From Los Angeles
The Aetherstream at Field Study
Farm Tactic's Kyle Ng has set up shop at Space 15 Twenty with Field Study, a month-long pop-up that features some of the coolest outdoor gear around. So cool, even, that this past weekend the Aetherstream came by for a visit.
From Philadelphia
Tie-Dye DIY: Techniques
Now that we've covered the basics, try out these fun tie-dye techniques that will have you mastering the craft in no time! Here, Stevie and Allegra from our women's design team explain how to do the spiral, the bunch, the accordion, and dip-dyeing.
The Spiral
"Spirals are easiest to create on anything that has a large surface area like T-shirts or pillow cases or sheets! Start by pinching the middle of the shirt, or at the side (wherever you want the center of the spiral to be) and continue twisting until it’s a big swirl.
Wrap around the rubber bands tight—tight enough so that the fabric is in a good tight bunch. Try not to loose the swirl/spiral shape when adding the bands. Add as many rubber bands as you wish. The tighter the bands the more white will show and the looser the bands the more dye will saturate the fabric.
The Bunch
This design really has no rules! Just start bunching up the fabric in any which way, and add the rubber bands. We chose a two pairs of BDG denim cut offs for this one! Remember: the more rubber bands the more the dye will resist. For the white pair we added a lot so that the white of the denim will show up more in the final product.
The Accordion
This design can either make horizontal or vertical stripes. We chose a cute pair of white jeans to start for a horizontal line effect. Start by pleating the fabric from the base of the pant to the top. You can either do both legs at the same time or each separately to have a different design on each side!
Dip-Dyeing
Something like dip dyeing is a cool base coat for your garments, and super easy. Just dip a portion of your chosen item in dye and let it dry.
If you want an ombre affect, try dipping the garment really quick as a whole, then pinning with clothes pins to your bucket or bin and let the bottoms soaking for a good 20-30 minutes to really saturate the ends.
If you make some mistakes, don't worry. Tie-dye is very forgiving—although you cannot undo any mistakes, you can always keep adding! Happy tie-dyeing everyone!"
From Philadelphia
Tie-Dye DIY: Indigo Dye
We asked Ashley and Cathleen from our women's design team to teach us how to tie-dye denim using indigo dyes. Follow along with this simple DIY how-to guide to give your jeans a trippy new look!
From Philadelphia
Tie-Dye DIY: The Basics
If you’re looking for something fun and fresh to do this summer, tie-dye is your answer! We asked Allegra and Stevie from our women's design team to teach us how to tie-dye. Follow this step-by-step DIY project to get the basics on this summer's psychedelic trend!
"Tie-dyeing is really easy. Everyone can do it with just a few, simple materials that can be found at your local art store, and about an hour of your day.
Here's what you'll need:
1. Dye (Either powered dye or basic RIT dyes)
2. Plastic Squeeze bottles (Use them for added technique!)
3. Rubber bands (The rubber bands will resist the dye on the fabric. Also depending on how many things you are dyeing, you will probably want to buy a large bag of rubber bands—usually best to buy the standard size or larger. Try getting thicker and thinner bands for added design!)
4. Rubber gloves (The dye will stain your hands for no more than a couple days, but it's best to just wear them just in case. Also wear clothing you don’t mind getting dye on!)
5. Plastic buckets or bins
6. Scissors
7. Plastic sheeting or garbage bags (Place these on the floor to prevent getting dye everywhere!)
Step OneGather up anything you want to dye. Be sure to check the label to make sure you know what you are dyeing. Most dye, like RIT and iDye will dye almost anything (specifically, iDye is usually for natural fibers like cotton or rayon and iPoly is for polyester and other synthetic fibers).
Step Two
Before you start dyeing, soak the items in water and ring dry. The dye will take better to the clothes if they are wet-out first. You can do this in a sink, bucket or bin. If it is a garment that you have just purchased, it might be a good idea to machine-wash it first with a little detergent.
Step Three
Mix your dye! If you are using powered dye you can mix up any color you want. Tie-dyeing isn't an exact science, but be sure to read the label of any dye box to make sure you are using around the correct rations of dye and water. Depending on your designs, you can mix the dye to a more saturated stage or make them washed out. Try to do a few bottles with a saturated color and mix a few with more water so they dye to a lighter shade. After reading directions on dye box you will know whether to use cold or hot water.
Step FourTime to twist up and rubber band like hell! Our cute friend Poe helped us put on the rubber bands.
Step Five
You're officially ready to start tie-dying! Don't forget to put on those dang gloves! Begin by applying the dye with the squeeze bottles you mixed up in Step Three. Use as many colors as you want! If you have only a few colors of dye, you will probably get a rainbow of colors because the dye will bleed into each other. For the denim shorts, We only used a hot pink and sunshine yellow. The dye mixed into an awesomely unexpected super bright orange!
You can apply the dye in sections, polka dots, stripes—really any way you can possibly think that will be cool! Apply as much dye as you think is necessary. It’s probably best not to completely soak your fabric bundle, but a good amount is necessary. The best part of tie-dyeing is experimenting!
Step SevenAfter you’re all dyed out, let your garments soak over night in plastic bags to ensure the dye really sets into the fabric.
If you don’t want your dyes mixing, place each bundle in a separate plastic bag. For instance if you don’t want any dark blue on those cute orange shorts, do not put them in the same bag! Place the bundles in the plastic bags to keep the dye moist on the fabric and dyeing all night long.
Step Eight This is the best part. Get ready for some magic! After dreaming about your tie-dye all night, undo your plastic bags and rinse your tie-dye bundle under cold water before cutting off rubber bands. You can also rise after you cut off all rubber bands but the dye might bleed into the white areas. If you feel as though there is not enough dye, just add more! Tie it up again and go at it.
After Care
The care and wash rules are very particular to tie-dyed garments. Be super careful not to mix fresh tie-dye with any other clothes in the washing machine! The most important things to remember are as follows:
1. Do not wash with any other clothing for at least one machine wash load. Do a separate load in cold/cold water with a small amount of detergent, and tumble dry right after dyeing.
2. Dye will most likely bleed into the white areas when washed or rinsed after rubber bands are removed.
3. Over time (after several washes) the dye will certainly fade. But the best part of tie-dye is that you can do it anytime, again and again and again, to almost anything!
Happy tie-dyeing everyone!"-Allegra and Stevie
Stay tuned for more DIY tie-dyeing tips from our women's team this week on the blog!
From Los Angeles
No More Dirty Looks
In their witty book and blog,
No More Dirty Looks, bicoastal BFFs Siobhan O'Connor and Alexandra Spunt get to the bottom of what's toxic and what's not in your shower and makeup bag, and offer tips on how to green your routine. You can trust them to find the freakiest DIY techniques (who knew beets make a great lip and cheek stain?) and road-test the latest skin, hair, and makeup products on the eco-scene. Below, the dynamic duo shares their story (and some tricks of the trade) with UO. -Eviana
Why did you become crusaders for clean beauty products?Alexandra: Siobhan was visiting and we thought it would be a great idea to get Brazilian Blowouts for a party we were going to. Of course, it turned out to be a terrible idea! We now know (thanks to lab studies) that the treatment we got contained extremely high levels of formaldehyde—a recognized carcinogen—which explains why we were given goggles for our burning eyes. But we're also grateful for the BB because it was our big a-ha moment.
Siobahn: From there we just basically tore through our apartments and starting reading the tiny print on all our beauty products. We became total ingredient junkies and figured if we didn't know about this stuff, other women probably didn't either. So we wrote the book and started the website we wished existed, but didn't.
A: We made a promise to each other when we started writing the book that we wouldn't turn into crunchy hippies, because that's not what this is about—it's still about feeling glamorous and pretty, just without harmful chemicals. That said, I think Siobhan has done better at keeping the promise! I have my crunchy moments.
S: She does! I am definitely crunchy in other ways—I can get pretty airy-fairy—but I don't really look that way. I like beautiful and aesthetically pleasing products. I'm way less DIY than Alexandra.
What are some of the things that surprise people the most about how toxic most beauty products are?
S: We get a lot of "whoa, whoa, whoa!" when we tell people there may be lead in their lipstick, mercury in their mascara, or formaldehyde in their salon treatment—and all of those things are true! But what's worse, to us, is the stuff that's in your shampoo, your face cleanser—the things you use every day. People are also usually pretty shocked when they learn that because of trade-secret laws, the ingredients in all synthetic fragrances (which are in everything!) do not have to be listed on labels. Finally, the simple fact that the FDA has banned fewer than 10 ingredients for use in cosmetics—when Europe has banned more than 1,000—tends to be a holy-shit moment.
