T-shirt Projects

I Love to Create: Snowflake Stencil T-shirts!

We had a wicked nor’easter blow through the East Coast last week, and though the snow pile-up lasted less than twenty-four hours, it sure put me in the mood for winter. So with a family gathering around the corner, I decided to make some wintery-themed T-shirts for the two young cousins in attendance–a little something to wear inside when it’s too cold outside! And a nice alternative to the ubiquitous holiday sweater, don’t you think?

Materials:
-white T-shirt(s) in appropriate size(s)
–Tulip fabric spray paint (light blue)
-white printer paper
-paper scissors
-iron and press cloth
–Tulip Soft Fabric Paint (Gold Glitter, optional)
–Tulip Sponge Brush (optional)

Make it:
1. Fold one of the sheets of paper on a diagonal to “square” it. Use scissors to cut off the excess strip of paper.

2. Bring the lower left corner up to fold the triangle in half again.

3. And again!

4. Use your scissors to start cutting notches along the folded edges: zigzags, circles, crescents, curls, diamonds, and so on! Don’t forget to cut the open edges in an arc, so that the snowflake will be somewhat round in appearance when you unfold.

5. Unfold!

6. Repeat to make many snowflakes (no two will be alike)!

7. Lay the T-shirt flat on your work surface. Arrange the snowflakes onto the front, and press them with a warm iron to keep them relatively flat. (Note: The weight of the spray paint will actually help them stay flat, too.)

8. Lightly spray blue paint over the entire T-shirt (I masked the inside back neckband with paper scraps).

9. Carefully peel off the snowflakes and set them aside. Let the T-shirt dry.

10. Reuse the snowflakes to make T-shirt number two!

Optional: Use the foam brush and glitter paint to add sparkly highlights to the snowflakes.

Let dry, then try on the shirt (or gift it to its recipient!), and curl up by the fire, knowing your snowflakes will never melt.

[ 2 Comments | Posted on November 20th, 2012 ]

Harold and the Purple Crayon Halloween!

Baby’s first Halloween is a tough one — there’s a lot of pressure to make it memorable (even though he won’t remember it at all) and it’s also probably the only time that he won’t have an opinion about the costume. About two months in, Mr. T and I discovered our baby had not one, but two literary doppelgangers, and I promised that if he was still anywhere near as bald as he was at the time, we would honor one of his likenesses for his first Halloween. So between Crockett Johnson’s timeless “Harold” and the holiday-appropriate Alfred Hitchcock, Harold and his violet-hued crayon won out. Let’s start with the inspiration (above, at two months old). Wrinkled brow, giant cheeks, turned up nose. Pretty uncanny, right?

And please forgive the inconsistency in the photos…I made the costume over several late nights!

Materials:
-purple T-shirt (to use for parts)
-long-sleeved off-white T-shirt (or more, depending on how many “drawings” Harold will make)
-blue sleeper (this was worn as the top layer over 2 other sleepers, for warmth!)
-fabric scissors
-ballpoint pen
-ruler
-craft knife and cutting mat
–gold fabric spray paint
–freezer paper
-warm iron
-copy of Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson (for reference! and for reading!)
–disappearing ink fabric marking pen
-sewing machine with matching thread
-needle and thread (for hand sewing)
-fiber fill
–craft jingle bells (optional, to make the crayon rattle a bit)

Make it (Harold’s Purple Crayon):
1. Use the ruler and ballpoint pen to mark out a stencil for the stuffed crayon.

2. Use the craft knife and cutting mat to cut out the stencil.

3. Iron the stencil onto a scrap from the purple T-shirt (I used a flattened out sleeve).

4. Use the fabric paint to spray over the stencil, making sure to mask the areas you don’t want painted. (I originally was going to use black paint for authenticity, but saw this Gold Glimmer in my paint stash, and thought the high contrast would make it show up better!)

5. Let the paint dry for a minute, then peel off the stencil before letting it dry entirely. (I let the stencil sit too long on the one below, and as you can see the paint bled a bit — so I made another one!)

6. Cut 4 to 5 additional rectangles of purple fabric to layer beneath the painted piece (to thicken the crayon wall and add structure). Cut a circle (also several layers) for the bottom of the crayon.

7. Fold the rectangle (all layers), right side in, and line up the paint lines. Then pin and use the sewing machine to stitch a straight line to create a tube. Make two angled cuts to help shape the point of the crayon.

