DIY Faux Leather Bag to Peplum Belt

I’ve had this faux leather slouchy bag lying around for a while and decided to transform it into a versatile belt. I love the peplum trend but don’t really want every single item of clothing in my wardrobe to feature this feminine shape. If you want to try your hand at this project but you don’t have anything to reuse the fabric from, you could just purchase the fabric or use any other kind of thick fabric that will hold its shape.

For this DIY you will need:

•    Faux Leather bag or fabric (approx. 1 square metre)
•    Baking paper or brown paper (something cheap to draft a pattern onto)
•    Pencil or marker
•    Tape measure
•    Fabric scissors
•    Sticky tape
•    Sewing needle for hand stitching
•    Sewing machine and thread
•    Bias binding (of your chosen width and colour)
•    Iron
•    Craft glue
•    Lace trim or any other kind of decorative trim (optional)
•    Thin waist belt

Using fabric scissors, chop out the leather panels from the bag and lay flat.  Put to the side.

Tape three strips of baking/brown paper together to create a flat sheet (approx. one square metre) to draft a donut shape on.

Using a tape measure, measure the circumference of your waist. Using the formula: circumference= pi (3.14157) X d (diameter), work out the diameter (length from one side of circle to the other) of your circle to create the inner circle of the peplum belt.

Draw that circle in the middle of the paper using the tape measure to accurately measure from the centre point to the outer edges.

Decide how long you want your peplum belt to be. I was limited by the amount of fabric from the bag so I measured approximately 16cm from the edge of the first circle.

Mark this second circle using the tape measure and centre point of the first circle.

Now that you have your donut (to-be-peplum) shape, cut it out. Cut out the centre circle also. Fold into four equal parts and cut on the folds to create four identical pattern pieces.

Trace this shape onto the fabric and cut out.

   

Sew the four parts of the circle together to create the donut shape leaving an opening between two of the quarters.

To make the waistband, create a rectangle shape on the left over paper measuring ¼ of your waist measurement by double the thickness that you want your waste band. Mine measured 16cm X 7cm.

 

Cut out four of these rectangles from the remaining fabric. Sew the four pieces together to form the waistband.

Using a sewing machine, attach the waistband to the inner edge of the peplum belt. Try to line up the seams of the belt and the waistband as it will be visable. 

With the waistband attached, I chose to edge the belt with bias binding to add another element of texture and also to keep the hem of the belt clean and polished.

Iron the bias binding in half as accurately as possible. Sew onto the open edges of the belt as well as the hemline.

Fold the waistband in half and hand sew the raw edge to the seam inside (the one that secured the waistband to the peplum frill). You could sew this with a sewing machine however the result is cleaner if done by hand.

  

To soften the edgy leather look, I added a lace trim around the seam of the waistline. Use craft glue to attach to add it to the peplum belt. (This step is totally optional.)

The waistband of this belt is designed to have another thin belt fed through the opening. Use a slim waist belt to add this cute little design to any boring outfit to give it a completely new look!

 

I had lots of fun creating this belt. There is so much experimenting you could do with this project as you use different fabrics, belts or embellishments. This leather piece could be added to any top or dress to give it a fresh look. 

              

Let me know what you think or to give some feedback about the tutorial. I would love to read your comments.

Love,

Holly x

'Summer Love' Sundress - DIY Tutorial

Hi girls, 

Summer would have to be my favourite season and I'm still soaking up all it's toasty warm rays before winter comes along. This sundress is perfect for a day at the beach or lazing around in the sun. 

I'm so excited about sharing this video tutorial with you! Check out the video clip and let me know what you think! I'd love your feedback! 

Hol xx

You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile

Hi girls,

Thank you so much for your support already for MHM! Today I want to encourage you with the idea of dressing yourself with a smile each morning as you prepare for the day ahead. 

In the musical Annie, the main character sings, 'You're never fully dressed without a smile,' and I was encouraged to think about the way I interact with others during the day. So often we focus on caring for our outer appearance that we neglect to give our inner selves much love at all!

A smile is a simple gesture that can make someone's day a whole lot more enjoyable! I'm not talking about a forced smile that really doesn't reflect how you feel on the inside, but one that is genuine and warm. Many of us feel stressed or busy throughout the day but its not too hard to remember to share a smile with those we see along the way. 

Perhaps you are in a place where you don't feel like you have a smile to share? One great way to find reason to smile is to think about all of the things you are grateful for. Maybe make a list or talk to a close friend about the wonderful things in your life. Personally, Jesus' faithfulness to me even when I fail Him, always gives me reason to be glad. 

