D.I.Y with Nichelle B.

  • D.I.Y with Nichelle B.,  Pattern Review

    Are crochet swimsuits functional???

    Hey boo! Thanks for stopping by! Today I’m talking about crochet swimwear! I made this swimsuit a while ago but I just recently got to wear it and test it out in the pool. It seems the crochet community is split 50/50 on what yarns work best for crochet swimwear. There are a lot of mixed reviews out there and it can be hard to determine what textile yarn is best for crochet swimwear. I don’t recommend skipping doing your research on this part as yarn type is the most important factor to consider when you are making a swimsuit. When I first started my research on what yarns were best for crochet swimsuits a lot of blogs and crochet designers said cotton yarn was the best if you want a natural fiber, so that’s what I went with…. I have a 2 piece swimsuit and a 1 piece crochet swimsuit made out of cotton yarn. Upon further research I saw more designers say cotton yarn should not be used; mainly because it absorbs water, can sag when wet, and it does not stretch. However, I also see reviews saying you can add elastic and/or lining to cotton crochet swimsuits to prevent sagging or stretching out of place.

    The alternative to cotton yarns are yarns are those made from synthetic fibers or blends. These are synthetic acrylic yarns and blended with bamboo, silk, and/or elastic materials. Acrylic blends are mentioned as being the best for swimwear because they do not absorb too much water and they dry fast. I did see that acrylic yarn was a popular choice for swimwear, however since the swimsuit is against my naked body I wanted the most natural textile possible and that is cotton or a cotton/bamboo blend.

    Besides cotton, the other most popular choice for swimsuits seems to be the Alize Diva Stretch yarn. This is a microfiber acrylic yarn. Its made with acrylic and elastic. This is a sport weight yarn and may be very thin, but you can crochet with multiple strands at once to use it for patterns that call for thicker yarn.

    Overall, there are some pros and cons to crochet swimsuits. There are always new yarns coming out and you just have to test out different yarns to determine what you like best. To answer the question are crochet swimsuits functional? I say yes and no.

    Yes you can get them wet but they are not meant for swimming laps or for being in the water for long amounts of time. Sun, chlorine, saltwater, stitch type, and yarn choice, can all affect the longevity of your swimsuit. I think crochet swimsuits are best for chilling poolside, taking cute pics, or taking a quick dip. My swimsuit held up great in the water, it did not get heavy or stretch out of place while worn but it did take forever to dry.. Lets get into some of the pros and cons of crochet swimsuits..

    PROS

    VISUALLY ATTRACTIVE- There is no denying crochet swimsuits are sexy.. The style options are endless and I feel like no matter what style you go with it’s a showstopper..

    INEXPENSIVE- If you crochet your own swimsuit it can be very inexpensive. I’m talking under $10 if you just use cotton yarn and nothing else. Some people add lining, elastic, and/or pads, but I personally didn’t add any of that on my swimsuits.

    WORK UP QUICKLY- Depending on the type of swimsuit you are making it can work up pretty quickly.. A simple triangle bra top can be made in a few hours.

    ADD SUPPORT- As mentioned you can also add elastic, bra cups, and lining to make your swimsuit more durable and possibly last longer.

    CONS

    NOT FOR THE MODEST- Most crochet swimsuits are kind of slinky. If you prefer to have a more modest swimsuit I would not opt for crochet. I think crochet swimsuits work best when made in 2 piece styles, thong types, or lacy designs. This allows you to use a small amount of yarn therefore you may not have to worry about sagging or adding elastic.  

    TESTING OUT YARN TYPES- As mentioned, choosing the type of yarn is probably the hardest part about making a crochet swimsuit. You will have to test out different yarns to see what you like best.

    TAN LINES- If you plan on sunbathing in your crochet swimsuit, be mindful of the tan lines your swimsuit will leave. If you have a fancy design or use a loose stitch you may be left with weird tan lines.

    To summarize…  I think I’m satisfied having made a couple swimsuits. I don’t think I would crochet more swimsuits, I would stick to sewing swimsuits and crocheting the coverups!