What are your five favorite beauty products and why?
A: That's like asking us to choose between our children! Not that we have children. I mix it up, but you'll usually see
RMS makeup in my arsenal, because it feels good and is really easy to apply on the go. I've also stayed loyal to
Rare Elements conditioner, despite its high price (I rotate it with cheaper brands), because it smells like heaven and is even thicker than my old Pantene for curls.
S: I don't mind playing favorites—though mine tend to change, too! I'm currently obsessed
Tammy Fender's Intensive Repair Balm, which I'm not using to really repair anything, but I find it calms redness and has improved the overall look of my skin. I also love the newly reformulated cleanser from
Kahina Giving Beauty,
Ilia lipsticks in bright coral and pink, and I won't leave the house without
Lotus Wei's Infinite Love perfume, which smells lovely but also has mood-enhancing benefits that seems to rub off on whoever I'm around! (See? Airy fairy.)
Any new lines or that you're excited about?
S: I'm digging
La Bella Figura. I'm not sure how new the line is, to be honest, but it's great.
A: Like Siobhan said:
Ilia! It's an amazing newer line of clean lipsticks and creamy blushes that feels hydrating, has lasting power, and comes in really playful colors.
Anything you've tried that seemed weird but is surprisingly effective?
A: Not washing my hair.
S: Putting pure plant oils all over my body, hair and face. People who haven't tried it will think you are totally bananas for doing this, but it doesn't break out even my totally sensitive skin. It's cheap, too.
What are some of your wackiest DIY rituals?
S: I like mixing my own body scrub with brown sugar and tons of vanilla and olive oil, but that's about it. Oh, and I use honey on minor cuts and blemishes as a wound ointment, like you might use Polysporin. That's pretty weird, but it works!
A: Washing my face with honey, though that seems perfectly normal now. (See? Kinda crunchy.)
From Elsewhere
Lush Caca Mama Hair Dye Bars
Hair dye is one of those things that seem unavoidably toxic. Searching online for a way to tone down my brassy old highlights without choking on fumes, I discovered... A chocolate bar? The whimsically monikered, chemical-free Caca Mama Bars from Lush combine henna with other natural-dye ingredients like coffee and indigo to create colors beyond the basic red. The base is cocoa butter, and just like you're making hot chocolate, you shave it and melt it before letting it cake onto your hair for up to a few hours. Though the process is slow and supposedly quite messy, most of the online reviews are raves; some even swear the stuff seals up split ends. And when you consider the foul, cancer-causing chemicals that soak right into your scalp when you use regular dye—and what probably happens when they get rinsed down the drain—it seems worth a shot. -Eviana
From New York
Abby Walton at JF & Son
Tonight from 5-8pm, JF & SON will be hosting a nail art event at their store with designs by Abby Walton! I am so excited. Abby's style is original and it's like getting your nails done by a best friend, who is insanely scrupulous and crafty. Take a look for yourself in her nail art gallery. Make an appointment, I bet they're gonna fill up fast (email abbywalton@yahoo.com). Lickity split, ya'll ! -Maggie Lee
From Elsewhere
DIY iMacquarium Kit
Got an ancient rainbow iMac lying around? Craving the company of a pet? Now you can kill two birds with one stone—and keep one more big, clunky computer out of the landfill—with the iMac Aquarium Kit by young Omaha resident Jake Harms. The set includes a tank, light, and filter specially designed to fit inside the iMac body, along with detailed assembly instructions; for a little extra, you can buy the entire thing pre-assembled. Fish not included. -Eviana
From New York
Hayseed's Big City Farm Supply
So you live in Brooklyn, you dream of growing kale on your fire escape and herding honeybees on your roof, and yet you can't seem to keep even a potted cactus alive. Where to turn? You, would-be homesteader, are not alone—and now, you have a spiritual home in Hayseed's Big City Farm Supply. Starting this month and running until the end of June, the pop-up store in northern Greenpoint is dedicated to the growing art of urban farming, stocking everything you need to start a city garden (organic soil, tools) and a few things you might not (heirloom tobacco seeds, rabbit feed). With classes and workshops on subjects including backyard livestock, mushroom growing, and worm composting, Hayseed's looks set to be as much social hub as supply store. Hee-haw it ain't. -Eviana
From Los Angeles
DIY With Luv AJ and Honestly WTF
Come hang out with Luv AJ and Honestly WTF for a night of demonstrations and styling tips at the Urban Outfitters in Glendale (260 Americana Way)! It's all happening tomorrow night, March 29, from 6-9pm.
From New York
Dip Dye It
Mariah over at Quite Continental gave her Tretorn Nylites a custom dip dye treatment and I'd say that they came out pretty well. It's a simple and robust way to make the average white canvas sneaker stand out for spring. For more details on how to do-it-yourself check out the rest of her post here. -Bob
From London
Self Publish, Be Happy
The Spring/Summer term of workshops at Self Publish, Be Happy in London is coming up, so if you're looking to hone your skills as a book or zine artist it's worth checking out. Topics range from publishing to production and take place over the weekend at the Daniel Blau Gallery. Reserve your spot now before they're all booked up! -Bob
From San Francisco
Carve A Stamp Kit
As much as we love the stamps made by the Yellow Owl Workshop, making our own seems like a lot more fun. Get their Print Shop Carve A Stamp Kit to see what your hands can do.
From New York
Baby Peach
Welcome to Baby Peach, my new mini-zine. Pick it up and flip from baby page to pipsqueak page. But make no mistake, Baby Peach is no small fry, it's highly psychedelicized and will cause major eye romp! -Maggie Lee
From New York
MoMA Print Studio
Attention all zinesters! Museum of Modern Art in NYC is having an exhibition called Print Studio (4 West 54th St) right now. My fav thing to do there is to peruse the photo books from the Reanimation Library, make photocopies, and then go back into the images, manipulating them with an acetone transfer pen. There will be demos and workshops there and everything is totally free. It's open Wednesday through Monday from 11am-4pm and runs until March 9. -Maggie Lee
From Elsewhere
The Art of Pesto
Kinfolk Magazine teamed up with the Etsy blog to bring you this super easy recipe for classic pesto. We can't wait to try this! We started drooling as soon as she grated the parmesan. Luckily, it's time for lunch.
From Australia
Friend of Mine Claw Boot
The Claw Boot by Friend of Mine is so awesome (just like everything else they make)! A little jewelry on a plain black boot makes shoes a whole lot more fun. We're tempted to DIY this idea out on a few old pairs of boot we no longer wear. Now, if only we could find some claws.
From New York
Field Guide Design
Is your tree looking a little bleak this holiday? Field Guide Design has you covered with their DIY Cut & Fold Paper Polyhedra Ornaments! They're cute, easy to make, and will have your tree looking like a million bucks.
From New York
"Hobbyist" with Lesley Arfin
I think Lesley Arfin, Dear Diary writer and "Ask Barf" columnist, is one of the coolest people ever. So when I saw this episode of "Hobbyist," an Opening Ceremony TV series, I was pretty jealous of Arfin's self-taught needlepoint skills. I mean, album covers? A needlepoint version of (GI)? That is, literally, the best idea ever. Thank you Arfin, for proving that needlepoint can be cool! - Hazel
From New York
Blow Up! DIY
In our latest issue of WTVR, we talked to Blow Up! girls Claire and Kristin about tips for throwing the perfect holiday soiree (er, rager). And here, they created a special holiday DIY just for us. Follow these steps to make your own Chilly Geometric Garland.
Decorate your winter wonderland with 3d geometric paper garland! These little ornament like gems are sure to bring bling to your party.
You will need: Ruler
Scissors
Printer
Bone Folder
Hot Glue Gun
at least 4' of string
crochet needle
x-acto knife
Step two: Cut out the shapes using the x-acto knife and ruler for crisp edges.
Step three: Score the interior lines of the shape with the bone folder.
Step four: Fold together all your shapes and hot glue them shut.
Step five: Puncture two holes with crochet needle on either side of the shape in their joining points. The triangle gets a bit tricky, so puncture a hole through one of its sides.
Step six: String the thread through all the shapes. From the center of your string, evenly space your shapes 3" apart from each other. After setting the proper spacing, they should not shift on the string. But if they do, hot glue your sting in the holes to keep them in place.
Step seven: Cut the string making sure to leave enough room on either side of your shapes for hanging room.
Step eight: Pop some popcorn, throw on some glitter and sweet tunes because, baby, it's cold outside...
