By Lindsey North, projects intern

In Volume 02 of CRAFT magazine there's a page that shows the reader how to revamp a pair of old shoes. The author, one Yasmin Bochi, covered a pair of shoes using vintage stamps that she had collected. This inspired me to try to breathe life back into one of my favorite pairs of shoes that died from being overworked.

My Nine West flats had clearly suffered, grinding away on the concrete. After reading Yasmin's article, I was cleaning off my table, shuffling mail and old newspapers, and I decided to resuscitate my shoes by covering them in old newsprint. So I pulled out my box of wonders and uncovered the amazing Mod Podge (good stuff), an adhesive and a sealer all in one.

After carefully ripping apart the paper, I lightly sanded my shoes so that the glue would stick better. The shoes were now prepped and ready for the decoupage. Later, as they sat by the window enjoying a light breeze, I covered them in another layer of Mod Podge to seal them. But I stupidly forgot that your foot actually bends when you walk, so ... my favorite pair of shoes now hangs on the wall as a decoration and as a reminder of what all other shoes should be.

Your Craft Intern,
Lindsey

I have always had a soft spot for crazy quilts, rainbows, and the wardrobe of Punky Brewster. That being the case, I often find myself making larger-than-life jewelry with a hodgepodge effect. The Crazy Quilt Ping Pong Ball Necklace is no exception. Swimming in a fashion sea of subtle charms and chains, a girl like me is often forced to comb the aisles of the sporting goods store and take matters into her own hands.

Shirred Pillowcase Top
By Betz White

When summer heats up I am definitely on the lookout for cool summer tops. And I've got a great stash of thrifted pillowcases that are the perfect candidates for a makeover. A few rows of elastic smocking makes a super comfy top and adds just the right detail.

Bring On Spring Cardigan
By Linda Permann

Update a "blah" cardigan with ruffled strips of printed fabric to make a statement piece. This is a great refashion for a closet or thrifted sweater that no longer begs you to wear it, and is also great creative camouflage for stained sweaters. You can vary the length and number of ruffles to suit your fancy.

Papier-Mâché Floral Brooches
By Cathy Callahan

I just absolutely adore Michelle Obama's sense of style — I check out the Mrs. O blog all the time. I love that she supports young and lesser-known American designers. I also really love that she's not afraid to wear big accessories, especially when it comes to jewelry. Most of the time she doesn't stop with just one great big floral brooch. It's typical to see her with two on the lapel of a jacket or maybe three on her cardigan to cinch it closed. I even found a photo of her with four of them gracefully placed around the collar of her dress.

An internet search revealed who makes and where to buy what Michelle wears, and even how to achieve the same looks for less. One would think that since many of her brooches could be easily handmade that there would be a few DIY tutorials here and there. But I found nothing.

I think the most obvious choice to make your own Mrs. O-inspired brooch would be to craft one using fabric. Here on CRAFT, you can find some amazing tutorials for fabric flowers (here and here). I decided to try my hand at a papier-mâché brooch.

This should cost you next to nothing, and you probably already have most of the supplies on hand in your desk drawer or craft stash.

From Maxi Dress to Mini Dress
Change last year's trendy maxi dress to this season's mini dress in 30 minutes!
By Diana Eng

Summer 2008 was the summer of the maxi dress, sweet and long, with a full, feminine skirt, and sometimes with a naughty plunging neckline. This dress was on the runways, on celebrities, and in stores everywhere from cheapies at Forever 21 to high-end Donna Karan. I have to admit that I also had a summer maxi dress, one that I nabbed from H&M for a mere $12.90!

But now what's a gal to do in summer 2009 when flirty, short skirts and mini dresses are the new trend? Like any budget-minded crafty girl, I'm ready to take to the scissors and sewing machine. I'll show you how to take last year's maxi dress and make it into this summer's mini. This alteration draws inspiration from the spring 2009 runway shows of Anna Sui, BCBG Max Azria, and Marc by Marc Jacobs. This season, it's all about dresses with a flirty little skirt. As you can see, all of these skirts have a little bit of a poof to them, sometimes with a full skirt and sometimes organically draped. These little dresses are so perfect to wear with a belt or under cropped cardigans and shirts.

To convert our maxi, we're going to use a technique called draping. For this project, you will need either a dress form or a friend to wear your dress while you drape or reposition the skirt and pin it into place. Put on your designer's cap for a bit as you move the dress to design the best skirt shape for you.

Here are three hip accessory projects that you can make yourself. They are imaginatively created from discarded household plastic containers. Easy projects that open the door for fresh ways to recycle, their bold, cheerful style is bound to inject your wardrobe with a high-fashion buzz.

Gathering the materials is part of the design adventure. The colorful graphics and lightweight characteristics of the plastics allow you to pile them on in daring, oversized proportions and crazy color combinations. For each project, use the list of materials as a guide, adjusting it to the empty containers that you have in your home and to your favorite colors. It's no-rules fun to make and wear these accessories, and any goofs can just be tossed back in the recycle bin!

Tarina O-Ring Necklace
By Vickie Howell

This wise owl says that every gal could use a little whimsy in her life! Transform any large charm into your own crochet creation and you'll be shouting, "Self-expression is here to stay!"

Finished Measurements: Approximately 36", depending on the length of the pendant.

Materials:

Ball of DMC Senso Metallic in color 1402 (45% cotton/45% acrylic/10% metallic thread; 100yds/91m)
Size US G (4.25m) hook
Large-eye embroidery needle
1 ½" plastic O-rings (15) found in the notions section of the craft store
12mm jump rings (16) found in the jewelry section of the craft store
Large charm, medallion, or pendant
Jewelry pliers (optional)

O-Ring Directions (Make 15):

Place your hook through the center of a 1½" O-ring. Place a slipknot on your hook and pull it towards you, out of the center of the ring. Wrap the yarn counterclockwise and pull through the loop. Your yarn should now be affixed to the ring. From here on, you'll just treat the ring as if it were a row of stitches.

Ch1, Sc all the way around until none of the plastic ring is visible (push stitches close together so they're jam-packed on the ring). Join round with a sl st. Tie off. Using an embroidery needle, weave in the ends as best as possible.

Assembly:

Using your hands or a pair of jewelry pliers, split a jump ring and insert it through the yarn "seam" on one of the crocheted O-rings created by the Sc. Slide a second O-ring on and close the jump ring. You'll now have 2 O-rings attached. Continue in this manner until all 15 O-rings are connected. Finish off by attaching jump rings onto your pendant and adding it to the O-rings to close off your necklace.

About the Author:

Vickie Howell is a mother, designer, writer, and voice for this generation's craft movement. She hosted TV's popular show Knitty Gritty for 8 seasons, co-hosted DIY's Stylelicious, writes an Eco-Craft column for the healthy parenting magazine, KIWI, designs for publications worldwide, and has written several craft books, including the upcoming Pop Goes Crochet (May '09). For more scoop, go to: www.vickiehowell.com.