    What about you? Are you a fan of crochet swimsuits?

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  • D.I.Y with Nichelle B.

    Military/Cargo/Pencil Skirt D.I.Y

    THANK YOU to everyone who came to the Ellevate Pop Up Shop on Saturday! It was so fun and I am sooo grateful for everyone’s support! I debuted “Nichelle B Self-Care” and it was a hit! Stay tuned for the launch of my website where I will be selling custom, handmade, and exclusive Self- Care products and Accessories!

    Ok let’s get into this skirt. Let me tell y’all how this process went for me…. I saw @blueprintdiy post her cargo skirt about a week before the event.. I’m like oh that’s cute, I wanna make a cargo skirt. So I start looking online for inspo. I get overwhelmed with the many different types of cargo skirts. I spend about a 5-6 days just searching through inspo pics and trying to decide on something. My indecisiveness really gets on my nerves sometimes! By this time it’s the day before the event (the pop-up shop) and I start freaking out because I still haven’t decided on a skirt and don’t know what I’m going to wear! So I went to the fabric store and just bought the fabric for the skirt.

    So I come home and continue to look at images, I’m scrolling through Google and come across this skirt…

    Cuteee right???!

     So I ponder it for a while, I searched my patterns to see if I had anything similar, I didn’t. So I pulled out S8889. I really love that pattern, the fit is great and I’ve hacked it a bunch of times. This pattern worked because pants have 4 pieces and this skirt has 4 sections. I used the pockets and waistband that came with the pattern for my skirt. You can hack this from a regular pencil skirt pattern and that is probably way easier than what I did! I didn’t have a non stretch pencil skirt pattern on hand so I had to get creative.

    I used a cotton twill to make this skirt because that was what was available at the fabric store but you can also use a cotton sateen. The only difference in the 2 fabrics (to me) is Twill has no stretch at all and Sateen has a little bit of stretch.

     The skirt has 2 darts in the back, 2 darts in the front, 4 pockets on the front, 2 D-rings in the front, waistband and a front button closure. I wanted to add more hardware and fun details to my skirt but I just ran out of time. Which is always a possibility when sewing under a time constraint. smh lol

    The fun part about this skirt is you can be as creative as you want! You can do zippered pockets, add straps, add hardware, the options are endless. And since its cargo style its almost like more is more! lol

     I also did a gusset pocket for the first time. That was cool. I didn’t have time to research different pocket techniques, so I just used the first tutorial that came up on Youtube.

    The gussett pockets came out good I just need to practice it a bit more. I do think doing gusset pockets vs flat ones make a difference on this skirt. Idk why I just think it just does something for the skirt! So in the end the Sewing Gods were on my side with this one and I’m so happy I was able to wear my skirt to the event. That’s all for my Military Pencil Cargo skirt.

    Would you make or wear this skirt? Let me know if you have any other questions!

    And stay tuned this “Go Love Yourself” sweatshirt will be available in the NichelleB. Self-Care line! As usual you can see more pics on IG @itsnichelleb.

    I didn’t realize the shadows in my pics. Sorry y’all!

    And stay tuned this “Go Love Yourself” sweatshirt will be available in the NichelleB. Self-Care line!

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  • D.I.Y with Nichelle B.,  Pattern Review

    CROCHET BIRTHDAY DRESS!!!

    Do yall know that meme where the girl walks in the room and she’s like “Heyyyyy… How yall doin??” and it’s a really awkward silence and no one says anything back… That’s how I feel writing this blog post… LOL I knowwww it’s been a long time since I wrote a blog post and I’ve seriously missed it. I think I mentioned in the last post that I lost my sewjo for a REALLLY long time and as a result I started crocheting. It started with me crocheting an ear warmer and kind of just took off from there. So far I’ve made 3 swimsuits, a sarong, a coverup, 2 dresses, and I’m working on a sweater. Obsessed much… I know. This doesn’t mean I will never sew again, Im just exploring yarn right now. LOL

    Anyway, as promised, this post is about my birthday dress. If you don’t know I have been making my birthday outfits for about 6 years now. This year I decided to go completely out of my comfort zone and try to crochet a dress instead of sewing something like I usually do. I did mention this was going to be a very detailed post so I’m going to start with the inspiration pic. This dress was inspired by @n00rvana on IG. I saw this dress on her page and fell in love with it! She is like a master “crocheter” I don’t know if that’s the proper term, but her work is amazing. You should definitely check her out page for some crochet inspiration.

