Valentine's Gift Guide: Homemade Edition

Sometimes, the best gifts are handmade and homemade - there's really no need to splurge on anything! After all, it's the thought that counts ;)

(if you would like to see my outdoors/picnic Valentine Day look, click here)

*Note: NONE of these tutorials are mine as I found them all on Pinterest - credits go to their respective owners. Click on the links to go to the respective tutorials*

For the DIY-er

one. message inside an egg: 

I find this so cool! Imagine cracking open an egg and finding a little note inside. Very simple tutorial which means you can make more than one - maybe let him/her go on a treasure hunt? ;) Unleash the creativity and paint the egg shells as you desire!

two. erasable notepad:

Choose your own background - it can be a funky pattern or a saying. Put it in a frame and you can write whatever you want on the glass. The best part - it's reusable!

three. crayon hearts

If you have any spare or broken crayons lying around, this would be the perfect gift. Melt and mould them into psychedlic hearts.

four. valentine fortune cookies

A similar take on the message in side the egg, but this time, it's edible! Decorate the takeaway box to suit the season. After all, everyone loves fortune cookies.

For the: Creative Mind

one. valentine day lightbulb

Quite a dangerous task so take caution, but otherwise, really cool.

two. heart snow globe

A cute novelty idea!

three. polaroid pictures

A lovely keepsake to commemorate all the memories as well as a pretty awesome room decor (:

four. sharpie mug

Possibly the easiest one out there - all you need are blank mugs and sharpies! Be as creative, witty and quirky as you want and transform that plain mug into a masterpiece. Google has loads of inspiration if you're stuck for ideas. Don't forget to bake it for a while afterwards!

For the: Sweet-Tooth

If your girl/guy likes all things sugar-y, sometimes, it's okay to give them what they want - whether it is small munch-worthy treats or a large cake all for themselves!

one. chocolate covered strawberry hearts

two. strawberry marshmallow cake

three. strawberry heart pie

four. mini chocolate strawberry cheesecake

Hope you gained some inspiration for what to do this Valentine's Day - whether you're spending it with special someone, family or friends! Love knows no bounds ;)

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Brand Spotlight // Fashion & Beauty Tribes

Today I would love to introduce you to a new Etsy shop called: Fashion and Beauty Tribes Cushion Shop which is run by Sinead who also has a blog (here)

Her Etsy shop sells hand-made cushions (surprise, surprise) in all sorts of designs. Here is my mini interview with her (:

Q. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and your shop?

A. Well I'm Sinead and I blog at http://fashionandbeautytribes.blogspot and I have recently ventured into another love of mine sewing.

Q. Where did you get the inspiration behind your shop? Why cushions?

A. I don't really know I had been making cushions for a while for family and friends and they loved them so I thought maybe I should sell a  . I Chose cushions because they are simple to make and instantly make your bedroom look fab.

Q. Why did you choose Etsy?

A. I used to buy a craft magazine that always talked about esty and how it sold homemade goods I thought this was a better platform for my cushions rather than eBay because esty has a real homemade feel to it if that makes sense.

Q. What is your ultimate goal for your shop in the future?

A. I would love to create more designs and maybe make some decorations , also sell worldwide .

So if you like a lovely hand-made gift, then Sinead's shop is the place for you! She currently only ships within the UK and as she is just starting out, do head on over and take a look ---> here

Which is your favourite design?

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Maybe not an addict...as I can live without coffee, but I love it loads :D Caramel Frappucino anyone?

P.S: Please do vote for me for a Missguided competition HERE - it will only take a few seconds and I'll be eternally grateful!

*Note*: this is not a PR, sponsored or paid post. All images from HERE

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OOTD // A Transformation

Please do excuse my facial expression and the weird lighting. It was 7am in the morning so the sunlight was being funky and I was in a hurry!

I guess this is like a super duper little DIY post... or rather more of a fashion trick that you can use if you have flowy, light dresses that are a tad too long (:

BEFORE

Dress: Mum's Floral clip: Forever21 The dress is actually my mum's which is wore when she was younger. I found in a place I like to call, 'The Narnia Wardrobe' because it contains pieces of clothing that my aunts and mum don't like to wear anymore - for whatever reason. Everytime I go back to Malaysia, I always manage to find something that I like or can incorporate into everyday wear and so... I steal it :D Plus, the clothes have a vintage-y vibe to them ;) Anyway, I saw this dress in the closet and really like the design and small floral pattern. My only complain was that it was a tad too long for my liking. Being petite, I like to keep dresses above my knee (unless it's a maxi). I was originally going to ask my grandma to hem it for me, but then I had a 'Eureka!' moment and decided on something else.

PROCESSING

I took a simple, red woven belt to cinch it at the waist where I felt most comfortable. Then I began untucking bits of the dress out to shorten the length of the dress. 

ET VOILA!

I got my own sundress! Perfect for all occasions!

And the best part is that I can control the length by untucking or re-tucking the dress and I can even make it asymmetric but changing the lengths at the side or the back/front! The possibilities are endless. This method works best on clothing made of lighter material - like chiffon, silk or light cotton.

It's amazing what a simple belt and a bit of thinking can do! And guess what, it's free ;) Heheh

Here's some that are similar:

From L-R:  Motel Rocks // General Pants // Asos

Do you have any fashion secrets?

Linking up with: Friday's Fab Favourites + Three-fer Thursday + Simple Easy Style + Monday Bloom

P.S: Please do vote for me for a Missguided competition HERE - it will only take a few seconds and I'll be eternally grateful!



Keep up with me on: Bloglovin' //Tumblr // Twitter // Lookbook //Pinterest // Google + //Google Friend Connect