5-Minute DIY Trendy Statement Necklaces

I've found that a great solution to the "I have nothing to wear" complex is adding the right accessories. And the quickest and cheapest way to do that is to repurpose something I already have on hand.

Back around 2005 we were all wearing long beaded necklaces that hung down to our belly buttons. Nowadays, the cycle of accessory fashion has rotated back around to short and chunky. Trendy statement necklaces are layered and rest above the breastbone.

For this quickest of projects I repurposed those long necklaces from the previous decade into trendy statement necklaces. And here's the best part, I did it non-destructively and it took less than five minutes!

I started with a long beaded necklace, a roll of ribbon, and fabric scissors. Using fabric scissors on ribbon is important if you want to prevent fraying. Dull scissors will leave you with jagged cuts.

Thrift Store Fashion for the Fourth

Unlike last year, I'm not playing host this 4th of July, so my thrifting focus lately has been on fashion. This post is inspired by Lindsay Turner at Thrift & Shout. She always finds the cutest and trendiest clothes at the thrift store, so I had to show off a few of mine.

First up, a halter dress I've had for about a year, snagged for $8 at Goodwill. It may be hard to see, but the pattern is small red dots on white. I love the vintage pin-up silhouette of this dress.

West Elm Inspired DIY Part 3: Red Lacquer Tray

I'm serious when I say I'm a perpetual DIYer. So perpetual, in fact, that sometimes there just isn't time to share everything here! I'm playing catch-up on projects that have fallen through the cracks, starting with this third installment of my series of DIY projects inspired by West Elm. (Part 2 a.k.a. Rope Lamps was just featured on Copycat Crafts! Yay!)

In addition to my love of lamps, I also love trays. It must be the neat freak in me (or as my friends would say, the Monica Geller in me) that is obsessed with the organizational possibilities of a tray. With a tray you can carry breakfast to the bedroom without spilling! With a tray, you can turn an ottoman into a coffee table! Truly delightful, aren't they?

No surprise, I've been drooling over West Elm's colorful lacquer trays ever since I first saw them.