    Since I’ve crocheted a few projects, I felt semi confident going into this. This project is (kind of) beginner friendly. Because its literally just chains and single crochet its pretty easy, but I recommend you have a little bit of crochet experience before starting. This dress is worked from the bottom up, in rounds, until you reach the bust part, then it’s done in rows. I used a size 3.5 hook purchased from Amazon.

    YARN– I knew I didn’t want an acrylic yarn because I thought it would be heavy and uncomfortable against my skin. I didn’t want cotton because that doesn’t really drape or have any stretch. Since I’m not that experienced, I was afraid to order yarn online. Luckily there is a cute little yarn shop in Atlanta called Needle Nook. I went there and the sweet ladies who work there helped me out. In the end I went with a DK weight yarn that is a cotton/rayon blend. It worked and the dress turned out great, but it was definitely a hassle to work with. If I made this dress again, I would have to find another yarn option. I was unaware that yarn sold in hanks had to be wound into balls before you can use it. There is a machine/apparatus you can use to speed up the process, but I didn’t want to add more gadgets to my home.

    So before even starting the dress, I had to roll all 6 of these hanks into balls, by hand.  Super annoying. The next annoying part about this project was the fact that I had to use 2 strands of yarn at a time, so I had to crochet with one ball on my left and one on my right. I had to stop to untangle yarn A LOT and that was super annoying… If I could have used a cotton/rayon blend yarn that is slightly thicker than DK weight, that would have been ideal for this project. The rayon does make the yarn a bit softer and have a bit of drape, but the winding and using 2 balls of yarn really made this project take a long time.

    How the yarn comes in the store.
    After you wind it into a ball the yarn pulls from the center.

    PATTERNS– If you know how to read crochet patterns then you can just use this pattern I found on Etsy and turn it into a maxi dress. That was my plan, however I don’t understand crochet patterns just yet. So luckily I found this tutorial on Youtube. That tutorial is super helpful if you don’t know how to read crochet patterns.

    *UPDATE* Unfortunately the written crochet pattern is now sold out on Etsy, but the tutorial is still up on Youtube!

    MISTAKES– Although you can’t tell from the pics this dress has one MAJOR flaw. Lol I didnt make the bottom wide enough, so unless I hold the dress up above my knees, I can only take small steps in it.. LMAOOO

    Now, I knew that I wouldn’t really be able to walk in it when I was done, but the only way to fix anything in crochet is to take it out and do it all over again and I wasn’t willing to do that. So, I finessed it the night of my birthday, but if you are making a maxi length dress and you are following the tutorial, DO NOT start with 45 chains… lol If you are my size I would start with at least 60-70 chains in each section to have the bottom of the dress be wide enough to walk in and put on! Lol Which brings me to the other flaw this dress has… Since I didn’t make the bottom wide enough it’s hard to take on and off.

    Lastly, you will have to count the ENTIRE time you are making this dress. Each section in the round needs to be even so for example if you are doing 60 chains per section you are basically counting to 60 over and over and over again. I tried to watch something interesting while making this and kept losing my place while counting or just forgetting to count and that was also annoying! LOL!

    Since this dress is worked in the round, from the bottom up, it isn’t a complete fail. I plan to just turn it into a mini dress. I’m going to start taking it out from the bottom and stop at my desired length. Then it will be a mini dress that should fit perfect and I will be able to walk in! I do feel like at the point I turn it into a mini-dress, its more of a swimsuit cover up than an actual dress, but at least it will still be wearable.

    So, overall this dress was a great challenge and a pain in my ass. Lol My number one tip if you want to learn how to crochet or make this dress is to be patient and keep checking the fit!!  

