for you to have an easier time!

Buying Hair Clips

Where to buy affordable hair clips

This is definitely a common question/comment that I see on social media -- "I would get into decora fashion...if I only I had the money for hair clips!!" 

Hair clips and hair accessories are one of the big style points when it comes to decora fashion, and knowing where to buy hair clips was originally confusing for me as well (since I never really wore hair clips or accessories as a child besides scrunchies). However, once I kept my eyes open, I saw a lot of places that I go to to buy toiletries and medicine also have hair accessories and hair clips for children and adults.

The following list is ranked in order of affordability, and the out of 5 rating has to do with quality, variety, and usual amount stocked (relying on the stores around me)

1. 99 cent store (4/5)
The 99 cent store usually has about everything you can think of, from holiday chocolate (it's May???) to Star wars night lights. I would recommend going to the following aisles to check for hair accessories (depends on the store): the hair care aisle, the children's section, or the jewelry section. There you will not only find huge packs of bobby pins (great for DIY hair clips and securing your wig down) but also a small to medium sized collection of hair clips, usually barrettes and clips. They're usually children themed, so you are most likely to luck into brightly colored clips or cartoon themed! Usually they stock brightly colored plain metal clips, which are great and usually pretty good quality. Feel free here to buy 2 or 3 packs--this is definitely a great deal!

2. Dollar Tree (3/5)
The Dollar tree is very similar to the 99 cent store, and if you don't have a Dollar Tree in your neighborhood, I'm going to take a shot in the dark and say that you definitely have a dollar store somewhere there. Take a look in the hair care section and get ready to move stuff around-- at my dollar tree store it's usually a mismanaged mess and all the hair clips have shifted to the bottom of the bins and the back of the racks. They usually carry brown and black toned clips (as to blend in with most hair colors), though you may see some colorful hair clips, hair gems, and butterfly clips in there as well. Definitely a hit or a miss, but when it comes to affordability and quality, they're pretty good as well.

3. Wish App (for Android and iPhone; 3/5)
The Wish app is a shopping app which offers a huge variety of cheap items shipped from China ranging from sweaters to phone cases and everything in between. They also have a good variety of children's barrettes and hair clips, usually in small to medium sized orders of 5 - 20. Since they are manufactured in China, they are cheap, most items on the wish app are all under $1, and their shipping in most cases is $1. They are great for finding some cute accessories at a cheap price but BE CAREFUL--read the reviews and make sure that you know just how much your buying from the item description section. Since they ship from China, the delivery can take up to 3 - 4 weeks, and the price may be not worth the inconvenience.

4. Walgreens (3/5)
Walgreens is usually known for prescriptions and photo printing, but has really become a great place for hair care in general, including hair clips! I bought several packs of hair clips from here, ranging from jelly looking bright colored ones, butterfly and flower gem ones, and cute metal patterned ones! And the price is affordable, you can get a pack of 10 for less than $4 or you may even luck out and find a pack of 20 for the same price! Unfortunately why I give it a lower score is because they are not usually the best quality--the hair clips with gems usually have about one wear until the gem falls out, and some of the metal clips aren't the best quality and tend to bend out of shape pretty quickly. However, they usually have a big variety of clips at relatively affordable prices and I really enjoy most of the things I get from them! 

5. Target (2.5/5)
When it comes to variety, they usually have a decent variety when it comes to colors, textures, and sizes. They they are usually limited to a small section in the shampoo and hair care aisle, they also offer a big range of hair ties, both colorful thick ones and clear jelly ones that are great for hair styling. When it comes to pricing...eh? They sell their clips in packs of 5-6 and are usually a little over $4 after tax, so for me, if I see something I really LOVE, I will spend the extra few dollars to get it, though that is rare for me. Most of them are 'likes' but not 'gotta haves' (though the last time I was there I saw cute colorful hair clips that were also glow in the dark!! Want it so bad but I don't really need it).

This ends my list for now on affordable places to buy barrettes! Remember the 3rd of the Big 3--know when to hold back, you don't have to buy all of your hair clips at once or all at one store!❤❤❤❤

Laying the Foundation

Investments under $10 that will change your decora (and crafting) game

Today, I want to lay the foundation for crafting DIY tutorials I'll be doing very soon, and show you what I will use and be referring to in my tutorials!

Creating accessories for decora can be fun, but even if you're spending little money out of your wallet, what you're really spending is your time. If you work all the time just to get by or you have disabilities which make it painful to spend your time up and crafting, you know just how small these windows are.

Using cheaper materials comes with a price-- that they are easily destroyed and you will have to invest more time in making them again and losing parts that may fall off. However, there are a few materials you can get that will ensure that your handmade accessories stick around for life.

1. Mod podge ($7-$9)
Mod podge is a sealer and finisher that, in my opinion, makes everything I've made pretty much indestructible. One thin layer can make it good for life, and especially good when used on glitter paper and acrylic clay. A small bottle will run you about $7-$9 depending on the store, my bottle was price marked at $7.89 from Jo-Ann Craft Store but I bought it for about $4 using coupon codes. Personally, I use a matte finish, as I don't personally feel like all things need to be shiny, but there's a variety of types that will fit for you! (When I use this, I now usually apply with a paint brush, however before I could afford to pay the few dollars for paint brushes, I used my finger! Don't worry about getting it on you, on skin the texture is like glue, it will peel right off!)

(pictured: Mod Podge Matte-Mat bottle)

2. Craft glue ($3-$6)
With just a little glue and applying pressure for a little bit of time, craft glue can really be a heaven sent item not only for plastic and acrylic crafts, but fabrics as well! Can't sew?Just apply pressure for a little longer and wam! You don't even have to be that careful since the stuff dries clear. I call this stuff miracle glue, it'll help especially when the decorations come off on the dollar store hair clips or even if you want to add a pocket or decoration to a piece of clothing! I swear by this certain brand of glue and would definitely recommend it!

(pictured: Elmer's Craft Bond Tacky Glue bottle)

3. Craft store coupon lists (completely free)
Most chain craft stores have email lists which not only tell you about new fabrics and sales that they are running, but they also send valuable coupons that you can pull up from your phone and scan at the counter! Frequently such chain stores as Michael's and Jo-Ann send coupons that will give you 50% of regular prices items and overall discount codes including those that can be used on sale items!

4. Plain ring bases (and other bases; $1-$7)
Things like plain ring bases and plain Barrett clips can easily become bases for look changing accessories, and if you order them on eBay you'll find lots of 50 - 100 pieces for extremely low prices! The reason for the wide prices range is the different lots that you'll find and the difference in shipping cost depending on where you live (most of these lots ship off from China). Also a definite purchase are bobby pins from the dollar store, you can buy these in bulk and later I'll be showing a tutorial on how to use these for practically everything.

These four things I'm going to be referencing a lot, along with another item I've left out because I know not everyone has access to it cheaply; I'm speaking about Acrylic Clay, which I buy a big amount of at Daiso Japan for $1.50 per package.

If you don't have access to this, that's okay! I'll be making separate tutorials on how to handle and use it to your advantage!

Also, I wouldn't feel pressured to buy this all at one time just for these tutorials, I definitely encourage you to try out what you have at home and substitute in freely!