If you don’t know what to do with an old t shirt here’s a cute way to cut shirts. I had lots of fun figuring out how I could make use of this huge ugly t shirt I got from working at JC Penny’s during the holidays. Upcycle old t shirts are the best way to repurpose old t shirts. I created this simple t shirt tutorial cutting and braiding the huge t shirt into a cute suspender skirt that is great for the summer season. There’s no sewing involved. Simply cut, braid and tie some knots.
Pick a t-shirt that is large enough to cover the length you want your suspender skirt to be. Carefully plan and draw where you will make your cuts to the t shirt. Check your measurement twice and then again, you only have one chance to maximize the fabric on the t skirt so take your time. If you have tons of t shirts sitting around then you can afford a mistake or two to get it right. I had only one huge t shirt so I made everything is exactly the way I want before I made my cuts.
2. Cut the two side stips in the back at the waist line so the front of the two strips are still attached to the front waistline of the skirt. Cut the two side strips into 3 thin strips. These will be the front suspenders. Cut the middle wide flap at the front waistline leaving the back flap still attached to the back waistline. this will be the back suspender. Fold the two front strips down. Fold the back middle wide flap down. Use your thumb as a guide to cut notches all around the t-shirt. The notches cut in about 1/4″. When you open it up, it should be about 1/2″.
3. Braid the whole circumference of the t-shirt using the chart from daretodiy.com. Tie the last notch.
4. When you finish braiding all the way around the t shirt, the two (3 thin stips) and the back middle flap will be downwards under the braid. Pull the braids under and up towards the top. Fold the back middle flap up. Cut the middle back flap into 6 thin strips that’s still attached to the waist line. Pull the 6 thin strips under the waistline braids.
5. The two (3 thin strips) in the front have a sewing connection which was at the shoulder, you can secure it by sewing it with extra thread. If it it tight then there’s no need to do this step. Sometimes cutting the shirt will loosen the connection at the shoulder.
6. Braid the two (3 thi strips in the front). Weave the back flap that you’ve cut into 6 thin strips.
7. Connect the two front suspender braid to the back flap weave to create a flower. The connection looks like a “Y”. Cut off any odd pieces when you have secured the connection.
Cut t shirts are super fun experiments
Cut t shirt experiments are super fun especially if you have lot of old shirts lying around. Sometimes it takes some practice to get it right. Doing upcycle and repurpose projects not only saves your clothes from going to dumping grounds and polluting our planet but is a great way to express creativity. I’d be so happy to see what you made. Share what you made with your old t shirt.
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Is the hair salon near me safe?
We are currently in the middle of a pandemic. It’s normal to be overly cautious about the places we visit. A salon visit may put a family member in danger of exposure to COVID 19. It would great if you can give yourself or your family a haircut without depending on the barbers near you. With a a vacuum haircutting system, you won’t need to go anywhere or need to worry about looking like a mess. You can look well put together even if your emotions are all in a mess.
What is a vacuum haircutting system?
A vacuum hair cutting systems uses suction from a vacuum to pull your hair into a blade with spacer attachments and the blade cuts your hair off. Hair is sucked into your vacuum while the blade cuts it off so there is no cleanup. I am using an old vacuum haircutting tool, the flowbee, made in the 80’s. It’s meant to easily cut short hair styles without making a mess. Supposedly, anyone can cut their own hair with absolutely no haircutting experience in the comfort of their own home.
However, from my 10 experience using the flowbee, it has some flaws that make it hard to use. I’ve addressed some major flaws my first review the flowbee for long hair in the post, Flowbee Review & Hack: How to Cut a Long Layered Haircut (2019). In this post I will address the flaws, hacks and tips for short hair. The hacks and tips that will work for the lady or gentleman haircut, girls or boys haircuts.
I have used the flowbee since 2010 and my dad used it when he was young. It’s been through two generations. Once you have it set up, your haircuts will be a breeze. I have not found anything that works better and easier than the Flowbee yet.
