Hairpins: Heaven Sent

Fresh from the gym on a hot day - can you blame me for wanting to deck myself out in polyester? Well, you should. While this may have screamed "summer" a few decades ago, these days it screams "craft project!"

I found this flouncy little number at Goodwill after reading about this project in Readymade that practically requires loud polyester in order to create adorable hairpins. I know, like anyone needs hairpins. But it's summer, and while you won't find me in polyester (never say never, right?), you will often find me with my hair up. Why not throw a little synthetic flair to it?

This project was so easy that I didn't even bother to clear off the table to do it. I started things off recklessly by working right over my laptop.

You start by cutting out three circles in descending size. The biggest one was about 1.5". After I had 3 sets of 3 circles, I lit a tea candle and grabbed Joel's needle-nose pliers, which happened to be sitting conveniently nearby. As instructed, I had a bowl of water next to me in case the 4th of July came a few days early in my living room.

All you have to do is to hold each circle near the flame (using the pliers) to get the edges to curl and ruffle a bit. As the fabric got hot, I began to smell the fragrances of the 70s fuming out of it. Specifically "Heaven Sent."

So last night I finished it. Bought some Amazing Goop and a cylinder of beads at closing time at Joann's Fabric, stopped for a root beer float on the way, then found a needle and thread that was also lying around the house (sometimes it pays to not put things away).

And here they are, ready for my next up-do: