Thrift
ÂŁ3.50 June Issue 1
for people who want to be frugal but fun Step by step guide: how to make these sunnies!
Get Crafty
with DIY blog
Trends With Benefits
Tea, Trinkets and Other Treasures
Free Gift!
10 flat back beads for the embellished sunnies tutorial
Molly’s Den Vintage Warehouse
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Hello!
Editors Letter
We are loving this flower crown this month, head to our Youtube for a step by step guide Youtube.com/ thirftmag
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elcome to Thrift, and welcome to June! We are so excited to share this magazine with you, this is where you can unleash your creativity, get some ideas and learn how to be thrifty! We will teach you everything you need to know about frugality, whilst looking fabulous! Thrift is for people who know what they want but they don’t know how to make it. So come on the journey of learning how to be thrifty as well as learning how to make some cute and easy accessories and clothes! Thrift isn’t about being tight with your hard earned money; it’s about spending it wisely whilst doing your research. Every month we will show you the latest looks and how to easily recreate them with our step-by-step how to make guides (embellished sunnies this month - page 8). We will also highlight the three best products of the month; rest assured that every month we will look at the latest products to help you improve as a crafter – from books to the best stores to shop in for the best deal! This time we are looking at beginner sewing machines with brands – Brother, John Lewis and Singer. Head to page 15 for everything you need to know. Along with all of these we are also going to introduce you to thrifty living, from the eyes of thrifty bloggers, vintage stores, markets and frugal people. June is the month for summer loving so why not head to a vintage store and buy a floral dress from the 1920’s, which you can wear whilst walking along Brighton seafront with your friends. If you like the sound of this why not give our Tea, Trinkets and Other Treasures feature a read on page 16, where we tell you all about the vintage warehouse Molly’s Den. Or turn to page 4 to find out about the blogging trio Trends with Benefits, who tell us all about why and how they became thrifty bloggers! Till next time, Enjoy
Megan Norris, Editor
On The Cover How to make embellished sunnies page 8
Get Crafty with Trends with Benefits page 4
Tea, Trinkets and Other Treasures page 16 3
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Images From Trends with Benefits - twbenefits.blogspot.co.uk
Get Crafty with Trends With Benefits In this day and age, you will find most people sitting on the tube on their smart phones and staring into an abyss of the latest mobile game, consequently missing their stop. However there is a growing number of people (you are probably one, if you’re reading this) that enjoy creating and making things, often seen knitting obsessively on the tube, and likewise missing their stop because they haven’t been able to complete a line in time! With an uprise in all things craft, thrifty bloggers are also on the rise...
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hrift was fortunate enough to get in contact with the blog Trends With Benefits, which is published by three best friends; Kate, Kendall and Emily. They met in their first year at Leeds University, doing degrees with no link to fashion - philosophy, physiology and medical engineering. Thankfully they formed a bond whilst living together, and found that they all had one thing in common…craft! Therefore Trends With Benefits was born. Their crafty corner of the Internet has been steadily growing for the last two years, with over 1,000 followers via website Bloglovin’, they are set for huge things. Earlier in the year they were invited into Radio 1 to talk to radio host Gemma Cairney, where they talked all things DIY. Furthermore the girls have just been named as one of the blogs that will be in collaboration with the new Disney film Maleficent. Providing their readers and Disney fans with Maleficent inspired DIY’s and tutorials. Along with that success they have also been highly commended at the Cosmo Blog Awards, for ‘Best DIY Blog’ in 2012, they then went on to win the ‘Best Crafting Blog’ at the
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Company Style Blogger Awards in girls have lived with one another 2013. This year the girls have been for a few years now, so they are nominated for ‘Best Blogging Team’ very close, Kate expresses why at this years Company awards. being around her best friends is Trends With Benefits – or TWB for helpful: “Its so much fun!! We just those in the know – are on top of love making things! And I get to the world right now, producing do it with my 2 best friends.” “Be everything from statement Kendall elaborates: “With necklaces to the latest creative and there being three of us slogan tee and even it really does help with, don’t worry baking master classes. firstly, creating new about making and original ideas, and These girls know a lot about saving money, due secondly, producing mistakes.” to the fact they were all them. Producing DIY posts students, so a thrifty style of is a time consuming job, so living was definitely the way to go. you do have to make sure that you They now share their home-grown put plenty of time to one side to knowledge with hundreds of people complete and publish a post.” around the world. Thankfully, all of this inventiveness Kendall enlightens us to why doesn’t seem to be taking its toll they decided