Customer Collaborations: The Stories Behind the Tees

Some of my most favorite designs have come from custom orders. Today I want to share a few of the stories behind them. I'm honored each and every time a family asks me to be a part of their special events, family announcements, and memorable gifts! (I think) because we have so much for getting to know each other & creating the perfect heirloom tshirts they always come back for more! Squeezes and hugs to all of my past customers & future ones too!

Preparing to welcome a newborn nephew into the family, Deborah (of  Mini Me Woolies ) was already stitching up a storm creating a special welcome home knit sweater using Lets Rock buttons from Tessa Ann. Her brother, the drummer for JodyBoss, was in for a real treat- he and his wife delivered a healthy baby boy and brought him home in his custom made rock'n'roll garb. 

More baby love, this custom order is really special to me. A friend of mine from college reached out to and asked if I would work with him to create a monster tshirt for a close friend of his. Brian's buddy, an Afgan vet, is a hero to our country and when Brian shared that he was hoping to get a camo monster truck made I took it one step further. I threw out some ideas of retro military kaiser (m715) or jeep with a white star on the side. (I happen to know Brian is a Jeep enthusiast) He dug both ideas. Brian pushed back- and his idea for me is what really sets this design over the edge. He sent me his buddys actual fatigues, which were cut up and used in the humvee design you see here. It melts my heart #1 because holy cow what a thoughtful gift!! #2 the thought that this little guy will have a piece of his daddy wrapping him tightly even when he's far away #3 because in some teeny tiny way I've been able to give back to a family that have sacrificed so much! 

Meet the Nichols family = Adorableness! I've had the pleasure of working with Stacey to create birthday tshirts for her entire family on several occasions. She is always celebrating the boys birthdays with fun and exciting themes like this one: monsters driving monster trucks! I delight in her unique ideas and wish I could attend the parties myself!

 

This is a work in progress I tweeted out when creating Amanda's SECOND custom rig tee. No, there was nothing wrong with her first order but when he son began to outgrow his favorite tee and she heard I was closing custom orders, Amanda emailed me in a frenzy! Her family spends their weekends in the back woods testing out their rock crawling, mountain climbing, nothing gets in our way off roadin' rig. (You know I can relate!) Do you think they'd let take it out for spin?

and I can't talk about custom orders & the personal connections between buyer/seller without mentioning one of my most loyal customers Jennifer W. 

A mama of 2 boys, Jennifer has commemorated birthday celebrations with a pair of matching tees. She has so many now, we've already began discussing turning them into a quilt! (She has a total of 9!) I love love love working with her because she brings the ideas to the table and gives me full creative reign! If you're in the Dallas area... there is a good chance you might catch a TrashN2Tees tee abound! Wondering how the super dino tee came about? When her oldest son was about to turn 4 he REEEEEALLY wanted to have a superhero/space themed party but then when the local museum had a dino dig he may have had a slight change of mind. I loved the idea of smooshing the two together and the rest is history!

Hey handmaders, thinking about the benefits of custom orders but not sure how to get started? I invite you to check out my latest post Navigating Custom Orders on Oh My!

I would love to hear your story: Have you purchased a TrashN2Tees tee or custom order and care to tell the story behind it or share with us your own celebration? Catch up with me using the social media buttons on the top right or email directly (contact AT trashn2tees.com)
First time buyers receive 10% off with coupon code FTB10Off


 

Girl on the Up // Luri and Wilma Magazine

Seeing your work in print is really, really, exciting- I can't imagine how it felt to have your entire online magazine published & sold around the country. That's just the tip of the iceberg for the gang at Luri & Wilma Magazine! (Pick up a copy of their Spring Fashion edition) If you ask them to describe themselves this is what they say

"If you’re a free-spirited gal who thinks social awareness > celebrity gossip, rock a mean pair of vintage rose-colored glasses and oh, so love on some delish food – we know one thing, you should roll with us."

Yep, they're my kinda of people- which makes the fact that Luri & Wilma Magazine have named me a "Girl On The Up" a huge huge honor. I'm really blushing over here. Thank you! Click to read full interview here.

Oh My! Biz Share Parrrrtay!

We're talking marketing over at Oh My Handmade for the month of May & we want to market our businesses together. Got one? A handmade/indie business that is- Jess and Marisa are inviting all of us to a Pin Party! Pin an image with us that best represents your business – a popular product, photo collage, etc – include your best marketing pitch in the description and tag with #OhMyBiz (you can find the original post here)

Then make sure to visit the board and discover other OMHG businesses! Here's mine.

DIY Gifts for The Coolest Moms

With Mother's Day just around the bend, I find myself day dreaming about a kid free day down by the bay. Ahhh yes. Warm sunshine on my face with the occasional spritz of sea water in the air. But really who am I kidding- it would only take an hour before I instinctively wanted to start building the tallest sand castle or go boogie boarding with the boys. What does your ideal Mothers Day look like?

 In honor of all the cool mamas I know, I pulled together some really rad DIY gifts that the coolest of cool moms will love!