    Leave your thoughts, comments, or questions about this dress below!

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  • D.I.Y with Nichelle B.,  Pattern Review

    D.I.Y Crochet Swimsuit

    So as I mentioned in my last post I’ve been addicted to crochet lately. So far, I made the fishnet cover up, a top, a bralette, a mesh skirt, and 3 swimsuits! I haven’t gotten around to taking pictures of everything but as soon as I hit the beach you will see me in my crochet swim collection. I saw this swimsuit on IG and it was one of those “see it, like it, make it” moments. I loved the simplicity of it and I would say this is a beginner friendly project only if you have some experience with crochet.

    The swimsuit is easy because it only uses one type of stitch (double crochet) but it was a little tricky (for me) to get the fit right! Even with the help of the tutorial I spent a lot of time second guessing if I was doing things correctly. Hence the reason it took me almost 2 weeks to make this. smh If you are an experienced crocheter this swimsuit would probably be a breeze to make.

    In the end everything came out great and I only have 1 small tiny thing I wish I could change. I think I should have went up a few more rows in the back. It isn’t bad or even super noticeable but if I was being picky that is the only thing I would have done differently. I used “I love this” cotton yarn from Hobby Lobby to make this. I made the fishnet coverup out of the Sugar ‘n Creme yarn which was cool but I think the Hobby Lobby yarn is softer and the color selection is way better.

    After making all those items I am truly done with crochet for now!! I came, I saw, I conquered… lol Major respect to the crochet artists out there. You all inspired me and I couldn’t have made any of these items without the help of your tutorials. I can imagine if you crochet a lot or for other people it can take a toll on your hands or neck from sitting still, looking down, and doing repetitive motions with your hands for long periods of time. Make sure you crochet artists take care of yourselves, your hands, and your body! If you want to see the tutorial I followed to make this swimsuit click here! She will walk you through the steps on how to make it but she is not making the swimsuit on camera, so it helps if you have some knowledge of crochet to understand it! Thanks so much for stopping by my blog! I appreciate you!

    I did a cheeky style bottom. This dress form isn’t really made to model swimsuits,
    but hopefully you still get a good idea of what it looks like!
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  • D.I.Y with Nichelle B.,  Lifestyle

    Creating a Meditation Space

    Creating my meditation space has been super fun! Right now the space is super simple and I like the minimal look of it.. However, in the future I do plan to add some artwork! Creating a meditation space doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. You really don’t even need all the things pictured, you can meditate anywhere as long as you have your breath. If you want to be consistent in a meditation practice I think it helps to have a dedicated space. Creating that space is all about catering to the 5 senses. Sight, touch, smell, hearing, and taste. Im going to simply explain what I mean below.

    • Sight- You want a beautiful space, yes but you also want something you can focus on maybe its a picture of black Jesus or a Buddha statue.. or maybe you want to close your eyes so eye pillows or an eye mask may be helpful
    • Smell- Whatever your choice if aromatherapy is go for it. Incense, sage, essential oils, candles, etc
    • Hearing- Sound Bowl, Yoga Playlist, Gong, water fountain. Sounds that are calming and relaxing.
    • Taste- Water or tea (is optional but I like to have it nearby)
    • Touch- Mala Beads, blankets, pillows, cushions, or just your hands touching your heart, or hands touching each other

    Although there are a lot fo different things that could go on in your meditation space, I think these 3 are absolutely necessary! A rug, a plant or something from nature and some type of aromatherapy!!!

    A rug – Rugs separate spaces. The same way when you step on your yoga mat you know what time it is. When I step on this rug I know what time it is. Choose a rug that is comfortable and that can be easily cleaned! My rug is a lightweight rug from Ikea. I like it because its washable and just the right size and price.

    A plant– Having something from nature is something most people say is optional but I think it is definitely a must have! Having something from nature in the space helps to you grounded. I think the type of plant is important as well. Don’t just go for looks here. If you want a bunch of plants that’s great but I do think a few of them should be air purifying plants!