to create this on any of the girls. Kate has always kind of blog: “TWB initially been interested in crafts and being started not from a desire artistic, explaining how she was to create a blog, but as always making things when she a desire to make new was a child: “I was always drawing things, be creative and and loved baking with my mum. update our wardrobe.We My favourite subject at school was thought it might be nice to art, which I carried on to A Level. document our creations and The blog has definitely encouraged a blog seemed like a natural me to expand my crafting skills. platform.” Kate adds: “Our craft I set myself a goal over the and DIY fashion blog came really Christmas period to learn crochet, quite naturally; we’re girls who love and although I’m still a complete fashion but are on a serious student novice, I’m pretty chuffed with my budget! Thus make it yourself!” little creations!” Kendall also finds A blog as popular as this one herself to be a productive type: “I takes vast amounts of time and have always had a creative eye and effort, as well as a lot of creativity, a love for fashion. However, I never but where there are three of them studied art at school, only textiles. on board, the load is shared. The I feel my skills lie mainly in knitting
Images From Trends with Benefits - twbenefits.blogspot.co.uk
and sewing, rather than drawing and family can be a calming pastime, and illustration.” as Kendall further explains, when This is shown throughout the she made her all-time favourite site, as they all play to their own thing: “I really like the ‘Think Happy strengths with each of the girls Thoughts’ wall hanging I made (it is posting different things every day, hanging proudly in the TWB office). Kendall goes onto say: “My skills, I made this one afternoon in third have definitely improved since year as a bit of a break from writing starting the blog, as we feel the my dissertation, and since then it need to try new things and learn has provided a constant reminder to as we go along. You know what stay happy when times are rough.” they say, practice makes perfect!” Kate explains about the time Inspiration doesn’t always strike, when the three of them went on which can make running a crafty a trip to America last year: “I took blog difficult, thankfully TWB have lots of Polaroid pictures. I found that under control. some jazzy ribbon and sewed on my They post at least twice a week, pictures to make photo bunting. Its giving readers the opportunity to so simple yet I absolutely adore it, create each different thing between partly because of the memories in posts, be it cake baking to t-shirt the photos.” customisation. We at Thrift were Blogging is such a popular curious to know how they push platform at the moment, with so through the barrier when they find many people either creating their themselves uninspired. Kendall own blog or reading them on a enlightens us: “If I’m struggling for regular basis. It is great that Trends inspiration, I scroll through popular With Benefits have found a niche online stores and see which things in the market, showing that people jump out at me. From that I decide really want to get involved with the whether or not they would be easy crafty lifestyle. to make myself.” Kate elaborates: There are so many perks “I’m a big fan of Pintrest! I’m to being included in this “We’re either inspired through rising community, from girls who love the DIY tutorials or by the ‘make do and looking at the fashion fashion but are on mend’ attitude, to pins. I quite often buy creating rather than a serious student just magazines as a treat for consuming. long train journeys and budget! Thus make Kendall from TWB has flick through the fashion expressed the reasons it yourself!” sections to see what behind why she enjoys takes my fancy.” (Thrift love the community: “I love Pintrest too, go check out our the fact that it is a topic that pins over at pintrest.com/thriftmag) people can get involved with. It is All the girls play to their strengths. so humbling when we get tweeted Kate has always enjoyed producing saying that someone has had a things: “Its something I’ve done go at one of our tutorials. There is since I was a teenager. I find I can a lot of love out there within the get lost for hours threading beads!” crafting community.” She goes onto saying: “Tie-dying is If you’re feeling the buzz of always a fun one. You never quite creativity, then go out and start know how it’s going to turn out and creating! Thrift know that sometimes that’s the best bit!” Kendall explains if you’re feeling that it’s not going how much she loves to make a right you just want to give up, but variety of things: “I love waking TWB have given us their top tips up on a weekend and baking and for when you’re feeling like this. decorating a beautiful batch of Kendall expresses: “Try smaller cupcakes. I also love fashion; so challenges first and take your replicating fashionable items is time. Also, take experience from something I find great satisfaction everywhere you go. There are ideas in.” As well as this Kendall has a for DIY fashion all over!” Kate adds: passion for knitting: “I spend hours “Do not give up! When embarking perfecting my skills and learning on a crafty project, I always imagine new stitches. I find it so satisfying it to be so easy but 9 times out of when you create a beautiful item 10 something doesn’t quite work out of a ball of wool.” out. Don’t let this stop you. Be Thrift believes that crafting your creative and don’t worry about, own things, or even items for friends making mistakes.”