Potato Stamped Tote Bag Tutorial from Neuer Stoff 

How To: Nebula Pillow on Whimsey Box Blog

Sharpie Mug (in German!) via sinnenrausch

Toy Dinosaur Necklace Tutorial on Omiyage Blogs 

Wire Wrapped Crystal Ring Tutorial via TrashN2Tees Blog

Mothers Day Tattoo Planter How To from BrideBlu Vintage Handmade/Flickr

Aluminum Lanterns via Family Circle

Star Wars Felt Popsicle Cozy Template

Besides the bubble wands, what else could be possibly be turning into light sabers? Well today I'm sharing just a few ideas. My mom came over last week and helped craft these ice pop cozies, and below you'll find a printable PDF to help you make your own. We whip stitched them together using floss but  to save time you could always try your hand with the fancy hot glue gun... I wasn't too sure how it would hold with the felt + temperature changes. If you try it out let us know how well it works (or doesn't.)

 

You can download and print the PDF here: Star Wars Ice Pop Felt Template

I'll be sure to share how everything comes together after the party Saturday!

DIY Star Wars Birthday Projects Update

As promised, more crafty updates from our galactic journey towards Tristens May the Fourth Be With You Party! Today is his actual 4th birthday, and it also happens to be the very first day George Washington took office as our first President. Did you know that?

I love surprising the boys with a special birthday wake up whether its filling their bedroom with balloons or hanging streamers in the door ways and when they get downstairs we enjoy ice cream and waffles for breakfast- extra whip cream and sprinkles. What type of birthday traditions do you have in your home? I can't wait to hear! This morning however, I went with the theme and we had Jabba The Hot Cakes with Blue Milk.

Last night I was up baking, way past my bedtime too! The boys and I started out with sugar cookie cut outs in the shape of Yoda, Darth Vader, and Storm Troopers. The cookie cutters are from Williams and Sonoma Star Wars Heroes & Villains, and they we're fantastically easy to use.
 

It got later and the boys were tuckered out by the time we finished up so I was left solo for the cupcake making. No complaints here- so naturally I took advantage and we ended up with these crazy rainbow cupcake insides.

If you're wondering how I did it?
Mix up your cake mix as directed, then separate into 4 bowls. Add coloring of choice- stir in. Drop 1 tablespoon per color into cupcake pan. Use toothpick to swirl. 

Here's how they turned out. (These are the cupcakes for today... there will be more for the party Saturday.) 

I'll schedule a post for tomorrow that shows you the many light saber projects we've done including the bubble wands which I sneak peeked last week, and it will include a template to make your own light saber frozen ice pop sleeve. 

Make Your Own Soap Tutorial

 

Sometimes I need to reinvigorate my creative juices, and the best way for me to do that is run away from the sewing machine & make something, do something, learn something new. A few months ago the boys and I tried our hands at soap making. That experiment of course, included Legos too. 

Today I'll show you how fun & easy it is to make your own soap, and remind you that Mother's Day is just around the corner! 

 

You'll Need: 
Soap Molds (Mine were purchased from Hobby Lobby but you could also reuse different types of containers like a milk carton bottom)

Pure Glycerine Soap (found at craft supply store)

Essential Oils for sniffing

Coloring (food coloring, natural dyes, or again I picked soap coloring available at craft store)

Add ins (I'll be included some recipes at the bottom of the tutorial for inspiration)

Measuring Cup

Microwave 

1.) Melt your glycerine in microwave safe container. Heat for no more than 30 seconds on high. Stir and continue heating in short intervals until soap is melted. 

2.) Once soap is completely melted, you'll add your coloring and scents. I used 5 drops of oil per bar of soap and added until it tickled my fancy.

3.) Pour melted soap into molds along with add ins. (Pictured here is my orange peel citrus soap) Oh and a quick tip I had some issues with my add ins floating to the top and asked my friend Liana of The Coconut Crush for some help, she said "pour a thin layer, let it set up completely, then right before you pour the rest at a cooler temp, spritz cooled layer heavily with alcohol"

4.) Allow bars to cool for 1 to 2 hours. Stick the soap molds in the fridge for 15 minutes and the soap will pop right out.

Citrus Herb Soap 
Lemon and/or Orange zest, Basil, Rosemary, Mint (or any herbs of your choosing!) Puree herbs in food processor and squeeze out excess water in paper towel- Add 1 tablespoon per bar.

Orange Peel Soap 
Orange zest, or chopped orange peel + 5 drops of orange essential oil (Great tutorial showing you how to make orange oil from orange peels from Condo Blue)

Sugar Cookie Soap 
Use 5 drops of Sugar Cookie Fragrance oil

Vanilla Soap 
Use 5 drops of Vanilla Fragrance, and here's another tip! Liana tells me that generally speaking anytime you add vanilla scent to soap it will turn brown. This is what I used and it did not turn brown.

Rose Garden Soap 
Rose petals (boil them in distilled water before adding to soap) and rose oil. Make your own rose oil here.

See? That wasn't hard at all. The boys love making soap, especially when we're putting toys inside. This tutorial can be tweaked to create really cool birthday party favors, customized gifts for teachers, family, and friends. It's recommended to use your soap (or gift it away) within a year- however it won't get rancid or grow mold. Eeew! It will just lose its moisture and appear crumbly. Until then store it in an air tight container or seran wrap and tape closed. Now get soapin'!