    Aromatherapy– Aromatherapy is the cheapest type of therapy you can get! lol The aroma components from natural products have been used for mental, spiritual and physical healing since the beginning of recorded history. Smells and scents can affect your mood. Whatever scents you are drawn to put them in your space. I recommend going for all natural scents and products!! No Febreze, Air Wicks, or perfume here!! We want clean pure air.. Try some natural incense, sage or Palo Santo, a diffuser, reed sticks, herb sachets, or candles.. You actually have a lot of options here!! Honestly once you stop using all the fake stuff you probably won’t ever go back to the fake chemical laden smells.

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  • D.I.Y with Nichelle B.,  Lifestyle

    D.I.Y Meditation Cushion

    Heyy Boo Thang! I’m excited about this post! Maybe because its about Yoga and Sewing! Two of my favorite things!!! I used all my fabric scraps and made a meditation cushion. This year I wanted a dedicated mediation space and this cushion is the first thing I added to it!

    I feel like I’ll probabaly have to do a whole series on meditation and creating a mediation space because there is so much I want to say! lol So first things first some of you may be wondering, what exactly is meditation?

    This is a definition of Mediation from the National Institute of Health.

    “Meditation is a mind and body practice that has a long history of use for increasing calmness and physical relaxation, improving psychological balance, coping with illness, and enhancing overall health and well-being. Mind and body practices focus on the interactions among the brain, mind, body, and behavior.

    There are many types of meditation, but most have four elements in common: a quiet location with as few distractions as possible; a specific, comfortable posture (sitting, lying down, walking, or in other positions); a focus of attention (a specially chosen word or set of words, an object, or the sensations of the breath); and an open attitude (letting distractions come and go naturally without judging them).”

    Meditation is amazing and I suggest everyone start a meditation practice. Start with 5 minutes of mindful breathing a day. Before making this cushion I usually would just sit without one.. However, using a cushion is much more comfortable and I’m able to sit longer. If you feel sore, can’t sit too long, or can’t seem to stick to a meditation practice try getting a meditation cushion/pillow.

    Meditation pillows have been used for centuries and yes you can use a regular pillow but it is not the same as a meditation cushion. Meditation cushions are usually filled firmer than regular pillows to allow for some added height to the pillow. A popular stuffing for meditation pillows is buckwheat hulls, however those can be kind of pricey if you are trying to fill an oversized cushion like mines.Instead I used fabric scraps. Using fabric scraps allows the cushion to be firm, have height, and support your spine.

    Disclaimer: I do not think a cushion filled with fabric scraps is a replacement to one with buckwheat hulls. Although this one is pretty heavy and firm, the ones with buckwheat hulls will hold their shape better and for a longer period of time. So, I say if you have nothing use a pillow, that’s good, if you can make a cushion with scraps that’s better, if you can add buckwheat hulls or buy a pre-made one, that is best!

    Here are a few benefits of using a meditation pillow:

    • Pain relief in your joints/Increased comfort
    • Portable/ Take it anywhere
    • Longer meditation time
    • Increased stability & flexibility
    • Having a dedicated meditation space & more consistency
    • Allow you to sit in the proper posture

    I feel like I’ve always been pretty consistent with my meditation practice but having a dedicated space makes my practice more personal, the space is aesthetically pleasing, and just stepping on the mat lets me know its time to calm down. I didn’t really follow a specific tutorial to make this. It is 2 circles with a band in the middle to give it the extra height. I traced a sunhat for my circle. You can literally use any circle shaped item you want. My band is about 4-5 inches wide and I added an extra strip of fabric for the strap so it is easy to carry. You can also add a zipper if you want a removable/washable cover.

    Please let me know if you make a meditation cushion or start a meditation practice this year!

    Namaste!