8. Cut a length of T-shirt cord and thread it inside the crayon tube, pinning it between the layers at the tip of the crayon. Stitch along the open edges at the tip (catching the end of the T-shirt cord) and turn it right side out. (The cord should appear to be a “drawing line,” extending from the tip of the crayon, as shown. Use fiber fill to stuff the crayon, and add a few bells in the center, if desired, to add a little jingle (it helped create more interest for my little guy, so he would play with it longer!).

9. Tuck in the edges of the layered circle pieces, and hand-sew the end of the crayon in place.

10. Trim the T-shirt cord (drawing line) as necessary.

11. Harold’s costume is finished! But his drawings (aka his parents’ costumes) aren’t…

Make it (Harold’s Drawings):
1. Select a drawing from the book, and use the disappearing ink pen to sketch it onto shirt number 1. (It’s just a coincidence that the ink from the pen shows up purple before it fades!)

Optional: Select and sketch an image onto shirt number 2.

Perhaps, given the weather, I should have gone with one of these pages:

2. Begin to outline the drawings with more T-shirt cord.

3. Use the sewing machine to carefully stitch the T-shirt cord over the sketches, piece by piece.

4. Done!

And what happens… When Grandma is unexpectedly in town for Halloween festivities? A quick online trip to Out of Print Clothing, of course, and we were able to round out the “story,” with Grandma as the cover of the book!

The best news? Less than 364 days until next Halloween. Start planning! What literary character would you dress as?

[ 14 Comments | Posted on November 2nd, 2012 ]

Happy Halloween! T-shirt Pumpkins!

Wishing you all a happy Halloween with these colorful T-shirt pumpkins made by this oh-so-Swell Designer for iLoveToCreate.

Click here for the full T-shirt pumpkin tutorial, or follow along with this video from The Swell Life (and use your powers of imagination to substitute tie-dye T-shirt fabric for a red bandana!).

(PS: Alexa at The Swell Life has so many swell ideas for holiday decor — especially for Halloween — and we’re just plain tickled pink that she has one of our books on her shelf! Proof below.)

Pumpkin image via iLoveToCreate; video via The Swell Life

[ Comments Off on Happy Halloween! T-shirt Pumpkins! | Posted on October 31st, 2012 ]

10 Quick & Easy T-shirt Halloween Costumes II

Following up last year’s popular list of 10 Quick & Easy T-shirt Halloween Costumes, here is another collection of ten DIY costumes on the fly. From the cinematic to the everyday, from the historical to the commercial, from the sweet to the oh-so-punny (scroll down to #10)…. But let’s start with a classic.

JACK-O-LANTERN T-SHIRT COSTUME

Materials:
-Orange T-shirt
–Tulip Fabric Spray Paint (in black)
-Pen
-Freezer Paper
-Craft knife and cutting mat
-Warm iron
-Newsprint paper

Make it:
1. Use the pen to sketch out jack-o-lantern features on a sheet of freezer paper.

2. Use the craft knife and cutting mat to cut out the features.

3. Iron the freezer paper stencil onto the front of the T-shirt. Insert a sheet of newsprint between the layers of the shirt to prevent the paint from bleeding through.

4. Mask the parts of the T-shirt that are still visible, and spray over the stencil with black paint.

5. Let the paint dry briefly, then peel up the stencil.

6. Let the paint dry completely, then try on the T-shirt and go find a pumpkin patch to haunt!

—

WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, HERE ARE 10 COSTUMES TO MAKE WITH T-SHIRTS (starting with the JACK-O-LANTERN)

#1 Jack-o-lantern. As shown above, that pumpkin patch classic. Black paint on an orange T-shirt. Optional: Accessorize with a green vine and leaves headband.

#2 Sunny day. Paint white clouds on a pastel blue T-shirt, or stick pillow stuffing on the T-shirt. Inspired by one of our readers, Emily A. (not to be confused with Emily P., our model for this post!), who used a variation of the Mohawk Mo’ Rock hat (from Generation T: Beyond Fashion) as the headpiece. We used this more recent accessory. And hey, you can always use the costume to moonlight in Ben & Jerry land.

