Velcro cord ties in 4 simple steps!

If there is one thing that bothers me in my house... it is all of the tangled electronic cords laying around! Hubby and I have been working hard to put an end to the cord mess.

For all of the cords that can be tucked behind a TV stand, color coated (and labeled) zip ties are nice to keep things straight. (yes, we're a little nerdy)

But, that doesn't work as great for cords that are used more often, like video game controllers. I used to use rubber bands or twist ties but now have switched to Velcro ties.



Here's how to make cord ties out of Velcro in about 10 seconds and for ridiculously cheap:

1) Wrap Velcro once around the cord bundle to determine the length needed and cut it (fastener & hook sides) to this size.

2) Peel the Velcro apart and lay the pieces side by side with the short sides together.

(the pictures below show 2 cord ties being made)

3) Place the Velcro so that the fastener side is up and the hook side is down (or vice-versa) and overlap the short ends slightly.

4) Zig-zag stitch the Velcro pieces together on the short sides.


That's it! Now you just have to bundle your cords and wrap them with your Velcro ties.

Giveaway winner!

Congratulations to Shy!! You've won the uprinting.com giveaway! (I used random.org to generate a number and it picked 2)

Please send me your e-mail address at sewwhatshappening@gmail.com sometime today.

Refashioned t-shirt (worn out shirt with hole)

**Don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY to have a chance to win some printable postcards!! (enter by Sept 9, 2011 at 11:59PM central time)**


I found this old black shirt Hubby gave me to refashion and made it into a quick v-necked tank.

But, I noticed there was a hole in the front of the shirt... I'm not sure that I like the way I covered it up (a more subtle color or different shape maybe nicer?) but here's how it went:


1) As with all shirts I get from Hubby to refashion... there was a big old logo on the front of this shirt. So, I flipped it inside out to have a nice solid shirt to work with.




2) Trace a shirt that fits well and add a seam allowance before cutting the fabric. (remember to take into account how stretchy the fabric from the shirt that fits is compared to the shirt you're cutting... you may want to leave a little extra room)
3) Sew the sides of the shirt back together so that the logo is now on the inside of the shirt
4) Cut the neckline into a v-neck (make sure to remove the tag from the shirt too)



5) If the shirt is worn out like this one... locate all of the holes and determine how to fix them
(I chose to sew a brightly colored ribbon in a random pattern over the hole. A large bow or textured patch of fabric may also be options. Or, you could simply sew the hole shut, depending on the size and such)

I kept the neckline edges raw, but they could easily be turned under and sewn.


Here's a close up of the ribbon sewn on to cover the hole in the shirt:

I-Spy bag

**Don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY by 11:59PM US central time on September 9th, 2011**

I fell in love with the I-Spy bags posted last year on Oopsey Daisy, which included a great tutorial (so check out her site if you want to make your own!). So, in honor of the new school year, I made an alphabet and number themed I-Spy Bag.

Here are my pieces ready to be sewn together (the vinyl is already sewn in the center of the 'A')

I left the opening to fill the bag on the side of the letter.

Here are the letters and numbers inside the bag to be searched for:

Here's the finished product:

Uprinting.com Giveaway!

UPDATE: This giveaway has expired

I am very excited to have the opportunity to host a GIVEAWAY from Uprinting.com.

One of my amazing readers will win 1oo postcards! These would be great for invitations, save-the-date cards, change of address announcements, or even Holiday cards. They'd also be great for business owners. Really the possibilities for these postcards are endless.






Details for this fabulous prize:* 100 Postcards for One (1) Winner
* 5" x 7"
* 14pt Cardstock Gloss
* No Folding
* Front Only Printing
* 2 Business Days Print Turnaround Time

To be eligible you must:
* be at least 18 years old
* a US resident
* not have won a giveaway through uprinting.com in the last 6 months

To enter:
Simply leave a comment below by September 9th at 11:59 PM central time.
**Those who follow my blog will receive one additional entry** Please leave me a separate comment letting me know that you are following!

The winner will be chosen randomly and announced on the morning of September 10th. I will need the e-mail address of the winner, so you may either provide it with your entry (in the comments below) or privately send it to me at sewwhatshappening@gmail.com.

If I do not have the e-mail address of the winner by the end of the day on the 10th, a new winner will be chosen.


If you're interested in Cheap Postcard Printing, check out Uprinting.com for great Postcard Design ideas and Postcard Templates.

Disclaimer: This giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting, no monetary compensation was given and I will receive postcards for hosting. For more information please visit UPrinting.com.