Flowbee flaws and DIY fixes/hacks
The flowbee, at first, is an expensive investment but will save you tons of money and time in the long run. The flowbee has a few huge flaws. First, the spacers needs to be more securely attached and the gaps needs to be reduced to maintain suction. I use tape to seal the seams to create strong suction. Second, noise level is high and annoying, you can become deaf without using ear plugs. Three, it last a long, LONG…time but the blade will become dull making it harder to cut your hair. You will have to replace the blades or the system even if it’s not broken. A bonus feature such as a self-sharpening blade would put this vacuum hair cutter to the top.
Flowbee haircut transitions, short haircuts, medium haircuts and long haircuts for newbies
Cutting short hair is not as easy as portrayed in the infomercials. Some hair like my coarse hair will not behave easily. As a self haircut newbie we don’t have any knowledge of the anatomy of your head. It’s difficult to give ourselves the short haircut we desire. It’s also hard to see and control the back of the head for good results. When growing out our hair to different lengths, it can be especially frustrating in between lengths. After about two years of cutting my hair short I came up with some tips and tricks to help you cut any short length hair styles. You can transition back to a longer hairstyle with ease. The video below will show you how you can handle and cut your hair at different stages of your hair growth.
A vacuum haircutting system is a great investment
The first thing is, you will save money in the long run. I’ve written a detailed breakdown here. You can cut hair for the whole family.
Vacuum haircut system options
A flowbee has become much needed and hard to find tool in the pandemic. The price of a Flowbee Haircutting System + Extra Rubber Vacuum Adapter) in 2014 was $99.95 has gone up to $139.95 in 2019 on Amazon. The official flowbee website has sold out as of today’s post on 1/4/2021.
If you are interested in investing in a vacuum haircutting system, definitely explore other vacum hair cutter in the market. If you want to buy the Flowbee, I would suggest checking amazon to see if they restock and getting it on amazon for free shipping. Some people have had luck on ebay.
Since the flowbee website doesn’t allow returns during COVID 19, instead of hating what you got, a good alternative would be to try something similar instead. A vacuum haircutter very similar to the flowbee haircutting system is the AirCut – Self Hair Cutting Kit. I have not personally tried it but looking at the vacuum haircut system, the tips I’ve mentioned in the video above are still applicable. This is especially true if you’ve never cut your own hair before. You can use it to get an idea what it’s like to cut your own hair with a vacuum haircutter. If it works out, then there’s no need to buy a Flowbee. If it doesn’t work for you, you can have a peace of mind, you’ll be able to return it and not lose your hard earned money. For short hairstyles there’s a lot of other vaccum hair cutter options.
Conclusion: I love my vacuum hair trimmer
Since I’ve been using a vacuum haircutting system, I’ve learned to hack the system to cut the longest layered to the shortest layered haircut. The transition from a super short haircut to a bob cut, to a medium layered haircut, to a super layer haircut has been a wonderful learning experience. I have total control of my time and hairstyle without worrying about messing up or having a mess to clean up after. Now, I love short hair. I able to go back to long hair effortlessly. It’s been fun cutting different hairstyles by myself. Here’s other haircutting methods I have tried cutting my hairs with.
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Usually in Asian dramas mothers would often say this to their kids, “ä½ æ¬ æ‰“!” (You owe a beating!!!) and trust me it’s not a question. This threat often comes when kids do something obnoxiously wrong or bad. Ok, I admit, it’s doesn’t only happen in dramas :p
Why do you need to beat yourself up?
In Chinese medicine there’s a saying, “痛则ä¸é€š, 通则ä¸ç—›”. It means where there’s pain there’s blockage, where there’s no pain there’s no blockage. A sedentary lifestyle is the main cause of stagnant blood circulation in the body. Beating yourself, even though it sounds a bit psychotic, is a very simple way to stir up blood circulation to relieve muscle aches and pains.
If you have lots of body aches all over, look into your lifestyle, what bad behavior have you committed to deserve a beating? Or in this case it’s more like muscle pain management. I admit you are not alone. I sit in front of the computer all day and night with no exercise. I don’t sleep until late hours, I don’t drink enough water. Years of built up stagnancy led up to feeling sluggish and sick. Overworked and no rest for my body and organs to heal. I have treated myself badly. Behavior correction time!!!