#3 Dominoes. A fun and very easy group costume (just leave the ears and tail at home so you don’t get mistaken for a dalmatian) — use black fabric paint or black permanent marker on a white T-shirt. And if you get tired at any point while wearing the costume, simply lie down adjacent or end-to-end with a matching number on a friend’s shirt!

#4 Strawberry. Paint yellow seeds on a red shirt, and use green T-shirt scraps to fashion a stem with leaves to sit a top your head. Go solo or meet up with friends to make blueberries, watermelon — a whole fruit salad!

#5 Hippie. Tie-dye a T-shirt, then pair it with bell-bottom jeans, a headband, and any other . (Note: You have to schedule in additional drying time with this one.)

#6 Soup can. Start with a plain white T-shirt and use a black permanent marker, stencils, and red and yellow paint to embellish it. Then convince a pal to go as Andy Warhol!

#7 X-ray. A great way to show some skeleton on Halloween, use white paint on a black T-shirt (and the painted parts will show up gray).

#8 M&M candies. Paint white lowercase ‘m’s onto red, yellow, blue, green, orange, and/or brown T-shirts. Then really go the extra mile and wear white gloves and white sneakers. Gather up a group of friends for a whole handful of candies. Note: This approach also works for Skittles!’

#9 Napoleon Dynamite. Based on the indie hit, paint blue edges on a white T-shirt to mimic a ringer tee; paint or iron on letters to spell “Vote for Pedro.” Top it off with some wiry glasses and a curly wig.

#10 Ceiling fan. Heh. Number 1 fan of the ceiling. Get it? Get it? Use fabric markers or paints on a white T-shirt — and plenty of cheerful props!

—

Happy trick-or-treating everyone! Here’s to last-minute costumes that are as easy as 1, 2, 3.

[ 3 Comments | Posted on October 23rd, 2012 ]

iLoveToCreate: Happy Shiny Pixie Headband!

I attended a photo shoot recently and was inspired to make this headband after I saw a similar one in the stylist’s stash of goodies! While hers was glittery gold and mine is iridescent (I also doubt that hers was fashioned from an old T-shirt sleeve), it’s the Lady-liberty-inspired shape that’s so compelling.

I mean, it’s so bright and sunshine-filled (and a little prehistoric?), and I have to admit, though I was begging for cool temperatures back in the heat waves of July (and couldn’t be happier that nature has complied!), the shorter days are already threatening to change my mood. I’m already missing the sun! This happy, shiny, pixie headband brightens up the day wherever you are.

Materials:
-T-shirt sleeve (or T-shirt scrap of equivalent size)
-scissors
–Tulip Fashion Glitter transfer sheets
-ballpoint pen
-ruler
–Aleene’s Fabric Fusion
-warm iron and pressing cloth
–Tulip Soft Fabric Paint in gold metallic (optional)
-toothpick (optional, to use as a paint applicator)

Make it:
1. Cut out the underarm seam of the sleeve, and lay it flat, right side up. Measure, mark, and cut two 1 1/4″-wide to 1 1/2″-wide strips from the iron-on transfer sheets.

2. Sandwich the two strips together and cut out a series of triangles from one edge (through both layers), leaving a zigzag that runs the width of the strips.

3. Separate the strips and align them along the straight edges, about 3/8″ apart. Use a pressing cloth and iron the strips onto the fabric.

4. Make parallel cuts through the fabric, separating each pair of triangles from the row of zigzags.

5. Determine how many rays of sunshine you’d like (I debated between 5 and 6, and ultimately went with 6), and arrange them evenly around the arc of the headband. Working one ray at a time, spread fabric glue evenly along the inside of the headband, and wrap the flexible fabric piece around the headband, lining up the triangles. Apply glue evenly to the inside of the strip of fabric and press the triangles together (the triangles should seal beyond their edges).

6. Finish gluing each ray, and let them dry flat. (Note: If the fabric is pulling apart, use a clothespin or paperclip to pinch it while it dries.)

7. When the glue is completely dry, trim the fabric to the edges of the triangles.

8. As an optional finishing touch, apply the metallic paint carefully with a toothpick along the fabric edges of the rays. Let it dry.

9. Try on the headband to spread a little sunshine both indoors and out!

[ 4 Comments | Posted on September 25th, 2012 ]

From Our Readers: Maria & Franz!

