A Beautiful Mess

Gift Idea: A Simple DIY Scarf

I created this super simple DIY scarf, inspired by a scarf in Elsie's closet from a past season. This scarf is great for adding a pop of color to a neutral outfit. I think these would make great gifts for all my girlfriends. The best part is, this project only took about 30 minutes to make! 
1. Supplies: 2 yards gauze fabric, lace trim, sewing pins, scissors, sewing machine. 2. Begin by cutting the fabric 3 x 1 ft. 3. Pin the lace trim to the edge of the fabric and top stitch it with the sewing machine. 4. Finish by adding more trim to throughout the scarf to give it a more layered, accessorized look!

Have a great week! Kinsey

ReStyled Men's Button Up: Two Ways

Yesterday I shared my ReStyled backpack, and today I wanted to share how I ReStyled two men's button up shirts. I love how cozy an over-sized button up can be but I wanted to add a little personality to mine. First I thrifted two men's shirts, then here's what I did:Supplies: Men's button up shirt, lace, scissors, sewing machine.

Begin by fitting the sides to fit you correctly. If you're worried about messing up the measurements, move inch by inch to create the perfect fit. Be sure to never cut the excess off, until you're positive it's the right size! 2. Take a piece of lace, cut it into an elbow patch, then top stitch it on!Super simple but a fun little detail for a flannel or plaid shirt. Next I challenged myself to create a skirt from a shirt! Here's what I did:1.Supplies: Men's button up, lace, sewing machine, scissors, sewing pins.

2. Begin by cutting off the sleeves and neckline, creating more of a square frame. 3. Flip it inside out and stitch the sides where the arm holes use to be. 4. Hem the top of the skirt by folding over the top of the of skirt 1 inch.5-6. Hem the bottom and any side splits there might be. 7. Next, at the waist band of the skirt, remove the top bottom button and sew it onto the opposite side of the fold so that you can now use it to button the skirt. 8. Lastly, sew a layer of lace onto an existing pocket, or if your shirt doesn't have one create a new one! We made our edges clean, but you could top stitch it as well to create a more handmade look.Now I have two new-to-me items for my winter wardrobe. Stay cozy! xo. Kinsey

Kinsey's Easy ReStyled Fall Backpack

I've been in the mood for some new fall wardrobe pieces, so I decided to make my own! I stitched this little backpack from a lined men's plaid shirt I thrifted. Here's how: Supplies: Plaid button up shirt, scissors, sewing machine lace ribbon or thin rope.

1. Begin by cutting off the sleeves, neckline, and (depending on the size of the backpack) the botton of the shirt. Stitch up the sides and bottom so that it creates a bag. 2. Next, create a loop on the top of the back with both ends open so that you can thread some type of ribbon or rope ribbon through. We used a lace ribbon for our backpack. Once you've thread the ribbon through, flip the back right side out. 3. With the remaining fabric from the sleeves, sew two straps that are roughly 20x2 inches. 4. Lastly, stitch them to the backpack by attached the two top ends on top of one another and the other ends on opposite sides.xoxo. Kinsey

Last Minute Costume Ideas For Couples

Josh and I have yet to dress up for Halloween as a couple, so this was a fun challenge to take on. I think the main reason we haven't dressed up in the past was the assumption we didn't have the time to put in the effort to create a really neat costume, so thinking of last minute costumes was perfect for our busy schedule. We can be a little shy about this kind of thing, so it was fun to see what types of costumes we could make that were simple, easy, but still cute. Here's what we came up with!This has got to be my favorite of the bunch. Josh chose khaki pants, brown dress shoes, a button up shirt, tie and suit jacket. He already owned all but the vintage suit jacket. I wore a vintage dress and shoes plus a pair of brown tights. We made our masks out of poster board and water color paint to give it a streaked look for the fur. What's nice about this costume is, if we want to put the masks down, we still have a vintage inspired outfit, so our costume isn't totally out of place without them.
Our Grease inspired look involved a vintage dress and shoes and thrifted leather jacket. Josh also threw on a pair of black jeans, dress shoes, and black t-shirt. This outfit is definitely the most fun of the group, but still super easy to pull together. 
This costume is perfect if you're invited to a last minute costume party and have zero time to run to the store and find specific pieces. We already owned all of these pieces, so it took five minutes to put together.We both chose cowboy boots, plaid tops, and fitted jeans. I added a vest and leather hat, while Josh used his banjo as another accessory to the outfit.

Thanks for letting me share our last minute costume ideas with you! Kinsey