Running out of time this holiday season but still want to give a thoughtful, special gift? Check out these fun DIY gifts designed by artist Alikat Rose.
Alikat Rose
Southern California
Alikat Rose is a professional costume designer, dancer and chef who has been working in the Los Angeles area for the last 11 years. Ali has been creating clothing and costumes since she was a little girl making Halloween costumes with her mom. She has designed several clothing lines and participated in Portland Fashion Week while in college. Since moving to LA, she has created unique and stylish costumes for Hells Belles Burlesque and FG Entertainment. She has also created custom designs for Holly Madison, Tia of the Tia and Tamera show and members of the Hilton hotel dynasty.
Custom Cut/Braided Clothing "For a basic tee with a cool braid in the back, you'll need a tank top or T-shirt and sharp scissors. Fold the shirt in half so that the center back and the center front are the folds and the side seams are matched together. Cut small slits down the center back fold, about three inches deep and 1/2' apart. If you want to be extra creative, you can make a pattern with the length of the cuts!
Open the shirt back out (I like to put the shirt on a mannequin or the back of a chair to stretch it out). To start braiding, grab the top piece that you cut by the neck of the shirt, pull it down over the piece below it and then grab the piece below. Next, pull it through the top piece and below the next piece. Pull the next piece through and continue all the way down to the bottom of the shirt. When you reach the last piece, cut the final strand in half and knot each half back on itself, securing your braid."
Sparkely Crystal Gifts"Pick up Swarovsky or Preciosa crystals at a craft store or order them online (Bohemian Crystal is a great online resource). Also grab Gem-Tack glue. A few of my favorite things to bling out include lighters, hair brushes, small compact picture frames, wine glass stems, small vases, candle holders and make-up brush handles."
Hair Flowers "You need a few silk flowers, felt, glue and barrettes or hair clips (I like alligator clips). Take all the stems and 'greenery' off your flower. Cut a small felt circle and glue it where the stem was on your flower. Let that dry. Then glue the hair clip onto the felt circle and let that dry. You can also add in ribbons or multiple flowers if you want to get fancy!"
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Homemade Body Scrub "Grab sugar, coconut oil and essential oils. Find a nice jar or tub to put the gift in. Mix equal parts of sugar and coconut oil (the scrub should be slightly in liquid form, but not too watery.) When you have a texture you like, add a few drops of essential oil. Put it in your jar or tub, close it up and attach a fun label with some pretty ribbon or raffia."
Screen Print Clothing "Choose an item of clothing (shirt, hat, dress, jeans, etc...), stencils (store bought or you can print them off your computer on strong paper and cut them out yourself), painters tape and spray fabric paint from a craft store. I also recommend a large piece of cardboard that you can place under the clothing item or in-between layers to prevent the paint from bleeding through. Place your clothing item on a flat surface, and put a piece of cardboard under the top layer of the clothing where you're planning on placing the stencil. Gently tape the stencil in place. Spray with your fabric paint, following any specific instructions. Let the paint dry, remove the stencil and then follow any setting instructions for the paint. If there aren't any instructions, I like to toss the item in the dryer on high heat for a bit to set the paint."
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Stacy Brecht is a professional writer, publicist, dancer and model in the Los Angeles area. Brecht also enjoys traveling, wine, fitness training, live music, movies and trying new restaurants. Her work can be found at Examiner.org.