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  • D.I.Y with Nichelle B.,  Lifestyle

    D.I.Y Jute Rope Circle Decor

    This is a SUPER EASY and inexpensive craft! Those are my favorite kind! lol I never knew there was a whole world of people who use items from the Dollar Tree to create home decor! I’ve seen people create some cute decor and I’ve been inspired! I do believe your home/ living space affects your energy and your mood. Even if you don’t have a lot of money you can still create a space that is a reflection of you! As much as I would love to ball out at Home Goods, Target, and Anthropologie for home decor… I can’t just yet lol.. In the meantime I buy pieces from these stores here and there that I like and mix them in with D.I.Y items. I would suggest you go with essential items you know you aren’t going to make from these stores like throw blankets, comforters, headboards, lamps, wall art, larger furniture items.. Etc. If you can’t do big items buy some smaller items you think are cute or fit in with your decor like mugs, bookends, shelving, storage baskets, pillow covers, throw blankets, and plants!

    If you mix the high and low items I feel like you get a perfect mix of modern, boho, chic. Which is what I love… So getting into the post. The Dollar Tree has small plain wooden boxes. Well it’s actually a little drawer but it is a small wooden box. I painted the box with black acrylic paint. I had a dowel already, from a previous project, however I would suggest using a dowel that is a bit thicker than this one, it will support your jute circle better! The Dollar Tree also sells dowels. You can also use a stand from another item you aren’t using anymore. I saw someone do this and put it on a metal stand, it was really cute.

    Next, decide if you want to add trim, beads, string, fringe, or paint! As I mentioned I left this one really simple and didn’t add anything, that is how I was able to keep the cost at $2. lol I use a scrap piece of cardboard and hot glue the rope onto the cardboard, in a circle, and then cut the cardboard circle out. Next you glue your circle onto the dowel. Then glue your dowel onto the wooden box. Try not to use too much glue when gluing the dowel to the box, if you have a small bit of excess glue surrounding the bottom, wait until it dries and paint over it! That’s it!

    What do you think? Would you add this to your space? Right now it is on a shelf in my sewing area!

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  • D.I.Y with Nichelle B.

    D.I.Y. Spiral Set on Natural Hair

    Thanks for stopping by my blog! I have been at sewing camp over the holiday break and Im just now getting around to writing this blog post about my hair! I posted a video on IG showng you how I get my spiral curls! Here is a quick break down of everything. 

    First, I just want to say natural hair is like a little puppy. Natural hair needs to be cared for, sometimes it doesn’t listen to you, it takes patience, its super cute, you love and cherish it… But puppies also need to be TRAINED. And so does your hair! Yes natural hair needs to be trained to do whatever it is you want it to do. Even if you only wear protective styles, you train your hair so that it stays healthy!

    How do you train your natural hair? Training you hair just means doing the same style or following the same routine consistently. By doing this your hair gets used to that routine or style so it becomes more manageable, styles last longer, and your hair stays healthy. For example if you only wear curly styles, the more you CONSISTENTLY do curly styles the more you hair will become used to or “trained” to be in those styles. So when it comes time to do them, your hair doesn’t work against you because it is trained. Your hair already knows it’s going in a curly style, after a while your curly styles will start to last longer and become easier to manage.

    You can train your hair according to how you usually wear it. My mom is natural but she only wears her hair natural straight & flat ironed. You would think her hair is heat damaged and a mess because she flat irons it faithfully every 2 weeks, but NOPE, I trained her hair. She can wear it straight and still have healthy hair. Now this takes time, patience, and maybe even some professional help but train your natural hair so it can stop fighting with you. It needs somewhat of a routine and a little bit of structure… just like a little puppy. lol

     So here is the quick breakdown of what I use to do my rollet sets. 

    SHAMPOO- I am NOT a product junkie. Lol Idk why but I’ve never been the type to buy a new curl product everytime I wash my hair. I have really thick hair and products can just add up really quick. I also believe that quality products don’t have to cost a fortune. That being said Im not going to recommend a shampoo and conditioner because I think you should just use whatever you like. I usually do some type of cleansing shampoo followed by a moisturizing shampoo. I try to do hot oil treatments or a deep conditioner every other time I shampoo. So for this style you are going to shampoo and condition your hair. Detangle it and put it into sections. This is the only combo I use to detangle, it is the best.

