Tutorials: 2 Dutch Braided Hairstyles

Hey, friends - It's Lizzie here, and I am so excited to show you all how to recreate these fun and easy dutch braided hairstyles. I am a little baffled by how braids are still "the thing". It seems to me like they are here to stay, but I mean I am not complaining. I enjoy adding a braid to my hair to make it pop. 

Recently I have been into dutch braids. I have been incorporating dutch braids in most of hairstyles. They are fun, easy, and you can actually spot them in my dark hair. Sounds like a dream. The best thing about these hairstyles is that they are not time consuming. This leaves you with extra time to do some important things...like brewing some tea, reading a book, or having some doughnuts. Yum! 

Well anyway lets get started!

Hairstyle #1:

Step 1: Grab a section from the front of your hair. This is going to be our massive dutch braid. 

Step 2: Separate this section into three different sections, and begin french dutch braiding. 

*A french dutch braid is the same as a regular french braid. The only difference is that instead of bringing the outer edges over the top towards the middle, you will be bringing the outer edges underneath towards the middle. 

Step 3: Continue braiding until you reach the end of your hair. 

Step 4: Secure with an elastic. 

Step 5: Tug on the dutch braid to make it appear thicker and fuller. 

*I stopped halfway because it makes it easier for me to tug on my hair, but you can continue all the way down and tug after you have braided your hair completely

Step 6: Tug away until your braid is nice and thick. 

Step 7: Grab the end of your braid and roll it around in a bun. Grab bobby pins, and you are done! 

Yay! Wasn't that easy? I like this hairstyle because the dutch braid gives it an edgy look.

 

 Hairstyle #2:

Step 1: Part your hair to one side. I made my part a little deeper than usual because I wanted my braid to be noticeable. 

Step 2: Grab a section from the front of hair on the side that has most hair. 

Step 3: Separate this section into three sections and create your french dutch braid.

Step 4: Braid all the way until you reach the end and secure with an elastic. 

Step 5: Tug on this braid to make it thicker.

Step 6: Grab a section from the crown of your head. You are going to create a half-do.

Step 7: Bobby pin the section you grabbed and create your half-do. 

*This adds volume to the crown of your head. If you have straight hair like I do, we need all the volume we can get.

Step 8: Grab the remaining hair and create a low bun. 

Step 9: Secure your bun with bobby pins

Step 10: Wrap the braid around the bun and secure with bobby pins. 

Then, walk out confidently knowing that you are having a great hair day.

That's a wrap!

I love these braided undos more than the traditional updo because of the dutch braids. I hope you enjoyed this hairstyle tutorial, now go and have some tea, while you read your books, and munch on some doughnuts because you have the extra time to do so.

Lizzie blogs over at thekindhearted.com & she can be found on Twitter & Instagram!

DIY: Mason Jar Map Lanterns

My husband and I love a good tag sale. We've found vintage clocks, globes, antique frames, craft supplies and so many other great things. One particular sale had two boxes of mason jars for just $3! Of course I immediately died. They sat in my studio for weeks as I contemplated what to do with them...so many options! I was at the library when it hit me...maps! No, I didn't actually get hit by a map. But I found antique map books and took them home.

I scanned my favorite one and printed it out on an 8 1/2" x 11" piece of paper. You can use any kind of maps really, as long as the paper is thin enough. Maps from newspapers and magazines would work amazing.

Here's what you'll need:
A map or a printout of one, 8 1/2" x 11" to cover two jars
Mason jars with lids, cleaned and dryed
Mod Podge
Scissors
Brush
Twine or string
LED tea lights

Each lantern needs about a 5x7 inch map piece. Cutting the printed map should give you two pieces. Apply a generous amount of Mod Podge to the inside of the jar. Insert a map piece and start pressing the paper against the walls of the jars. Use your finger or a pencil to rub out any bubbles and folds. It's okay; the paper will fold. Save the other map piece for another jar. Let stand for two hours.

Take a piece of twine and wrap it once around the jar. The second time around, feed the twine through the lid and tighten. Double tie the end of the twine with a knot and cut off any excess.

It leaves the sweetest glow when you drop in an LED tea light and the details of the map show through in such a cool way!

This post is sponsored by the sweet Simply Love:

Paint Dipped Tin Can Holder

This is the time of year every one yearns for. Good food, good company, good weather. Next time you have a gathering or celebration, save money by not buying fancy-shmancy utensil holders. Instead, wash out a couple of tin cans and create something people will talk about! These are super cheap and fun. Match the colors to your outside decor or to the party theme you are throwing.

