Leg Warmers

These Two Girls live in the North East, and up here... it is still pretty chilly.  So here is a simple DIY project for you ladies who want to stay trendy in the winter.

Supplies:

an old sweater

scissors

2 rubber bands

I paid a whopping $1.99 for this sweater at the Salvation Army. A great tip: shop kid's sections for this project. They usually have fun patterns and their clothes are always cheaper.

Cut each sleeve off right at the arm seam.

Here are your two leg warmers.

If you are feeling ambitious, you can sew a new seam up top and add elastic inside of it. I always have just used rubber bands or hair elastics though, and they work great.

So here are your brand new leg warmers! A big trend that the Two Girls are loving this winter is the slouchy socks up higher then your boots. This is a great (and cheap!) alternative.

Here's to staying warm this Winter!

--Emily Jo

Portrait Work

This is the first post from Two Girls that is a computer tutorial.  As much as I love using my hands to create...in this digital age, you need to be computer savvy too. This fun project can be done with really any program on your computer that lets you create a new layer. I used Photoshop and it only took me a total of 20 minutes to do, and I can't wait to do more!

Supplies:

Uploaded photo

Photoshop (or a similar program)

Start by choosing a photo of someone that is deserving of this awesome portrait.

I decided to chose our friend Liz because she has pretty blue eyes that I wanted to draw.

Crop your photo if you need to, and import it into your photo editing software. Immediately select "New Layer". (In photoshop, the path is "Layer -->New-->Layer")

Once the new layer is created, select your paintbrush tool and begin to outline the key points of the photo. (Eyes, nose, mouth, hair, shoulders, ect...) It is helpful to zoom in to the photo to really be accurate. (To zoom using photoshop, on the bottom left of your photo it should say 100%, change that to 500% or however close you need it. To zoom out, change back to 100%)

Keep tracing everything you want in your photo.  Remember to enclose all lines to prepare for when you dump your paint bucket into the selected area that it doesn't leak out into other parts of your photo.

Now hide your first layer that has your photo on it. (To do this in photoshop, all of your layers are lined up on the right side of the screen, click the little eyeball next to your layer and make it disappear. 

Select your paint bucket tool and start filling in the areas of the photo.  I went for a Pop Art kind of feel and chose bright, saturated, colors to fill my photo. Remember: If a line is not fully closed, your color will leak out onto your photo. To fix this, just zoom in and close your line, you must have left a tiny area open.

You can always make the photo layer reappear by selecting the little eye next to your layer again and making it visible. When you are all done with your photo, completely delete the photo layer (In photoshop, just highlight the layer on the left and click the delete key), and export your portrait!

This would be a fun idea to have hanging up at someone's birthday party, or to make your own "save the date" cards like this with you and your fiance, or for your band's flyer for your next show, you could make these into DIY playing cards, DIY coasters, iron on transfers....pretty much my mind is exploding with ideas to make more of these. 

Portraits have definitely come a long way!

--Emily Jo

Fabric Wrapped Frames

This is a great way to update an old frame, and add a touch of 'homemade' to any space in your home.

Supplies:

Picture Frame

Scrap Fabric

Scissors

Mod Podge

Paintbrush

I found my frame for .79 cents at a thrift store, if you don't have any frames laying around your house you want to update, I definitely suggest you try the local thrift shops, Dollar Tree, and Salvation Army near you. It doesn't matter what the frame looks like, because you will be completely changing the look of it. Just make sure you like the shape of your chosen frame.

Start by cleaning off any dust on your frame and taking out the backer and glass.

Cut your scrap fabric into strips. Size doesn't matter, neatness doesn't matter, just make a few strips.  Mine were about 1.5" wide by 1' long. And the amount of fabric you need is comparable to the size of your frame. I used less than 1/4 of a yard.

Now paint your Mod Podge on the front, back, and sides of a small section of your frame that you are going to start with.

Grab a strip and start on the back of your frame.  Stick your strip to your Mod Podge and start wrapping.

Always working down your frame, continue wrapping your first strip.

To secure the end of each strip, paint some Mod Podge over the top of it. Remember, Mod Podge dries completely clear, so you really can't overdo it, no worries.

Keep wrapping and try to avoid the little, bendable, securing strips that hold your picture in the frame. Leave them sticking out, you'll need those. 

