Don't buy it, I'll make it...

Ever go shopping and find something you like?  Then you look at the price tag and say, "What?!?! I could make this same thing for less money!"  Well I do aaalllll the time.  I often say this when I'm shopping with my friends and for many years they thought I was joking around.  Within the past year or two, they have realized there really is an inner Martha Stewart to me.

(Picture taken from marthastewart.com.  Doesn't she look nice here?)

One of my BEST friends, Aeri, asked me the other day, "What is a good present for a one year old girl?"  So I started thinking.  This little girl already has an older sister, so she should have plenty of hand me downs.  A staple go to gift for children are toys.  Having friends that are parents, I've noticed that sometimes a present other than a toy is appreciated (toys = clutter).  So I thought, why not get this little girl something personalized?  Well, Aeri needed to get something within 2 days at some point between her work schedule and visiting family members out of state.  Purchasing a personal gift seemed to be expensive and out of the timeline .  With this in mind, I channeled my inner Martha.

I texted Aeri back and told her how about I make her a tutu?  All she would need to do is get a few accessories that don't always make it as a hand me down: headbands, onesies, and tights.  Aeri thought it was a great idea!  With her okay, I went to scour the internet for a few DIY tutorials.  Naturally, more ideas came to fruition (ooo lala, note the SAT word).  With a plan in mind I set out for my local Walmart and Joann | fabric and craft stores!

Items picked up at Walmart:

• 3/4 inch elastic band - $0.97
• 3 pack of 18 month onesies - $6.97
• 5 pack of hangers - $4.74

Items picked up at Joann's

• 4 x 1 yard of tulle - 4 x $1.99
• 5 yards of 12 gauge aluminum wire - $3.99
• 1/2 yard of jersey fabric - $3.50
• Zebra star decal - $3.29
• Cupcake/Sweetie decal - $3.99

I managed to go to the mall as well since I was in the area.  But more on that at a later post...

I made it back home and got out all my crafting supplies.  There are a lot of DIY tutorials on the internet.  So I will leave my tutorial out of this post.  If you want me to post a DIY on any of these products let me know in the comments below.

(I opted out of using the ribbon for the final product)

A couple of hours later, more than a tutu was made!  After breaking it down, it was about $20 for all things made.  All Aeri had to pick up to complete the gift was some tights.

The generous friend that Aeri is surprised me and got me this lovely gift!!! I'm so excited about it!  Any guesses on what it may be?  Leave a comment below!  I'll let you in on the surprise at a later post!

Until next time!

*E