    Amazon.com : Annie Salon Style Jumbo Rake Comb with 3" Wide Teeth for  Styling Detangeling and cutting Hair - Bone Color : Hair Combs : Beauty

    PRODUCTS- Leave In Conditioner- I usually switch this up. Right now, I’m using Crème of Nature Pure Honey Break Up Breakage Leave In Conditioner and I like it. Leave in is a step I never skip! 

    MOUSSE- The type of mousse you use is really what can make or break a roller set. My favorite mousse is the Design Essentials Compositions mousse. I have been using it for years and I love everything about it! However, it is around $12-15 (which is not bad) but when you set your hair as much as I do and you can only get about 2-3 sets out of a bottle, it goes fast. My next favorite mousse is the Olive Oil Mousse. The Olive Oil mousse is significantly cheaper than the Design Essentials mousse, its about $6 and you can still achieve great results with it! 

    Amazon.com : Design Essentials Compositions Non-Flaking Foaming Wrap Lotion  for Smoothing, Molding, Styling Relaxed and Natural Hair with Coconut Oil &  Wheat Protein for Luminous Shine-7.5oz : Hair Care Styling Products :
    Design has a few different mousses, make sure to get the Compositions Foaming Mousse.
    ORS Olive Oil Hold & Shine Wrap/Set Mousse 7 oz - Walmart.com - Walmart.com
    This is the mousse I have been using lately.

    DRYER- There are tons of dyers out there I use a simple hooded table top dryer I got from my local beauty supply. Mannn at home dryers have come a long way because this thing gets HOT and they come in bigger sizes now! I have a jumbo dryer so all my hair actually fits under it! It usually takes about 45 mins to an hour for my hair to dry completely. 

    The 8 Best Bonnet Hair Dryers of 2020

    SLEEPING WITH CURLS- Satin bonnet, Satin pillowcase, or Pineapple method. When my hair was really trained I could do the pineapple method, go to sleep, wake up in the morning, take it down, shake my hair, and go. Right now my hair is too short to go into a pineapple so I just wear a bonnet at night. I just try to keep the back and sides of my hair up so the curls don’t get smashed and flat. I fluff my fro in the morning and that’s it!

    Here is my hair on Day 4 of curls!

    Go to my IG page @itsnichelleb to see the video of how I roll my hair! What do you think of this spiral set? Would you try it on your natural hair? Let me know if you have questions!

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  • D.I.Y with Nichelle B.

    D.I.Y Linen Dress

    This is a blog post that I wrote but never posted! smh I know I’m sorry… I made this dress in the summer.. It’s one of my favorites! One of the best things about sewing is that you can see something, say to yourself “Ohh I like that”, then you can go make it! Thats exactly what happened with this dress from H&M.

    This dress is from last season so I cant find the original pics of it online anymore but hopefully you get an idea of what the dress looks like.

    When I saw this dress I knew I wanted to make it and I already had the perfect fabric. Dusty Pink Linen. I don’t think I need to go into detail about my love for linen and lately I can’t get enough of this color. So the process for me to make this dress was pretty simple. This is an off shoulder dress with a puffy sleeve, and a ruffle at the bottom. The only tricky part for me was trying to make my sleeve super puffy and just trying to fit everything because this fabric was only 45 inches wide. So even with 3 yards I still couldn’t make the sleeves as puffy as the H&M dress, but I still like how it turned out. Since this dress is kind of long and flowy it does require a lot of fabric so I would definitely recommend making it in a lightweight or breezy type of fabric, otherwise it will be too heavy. Pics of my version are below!

    Wear it with boots in the fall!

    Do you ever have see it like it make it moments? Or do you only work off of patterns? Thanks for stopping by!

  • D.I.Y with Nichelle B.,  Lifestyle

    D.I.Y Basket Wall

    Hey Boo Thang, Thanks for stopping by my blog! Getting right into it this post is all about the basket wall I created in my living room. You may have seen basket walls floating around on Pinterest. I feel like it’s pretty trendy in home decor right now. Pinterest sparked this basket wall idea for me and some pictures of my inspiration are below.