Once you are all done and your whole frame is now covered in fabric, insert your backer and glass back in before your frame dries. You want to make sure everything fits back in while it's still malleable. 

Here is my finished product!

I decided I needed a little Vinny in my room.

My walls were pretty empty so I'm thinking of doing a whole wall of these frames mixed with vintage frames of all different shapes and sizes.

It's a great way to mix and match a bunch of framed pictures on a wall, while still creating a unity by having all of the frames be fabric.

--Emily Jo

Pizza Crescent Rolls

Here's an appetizer so easy to make, that my 5 year old nephew made them. Only three ingredients, a definite crowd pleaser, and ready from prep to cool in under 30 minutes.

Supplies:

Pillsbury Crescent rolls

Pepperoni

String Cheese

Baking sheet

The Pepperoni can be substituted with anything really. Think pizza toppings: sausage, mushrooms, broccoli, ham, peppers, ect...

Then match the approproate string cheese with your topping: cheddar, swiss, mozzarella...We stuck to the basics this time and did pepperoni and mozzarella.

Lay out your crescent rolls flat. Unwrap your string cheese and cut each piece in thirds.

Place your string cheese pieces and pepperoni onto each crescent roll.

Roll up each crescent roll with all your pizza toppings inside.

Follow the directions on the back of your crescent roll container for cook times.

Ours was 10-15 mins on 350 degrees.

Once the cheese is gooey and the crescent rolls are browning, you're all done! These would be good 

paired with a marinara dipping sauce as well.

Thumbs up from the cook.

Perfect, easy app for new years eve!

--Emily Jo

What a Hoot Ornaments

This is about as "Go Green" as it gets. Recycled toilet paper roll ornaments!

Supplies:

Toilet Paper Roll

Acrylic Paint

Sharpie

Next time you reach the end of the roll, save it...

and paint it...

and fold in one end...

Now grab a sharpie...

And decorate your Owl!

These owls fit nicely over a bendable branch on your tree!

Have a great Holiday Weekend and stay tuned for more Winter-y posts!

--Emily Jo

Gift Card Holder

This is for that tough person on your gift list this season that you simply gave up on. Let's face it, we've all been there. You've looked all around the store, trying to figure out what size his inseam is, or if she was serious or joking when she said she wanted that hot pink Snuggie. After much deliberation, you just grabbed a gift card and said in your head "Whatever. He can get whatever he wants."

This project is a really quick and easy way to personalize that plastic that no thought what-so-ever went into.

Supplies:

Gift Card

Cardstock or Scrapbooking paper

Scissors

Double Sided tape

Ruler

pen/pencil

Optional: Any embellishments: bow, ribbon, buttons, jewels, ect...

First, flip your paper face down so the pattern side is not showing. You guys are lucky because I did some measuring, so there's no trial and error for you. On the white side of the paper, mark off these measurements for your gift card holder:

7.5" tall x 5" wide

Then cut out your long rectangle shape.

Once cut, you need to measure and make small marks at:

3" from the end...

...and then another 3" up from that. This will leave you with 1.5" at the end.

Fold along the 2 small lines you just marked.

Like this!

Now you need to make a little flap to be able to shut your card holder closed with. 

I did this by cutting a half moon shape flap out in the middle of my 1.5" section.

Now time for that double sided tape!

It's hard to see because it's white here...but you want to put 2 very small pieces right above the 1.5" section. Then fold up the 1.5" section and stick to the tape so it will close on each end, making a pocket for your gift card.

Fa La La La La La La La Saturated Color.

Tuck your top 3" section under the little half moon flap you cut and your gift card will be all cozy inside, ready to be gifted.

I added a bow onto the front of mine, obviously personalize it however you would like. You can write your standard "To:____ From:____ "on there as well.

This is a great way to personalize or theme any gift card as well. Is this for your niece's birthday? Use a section from a Disney Princess poster. Did a couple just buy their first house? Do this out of free paint sample swatches. Your Brother just celebrated his sweet 16 and he's ready to get behind that wheel? Do the holder out of a road map. The possibilities are endless!

So I hope you now feel a little better about handing someone a gift card this season. It will look like you put more thought into their gift than you actually did.

--Emily Jo