Earlier this summer, I got an email from my brother and sister-in-law with the subject line “T-shirt Guru, Help!” Maria and Franz are two musicians on an adventure along the Trans-Siberian Railway. Like any good musicians, they travel with merch, and like any good merch-peddlers, they run out of stuff fast. So they were down to two XXL T-shirts and quickly discovered that their fans were tending to come in smaller sizes. Maria writes…

“Franz and I have two XXL T-shirts left of one design and people much smaller than XXL keep expressing interest, but then balk at the size. We have a long train ride coming up, so I started thinking about trying to convert the shirts into cute, cut-up T-shirts. My sewing abilities and supplies are limited, but we’ve got decent scissors, safety pins, and a travel sewing kit. Can you recommend an easy-ish pattern that we could sell to a punky Russian girl?”

How could I ignore such a request? A few cross-continent consultation emails later, Maria and Franz had set up shop: They’d been crashing with some cute punk gals in the outer boroughs of St. Petersburg, and set up a workspace on their kitchen table. Armed with a pair of scissors, and that travel sewing kit, they set to work transforming their merch. Measuring and marking…

Cutting…

And knotting. Ta-da! It’s the “Knot So Fast” (project #104) tank top from Generation T: Beyond Fashion.

Sveta, one of the aforementioned cute punk girls who was looking on, was suspicious of all the scissor activity, but once she tried on the completed result, she asked if she could keep it, so, it seemed to be working. Nothing like converting a skeptic!

Then it was time to tackle “Outer Lace” (project #16) from Generation T.

And then they set off in search of one of the Russian editions of the two books, should any additional emerchencies arise.

UPDATE from the road: “We just sold the last of our Generation T-styled Franz Nicolay shirts to the fashionable women of Orenburg Russia. Thanks for the designs!”

[ Comments Off on From Our Readers: Maria & Franz! | Posted on September 14th, 2012 ]

iLoveToCreate: Back to (Pre)School Tees!

Whether your wee ones are heading back to daycare this fall or are college-bound (not so wee ones), it’s always a treat to have fresh togs to celebrate the occasion — learning! Yes! When I was brainstorming ideas for dressing my little one, I was inspired to try out my shiny new Tulip ScreenIt machine (unlike paper stencils that can wilt a bit after a few uses with soggy paint, you can print in bulk once you make a screen that you like! — I’m stashing that thought away for future birthday party favors…) For this one, I riffed on a little ditty I penned last year to the beat of the esteemed Sir Mix-A-Lot with a nod, of course, to the toddler set and their literary repertoire.

Materials:
–Tulip ScreenIt kit (including fabric ink/paint, brayer, design screens, and a darkroom bulb to install in your workspace)
-8 1/2″ x 11″ sheet of printer paper with black design printed on it (“I like board books and I cannot lie.” in Arial font, size 54)
-tub of water large enough to accommodate the screen
-non-abrasive sponge
-plastic covering for your work surface
-blank T-shirts in the appropriate size

Make it:
1. In a totally light tight room (my bathroom is the only room in my apartment that qualifies, so welcome to my bathroom, dear readers!), place one of the blank screens onto the foam bed, then layer your design face down on top of it. Close the ScreenIt system, sandwiching your design and the screen between the foam bed and the light lid. Then flip the switch on the system to expose the screen to your design. (I set my smart phone timer to 14 minutes.)

2. When the timer goes off, briefly submerge the film completely in water (since we’re getting so well acquainted, welcome to my bathtub!). I left the darkroom light on (that’s the yellow tinge you see), but it’s safe to turn on the regular overhead light at this stage.

3. Place the screen on a flat, dry, plastic-covered surface for 30 seconds, then begin gently rubbing a wet sponge over the design to “bring out” the design and clarify it. (Note: I didn’t have a sponge, so I used a wadded up wet paper towel, which isn’t ideal, but can work in a pinch.) Let it dry completely (about 45 minutes to 1 hour).

4. Slide the T-shirt over the foam bed of the machine, centering it as best you can.

5. Place the design screen (right-reading, if you use text like I did) and then the black frame over the design, to keep the shirt and screen from shifting. (Note: Because of the size of the shirt I used — very tiny! — and the placement of the design on the screen, there was overlap, making the screen not entirely secure.)

6. Apply a thin line of ink directly to the screen, along one side of the design.

7. Use the brayer to firmly spread the ink over the entire design, always swiping in the same direction.

8. Remove the black frame and peel back the design screen. Rinse the screen immediately, without scrubbing it, so that you can let it dry and use it again. (As you can see, mine smudged a bit because the screen shifted slightly because of the small tee, but I think it just looks a little raw and edgier!)