    When I decided I wanted to make this wall I ended up going down a rabbit hole and researching everything about baskets and how they are made. The history behind baskets is very interesting and our ancestors used them for many things. I know when you think of our ancestors and baskets an image of a woman holding one on top of her head may come to mind.

    1984.

    Carrying on the head is a common practice in many parts of the world. In addition to balancing things like food and water in the baskets on our heads, we also made the baskets! Basket Making is a beautiful art form that I don’t think many people know about. I found it mesmerizing to watch women and men make these beautiful baskets BY HAND! The amount of time, patience, and skill it takes to create just one basket is amazing. Now going down a rabbit hole is not required in order to make a basket wall. However, if you are geeky like me and love to see how people make certain things with their hands then jump head first down the rabbit hole and stay there for a few hours. LOL

    So onto the good stuff, first, where to buy materials for your basket wall. There are plenty of places you can buy decorative baskets from. Etsy, Amazon, and Home Goods are good places to start. If you want to take a more budget friendly approach like me then just go to the thrift store. All of my baskets came from different thrift stores. I told my grandma I wanted to make this wall and she went out and got me a bunch of baskets from thrift stores in Maryland. I do think buying your items from the thrift store will take a bit more prep and shopping to find the perfect combination but the final cost will be worth it. I think I paid about $20-25 for all the baskets on my wall.

    I do think in order for the basket wall to flow and look cute you need to have the perfect combo of colors, shapes, and sizes. In the end I didn’t use every single basket I bought because some of them just didn’t flow, or the colors didn’t work when I laid everything out.

    This is what I started with. I reallyyyy wanted to use the colorful circle basket but it just didn’t work.

    Follow these steps and tips to create your very own accent basket wall.

    First decide where you want the baskets to go. This will make it much easier when it comes time to shop for your baskets because you will know what sizes and shapes will work best for you. If you are doing a small area then you won’t need that many baskets and you may not opt for huge ones and vice versa.

    Choose a color scheme (optional) Most thrifted baskets are shades of brown and tan which can very much be the color scheme. Depending on your space you may want to choose a color scheme so that the basket wall will tie in with your other decor. This was my case. I knew I wanted a splash of black in my basket wall and I didn’t use the basket that was colorful because it just didn’t go.

    Once you have all your baskets lay them out on the floor and play with the layout until you are happy with the look. This took me a while because the space I wanted to cover was kind of big. Every time I laid the baskets out I felt I was missing something. I wanted an accent wall of baskets above my couch so this was kind of a big area to fill. Some layout options are having the baskets clustered together with no spaces in between, leaving spaces, curving your baskets, or having them go from big to small in some kind of way.

    Other items besides baskets to add to the wall. You may find you need a few “filler baskets/items” to go on your wall to make it look full.

    Tiny Baskets– Small baskets in weird shapes are good for fillers. The leaf shaped basket, oval shaped basket, and another small random circle thingy are what used to fill in my mines.

    Placemats– Two of the items on my wall are actually hard placemats from the Goodwill. Target and Walmart have cute placemats that could work as well.

    Serving trays– These are great because they are usually flat, lightweight, and come in a variety of shapes, colors, and textures.

    Faux or Real Greenery– A couple of the basket walls I saw did incorporate some greenery. Real plants may be a bit hard to maintain for this project. If you want to use real plants make sure your basket wall is in a place that gets sunlight, and you are still able to water the plant without making a mess. Faux plants may be less of a hassle for this. Buy your favorite faux plant/greenery and place in or around one or two of the baskets.

    Make your own– Of course you can make some other accents which I did, and they are pictured below. Those items were made using rope from the dollar tree, a glue gun, cardboard, and brown raffia from Michaels.

    Hang your baskets! Now it’s time to put the basket wall together! It is helpful if you have a friend for this part! I didn’t have anyone available to help so I just did the best I could hanging these baskets by myself. I thought I would be able to hang all these baskets with command strips but because of the texture most of the command strips wouldn’t adhere to the baskets. So to hang most of the baskets I ended up using a very tiny nail and hammer.

    How do you think the basket wall turned out?? Would you try this? Let me know if you have any questions! Follow me on IG @itsnichelleb!