How to make a (massage) beating stick
Roll 4-5 sheets of newspaper, thick magazine spreads or pages from a huge calendar into a roll about 1″ thick. I am 4’10”, 103lbs, if you are bigger than me and can’t feel the pounding much add a few more sheets of paper to make it thicker. If the wand causes a painful uncomfortable feeling than it’s too thick. The key thing is to make sure you leave the core about half empty so the roll is not solid. If it’s solid you may really get bruised instead of a massage. Last, wrap clear tape all around the tube to prevent it from breaking and falling apart. If it rips after use just wrap more tape around to fix it.
You can also use a massage knock hammer if you prefer something more permanent. I have this one I bought from a Japanese store in Japantown.
How to use a beating stick to massage body aches
Although beating yourself is one simple way to stir up your blood circulation you don’t want to literally beat yourself to death. The beating process is a very gentle. You feel sore pain but not pain that is hurting. You feel relief after your sore pain goes away. You feel better and better as you beat yourself.
Beat where you feel sore. When your body is normal you will only feel soft hits like a massage but when you are sore you will feel a slight to intense pain, but it feels good after you hit it. Sounds like self abuse, but trust me, the more you hit that spot the less pain you will feel. What you are doing is inducing circulation at the spot. As more blood flows to the spot and circulation increases the pains goes away. Remember the Chinese medical saying in Chinese, “痛则ä¸é€š, 通则ä¸ç—›” (If there’s is pain there is blockage, if there’s no blockage there’s no pain.) When you gently beat the blockage it breaks apart and allow your circulation to flow and the pain will dissipate. Beating yourself wherever there’s pain is a massage that you can do yourself anytime.
There’s a Chinese saying, “打者爱也” (Beat those you love) so you can do this with a partner. I’m not promoting physical abuse, don’t take it so literal in its meaning. In this case we want to beat the crap(toxins) away. This beating is to show yourself or loved ones some love, take turns to beat each other up gently. You’ll both feel a lot better after the pains beaten out of you.Â
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Free Infinity Scarf Pattern
I made a really simple infinity scarf from a faux fur fabric and wanted to share it with you. This infinity scarf is a very easy things to sew. A super easy sewing project for someone with basic sewing skills. There’s no need to knit or crochet a scarf. This scarf is soft, chunky and warm. If you have all the materials, you’ll have this done as quickly as 1/2 – 1 hour and ready for some chilly weather. You can experiment with this easy sewing project using different textured cloth such as knitted fabric to get the desired results you want.
Cut a rectangle 64″(w) x 9″(h). No need to cut if you bought the fabric at this size.
Fold it in half (w) with fur side facing each other. Sew the ends together (1/4″-1/2″ seem)
Fold (h) in half, with fur side facing each other. Sew edge together (1/4″-1/2″ seem) leaving 4″ gap not sewn together. Now you have a loop.
From the 4″ gap invert the loop so the fur side is showing.
Push the seams of the 4″ gap inside and sew the gap together.
My finished scarf’s dimension is about 62″, 31″(w) x 3.75″(h) when laid flat. I can loop the scarf around my neck twice, like the holes of an “8” stacked on top of each other.
Tips
Try to find the widest fabric and buy about 1/4 yard of fabric. This way you can save some money and makes the project a lot simpler. You won’t need to do any cutting. You can get straight to sewing.
If you want to make yours longer buy more material and sew it together to make a longer version.
To determine the right fit for you, you can hang a string around your shoulder, loop the string around once and use that as a guide to the width of your fabric width. Doing this can help you visualize how low your infinite scarf will fall. The longer the loop is the lower your scarf will fall. Enjoy and have fun.
This is a quick frugal fix for the iPhone charger cable. I don’t know why these cables always rips at the same spot. Apple should make their cables better for the price we pay for these charging cables. I see a lot of people’s fixes but they didn’t seem to help extend the life of the cable. So I came up with this super cheap solution that looks better, is sturdier and more functional. This fix didn’t cost me anything.
You’ll need some electric tape, an empty toilet roll, and some clear tape that’s it. Watch the video below to see how you can revive and extend the longevity of your cable charger.