9. Let the shirt dry completely — about 4 hours (no heat-setting required) — and then dress your studious little guy or gal for success!

Variations:
-Since your screen can be used up to 75 times (I haven’t tested this!) if you rinse it immediately after using it (don’t scrub it!), try printing the same design on multiple different items. Print the design across the tush of a pair of pants for a crawler, or down the leg for a little one who’s walking. Print on bandanas, skirts, jackets, shoes and socks, even!
-Use your screen as a pattern that can be layered and repeated (see the white T-shirt in the photo above) — this is especially smart for when it smudges a little too much — just go with the mistake and turn it right around into something great!

[ 8 Comments | Posted on August 28th, 2012 ]

How-to: Olympic Gold Medal T-shirt

Team USA turned in some impressive performances yesterday (don’t worry, no spoilers on Friday’s events in case anyone’s got the DVR set), with a day-end NINE total medals including gold in women’s soccer (redemption!), women’s middleweight boxing (all hail Claressa Shields — what a story!), women’s water polo (Maggie Steffens, yes!), men’s triple jump (Christian Taylor), and men’s decathlon (Ashton Eaton and his teammate Trey Hardee for the 1-2!). With all that excitement, it’s hard not to get caught up in the Olympic fever. I know I am.

Here’s a quick-and-easy T-shirt project to get you on the medal podium–at least in spirit! (No grueling hours/days/years of training required.) Just in time for the closing ceremonies, here’s a trompe l’oeil gold medal to wear for the closing ceremony. (Note: Six-pack abs underneath the T-shirt not included.)

Materials:
-Plain T-shirt
-Ribbon or other colorful trim (at least 3/4″ wide)
–Fabric Glue
–Iron-on Metallic Glitter Sheets
-Iron
-Scissors

Make it:

1. Squeeze a generous amount of fabric glue, centered, along the wrong side of the ribbon and press it against the back of the T-shirt neckband.

2. Wrap the ends of the ribbon around to the front of the shirt and glue them in place. Use fabric scissors to trim the ends of the ribbon so they’re even.

3. Trace and cut a 2″ to 3″ diameter circle from the gold iron-on sheet (I chose glitter gold over shimmer gold for the extra sparkle–and there’s silver in the pack, too, but why settle for silver, when you can go for the gold!).

4. Place the gold circle on the T-shirt so it overlaps the ends of the ribbon. Being careful not to disturb the placement of the medallion, fold up the bottom of the T-shirt to use as a press cloth layer between the iron-on and the hot surface of the iron.

5. Press the circle in place with the iron, check that it’s secure, and press again if necessary.

6. Remove the iron (don’t forget to unplug it!), and try on your gold medal tee. Optional: Cut the sleeves of the shirt to your liking.

7. Repeat the process to make more T-shirts so all your friends and family who come over for the closing ceremony can parade around the living room!

Variation:
Decorate the T-shirts with fabric markers or slash them with scissors. I packed my markers on a recent trip to a family reunion so we could have an Olympic-themed T-shirt refashioning session with my young nieces/nephews/cousins. Dorothy opted for a glow-stick necklace in place of a gold medal, while Bri and Allanna were inspired by the US gymnasts who were competing via the TV screen while we crafted (go, Gabrielle Douglas!), and Tom is a big fan of the swimmers (he’ll have to make a few more of these tees to compete with Michael Phelps’ medal record!).

In addition to the fabric markers, we had letter stencils on hand to print out messages, and scissors on hand to modify and accessorize the tees. “Bri is the best at gymnastics” was lettered across Bri’s drawing of the balance beam and uneven bars. And “Swimming: TOM is good” accompanied Tom’s drawing of a freestyle swimmer (we also added iron-on lightning bolts to the sleeves!).

Allanna’s inspiring words were “#1 A True Gymnast Never Gives Up” and Dorothy’s initials personalized her T-shirt (plus an iron-on silver heart to inspire the champion within!).

Happy 2012 Olympics to all, and here’s to all the athletes who competed, whether they took home a medal or not. (We’re looking at you, Sarah Attar! — a true champion, if ever there was.)