A smile helps you to keep positive even when you might be having a difficult day. Most of all it is a gift that you can give for free that warms the heart of another. Our society is so based around technology that maybe we have forgotten the generosity of a kind smile. The smily emoticon ' :) ' hardly compares.

What happened to the days when we smiled and greeted the person passing on the street? It's time to get back to basics! 

I'd love to hear in the comment section below about a time when you have been blessed by the smile of another or felt uplifted by the kind smile of another. 

Keep on smiling,

Hol xx

DIY Halter / Racer Front Tank

This has been one of my fun holiday projects this summer. I saw a similar one in store and this DIY is a fraction of the cost. 

To make this top you will need:

• A sewing machine (you could borrow one if needed)
• Scissors
• Stretch fabric (Anything with a lot of stretch will work)
• Pins
• Thread (that matches the fabric
• A tank top you already have that fits you well (this will be used to draft a pattern for the top)
• Tape measure
• Fabric Chalk (a pencil also works)

1. Fold the fabric in half with the stretch running horizontally. The right side of the fabric should be on the inside. There should be two layers of fabric.

 

2. Lay your top onto the fabric and trace around it with fabric chalk. If you don't own fabric chalk, a lead pencil or pins will do. Only mark under the sleeves and the length of the top as we are reforming the neckline shape.

3. Drawing free-hand, mark out the outline of a halter top. Join those marks to the traced shape of the top you made previously. 

4. Remove the top and cut out the tank top pieces (front and back). Both the front will be the same shape and this is why we have cut through two layers.

 

5. Using a tape measure, measure the circumference of your neck. The band around the neck will be based off this measurement. Depending on how thick you want the band to be. Mark out a rectangle onto the remaining fabric, again with the stretch going horizontally (so the top will stretch over the head without the need for a zipper). The measurements I used were 51cm X 13cm. Again, there is two layer of fabric.

6. Take the front and back pieces of the top and sew them together (straight stitch). 

7. Fold over 1/2 cm on the arm holes and stitch (straight stitch) to prevent from fraying.

8. Hem the bottom of the tank top with a zig-zag stitch so that it will stretch easily. 

9. Next, the neck band is to be attached. Take the two rectangular pieces set aside for the neck band. Sew one long side of the two rectangles together. 

10. Open out into a bigger rectangle and sew the shorter edges together to make a  tube shape. Below shows the neckband pinned to the top. Match the seam of the neckband with the middle of the back piece. Once you have pinned the neckband to the top, attach it using a zig-zag stitch. 

 

11. Fold over the edge of the neckband that is not yet attached, concealing the seams inside. Pin, then sew with a top stitch around the band.

12. And you're done! You can leave the turtle-neck high or fold it over or under like I have with this outfit (below). 

  

Let me know if you have any questions. I'd love to see how yours worked out! Post a photo or tag MHM on FB. Please comment below what you thought of this tutorial or maybe a suggestion for the next one.

Hol xx

Sweet Potato Chips

I recently heard about this delicious, sweet and nutritious snack and had to give it a try. All I can say is that I have made these weekly for myself, my friends and my family. My boyfriend Pete and house sister Brittany are also big fans! These are such a great alternative to fatty, deep-fried potato chips. 

The recipe is really simple. All you need is:

• Sweet Potato (I'm using three varities in this batch)
• Coconut Oil (you can find it in your supermarket in the Asian cooking section)
• Maple Syrup (I use an organic, 100% pure, maple syrup)
• Sea Salt (Tastes great without the extra chemicals of table salt)
• Baking tray
• Non-stick baking paper
• Oven

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees celsius (fan-forced). 

2. Chop up your sweet potato into thin wedges. I leave the skin on because it gives a bit of extra crunch! 

3. Put your raw chips into a bowl and set aside. 

4. Depending on how many people you are baking for, you need to combine 1 part coconut oil to 2 parts maple syrup. It's not super important to have the measurements exact but the chips need to be coated so that they have the sweet/salty flavours. Some of the thicker coated chips have a chewy, toffee taste. (Oh my, I can't wait until they come out of the oven!)

5. Add your coconut oil and maple mixture to the chips and toss through so that they are evenly coated. 

6. Lay down enough baking paper to cover the tray. Spread out the chips onto the tray.

7. Bake in the oven until crispy and golden (about 20-30 mins).

These make for a fantastic snack or addition to any meal. It's a great way to show some loving to that rockin' body of yours. 

Let me know what you think! 

Lots of love,

MHM xx

All credit for this idea belongs to Tara Stiles at tarastiles.com