You'll need:
Tin cans, washed and dried
Spray paint (I used Rust-Oleum. Worked perfectly.)
Drop Cloth
Painter's tape

Make sure the cans are washed with a bit of soapy water and dry with a paper towel. Then peel off any label stickers. Beautiful already, right?

Use the painter's tape and cover the top area of the can. This will ensure that part stays the cool silver metallic shine tin cans have.

Lay down a dropcloth in a well ventilated areas like the paint can says (or just outside like I did) and evenly spray with the can. It might need two coats depending on the color. I sprayed it pretty heavy which only made the drying part longer. Peel the tape off while still wet. Allow to air dry for about an hour or two; or until the paint isn't tacky anymore. 

Finally, flip those bad boys over and drop in some funky colored utensils. It's party time! You can also try stencils, washi tape and vellum stickers to decorate the cans. Personalize it with a person's name or table number. These would also make amazing vases!

Have you been enjoying family time this summer? I sure have. Any funny or interesting stories you'd like to share? I'd love to chat about it in the comments!

DIY Kitchen Palette Shelf

There's this area right across the street from our church where people pile stuff they don't want. The last time was this amazing table we picked up for our son's train set. As we were driving away from church a few weeks ago, I noticed a couple of palettes on the side of the road. Holla!

It took me a few weeks to decide that I needed a palette shelf. So with the help of my handy husband, here's how to create one for yourself!

You'll need:
Palette (duh)
Pencil
Saw
Nail gun or hammer and nails
Sandpaper (optional)
Drill and screws

I planned out how I wanted the shelf to look and where the cuts should be. The top photo shows where to cut with the saw. Use a pencil to mark the wood. Use the saw to cut along those lines. Here's an easy overview: Count two rows of palette boards down and cut across the left and center vertical boards. On the right side of the center board, cut all the way down, both top boards and bottom boards.

You'll have extra boards left over, which no complaints there right? Choose two of the extra boards and secure them as the shelf bottoms with the nail gun. Also, most palettes have old nails so make sure to add some new ones for support all over.

Hanging up your palette can be done a number of ways. I encourage you to find a way that works for you. My husband used the stud finder and just drilled it right to the wall. I was totally fine with that.

Before, that wall was okay but now it's a piece of art! I loved the wood look but it can be sanded and painted too. We have plans on making this corner a coffee and tea area. I'm even more excited to see it decorated in cute white mugs and maybe a witty sign from the shop!

Okay, now be honest. Are you sick of palette projects/items yet or is it still a hot trend? 'Cuz we just got a truck load (not kidding, like 14 to be exact) of palettes sitting in our garage right now and we're drooling over the possibilities.

DIY Gold Glitter Striped Clipboard

"Nerd Alert" Gold Hoop available here | "Frayed" Pencil Illustration Print available here

Have you ever had a moment when you stood back to admire your work and swelled with so much pride that your head blew up like a balloon and your insides wanted to be on your outside? I may have felt that way a little here. Okay, a lot!

It's a simple look but the process takes some steps. You'll need:


Wooden clipboard
White acrylic paint or white spray paint
Brush
Mod Podge, Matte
Gold glitter
Painter's tape  (not pictured)
Piece of twine (not pictured)

The first step is painting the clipboard white so I had to figure out a way to secure the clip open without losing a finger. Those things hurt! You'll have to take a piece of twine, fold it over and pull it through the hole in the clip. Wrap the ends around and bring them back through the hoop in the twine. Pull as tightly and double knot it. I found that this method was the best for keeping the clip open.

Use the acrylic paint to cover the entire surface white. Allow about an hour to fully dry, then tape off the clip.

Brush on a coat of Mod Podge and sprinkle with glitter. Using your finger, press the glitter into the Mod Podge.

Repeat for the stripes as well. I just eyeballed with the tape on this one. Let the Mod Podge dry for about two hours. Shake off any excess glitter (make sure you keep that good stuff!) and put another layer of Mod Podge over the clip and stripes. If you skip this step, the glitter won't be as secure. The Mod Podge creates a protective coating so you can actually use the clipboard. Allow another hour to dry before use.

Isn't it gorgeous? So glamorous. All of your little notes and things will look ten times better! I'll be adding this to my studio gallery wall, which I'm redoing this month. It's a crazy long ride but hey, I got glitter so I ain't complaining!