—

And a nod to my sister, who made some gold medal tees first, and who hosted a totally awesome Olympic-themed birthday party during the opening ceremonies!

[ 3 Comments | Posted on August 10th, 2012 ]

I Love to Create: Easy Breezy Heat Wave Tee

This design falls into the category of fashion as necessity: When temperatures push 90 and 100 degrees, there’s little else you want to wear besides a T-shirt. But even a tee can seem stifling when you add humidity to the mix. Here’s a T-shirt hack that’s meant to keep the air circulating–it features a cut-out back and a looser fit. (Of course, a trip to the local ice cream haunt doesn’t hurt the cooling plan either!)

I encourage you to dig into your fabric stash to find an unlikely contender for the fabric insert on this one. The fabric I used was originally purchased by my brother from a discount bin to use as a bed skirt. I inherited it when he moved, and my mom and I made curtains to filter the light in my apartment. Now the remnants have been reincarnated as part of this heat-beating T-shirt. What a life cycle! Tip: Check the give of your fabric–you shouldn’t have to worry too much about working on the bias (the diagonal of the fabric) since the rest of the T-shirt will have plenty of stretch, but consider your layout before you cut!

Materials:
-regular fit T-shirt
-fabric scissors
–disappearing ink pen
-ruler
-straight pins (optional)
–Aleene’s OK Wash-It fabric adhesive (or a sewing machine and thread to match your fabric)

Make it:

1. Turn the T-shirt inside out and lay it face down. Measure and mark about 3 1/2″ to 4″ in from either edge along the hem. Then draw a straight line from each mark to its adjacent sleeve (at the armpit).

2. Cut along that line through only the back layer. Continue cutting around the sleeve, just inside the seam (again, through only the back layer), along the top shoulder seam, and along the back of the neckband. Continue cutting until the back panel of the shirt can be removed. Set the front of the shirt aside momentarily.

3. Lining up the bottom edges of the fabric pieces, lay the back panel of the T-shirt over the backing fabric and trace the panel, extending the shape on either side to accommodate for the 3 1/2″ to 4″ wedge that was cut away. (The extra fabric will help create the flare.) Cut out the shape from the backing fabric.

4. Lay the fabric against the front piece of the T-shirt so that the edges of the two pieces line up, right sides together. Use the permanent fabric adhesive to glue the inside edges together. Optional: Use straight pins to hold the fabric edges in place before you glue.)

5. Ease the edges together, pinching and pressing them in place. Then let dry completely.

6. Turn the tee right side out and touch up any gaps along the seams.

7. Layer the tee over a thin tank top if you’re feeling demure, or be bold by wearing a colorful, barely there undergarment (the point is to limit the layers of fabric on the skin after all!).

Variations:
-Replace a panel along the top of the sleeve as well.
-Replace a smaller panel in the back of the T-shirt with a cotton crocheted doily.
-Make the flare more exaggerated and fluttery.
-Experiment with different fabrics (silk scarf, old mesh sports jersey, a linen table cloth).

Next up? Though I quite like the subtle contrast in whites (the stark cream with the more ivory gauze), I’m going to experiment with dye the next time I make this design!

[ 4 Comments | Posted on July 24th, 2012 ]

How to: T-shirt Scrunchie Necklace

Last week, I posted a tutorial for making a statement necklace using T-shirt scraps. This week, we’re making a necklace using the scraps leftover from that necklace. It’s worth keeping in mind that you can construct and wear this necklace in about two minutes — seriously! Now that is a statement.

Materials:
-Scrap hems (or scrap sleeve seams) from 2-3 T-shirts
-Safety pin or paperclip
-Fabric scissors

Make it:
1. Trim the stitching off one of the T-shirt hems and stretch it out to create a long T-shirt cord. Attach a safety pin (all I had on hand was a paperclip, which worked fine!) to one end. Collect all the hem pieces left over from cutting the rectangles needed to make the T-shirt Confetti Necklace (a byproduct of step 1, the hem pieces should be about 1 1/2″ long, with the stitching still in place). There should be a hollow space through the center, making it, essentially, a soft bead.

2. Thread the T-shirt cord through the T-shirt beads, arranging them in any desired pattern.

3. Rotate the beads so the stitching appears on the “outside” of the necklace and scrunch them together, creating a ruffled look. Then tie the two ends of the T-shirt cord in a bow at the desired length at the back of your neck.