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How to make
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embellished sunnies
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Embellished sunglasses the best accessory for the summer season, perfect for festivals, holidays or just wearing around town. These are the best accompaniment to the 3D floral trend, which is circling the high street right now. Now you can make them yourselves, without having to spend a fortune! Words by Megan Norris Images by Craig Chmarny and Megan Norris 9
You wil need A pair of sunglasses - Primark, £2.50 Glue Gun - Amazon, £5 Flat back beads - Ebay - Pack of 20, 99p Plastic Sticky Tape - Scotch Magic - Tesco £2
Stoneep Choose which pattern you would like your flowers to go in. You could choose any pattern you feel suits the shape of the sunnies.
Sttwoep Stick plastic tape over the sunglasses to protect them from the glue.
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Thrift chose this one
Stthreeep ThriftTip
: Mak e su quic re you kly, o do t hi r will the glue s set!
Turn your glue gun on and start glueing! Add a small blob of glue onto your first bead and push quickly onto the side of the frame.
Stfourep Push the bead down firmly, so they are close to the frame.
Stfiveep When you have attached all the beads, you can take off all of the glue strands.
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Stsixep When you have attached all of your beads, pull off the plastic tape.
Ta da
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The Three Best... Beginner Sewing Machines
Every month we bring you the three best products out right now, so you know exactly what to look for - no more guess work. Once you’ve learnt how to thread a needle without it taking a good 10 minutes, then you’ll need to get yourself a sewing machine! We’ve gone with three different good brands: Brother, John Lewis and Singer with each one coming in at under £200. Why break the bank if you really don’t have to? Words by Megan Norris
John Lewis JL110, Spearmint £99 John Lewis The cutest machine in mint green!
Brother JK1700 £119 John Lewis
Images From John Lewis Carla Hodgings
Oh Brother!
First up, is the Brother JK1700, priced at £119, whilst being the most expensive it is also the only one that has a metal chassis, meaning this machine will last a very long time! This machine is great for basic alterations and features 17 different stitches, all on a handy selection wheel. The JK1700 is suitable for any material, be it thick denim or a thin silk and also has auto thread tension – ensuring a stable stitch for whichever material you are sewing. Another great feature is the LED lighting, making life so much easier so you can see the details in bad light! This is a brilliant machine for a beginner leading you through everything when you’re not too sure what is going on! Then when you get more confidence it will also meet your needs, Thrift think it’s perfect.
It comes in 7 other colours, including coral, dusky purple and red, it is only £99 from John Lewis. This model is very close to the Janome model in design, as they both have similar buttons and levers. The only difference is the fact you can get it in the sweetest colour ways. This machine also features arrows so it puts you at ease when trying to thread the needle. As well as this it is robust and it may look like a toy but it definitely doesn’t feel like one when you get going! This is great for you if you like things to be aesthetically pleasing, you could put this in a room and really set off the colour scheme. Thrift love the colour!
Singer 8280 £100 John Lewis
Sing from the pintops! Last but by no means least is the Singer. The mother of all sewing machine brands, and at £100 it really isn’t bad at all! It is super lightweight with seven different stitches, just the right amount so you’re not bombarded when first using this machine and can then learn the different stitches at your own rate. The simple dial means that using this machine is very easy, just set it to the stitch you want, and go! With its ultra easy to use design with simplicity at its heart the Singer 8280 really is a great machine that will help you Get t progress in to an : sale o Ebay s if y or c excellent sewer. ar o Whilst not being a barg u want boot a t i o fin n ! Y so complicated even find ou mig d h that it warns you a Sing vintage t off at first try! er!
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Tea.Trinkets and other Treasures Molly’s Den is a retail and trade warehouse based in Poole, Dorset; they sell all things vintage and unique - from timeworn radios and retro clothes to up-cycled furniture. You can find little gems that you generally can’t find on the high street, with no items from Ikea in sight. Therefore if you’re looking for that piece of nostalgia or a reasonably priced coffee table, that isn’t owned by everyone from here to Tokyo, then this is the place to go. You’ve just got to find them! Thrift was lucky enough to talk with Megan Trott who is the manager of the brand new site, which opened up earlier in the year, in New Milton, Hampshire. Words and images by Megan Norris
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he perfect place for a spot of leisurely vintage shopping, Molly’s Den is enormous. ‘The Den’ is full to the brim with stuff - a treasure trove of delights - it has been open for a number of years and has recently expanded into a Hampshire based den with more on the way. The original Dorset Den comprises of 250 different traders, set over two floors, with spaces metres wide for larger items such as wardrobes and other furniture, to tiny cabinets full of decadent delights. It spans 16,000 square feet in an old warehouse, meaning you could literally spend hours in here. Molly’s Den has been open for many years; therefore so many bits and pieces are tucked away, waiting to be found by a passer by. You could really find something extraordinary; just make sure you don’t get lost in the wonderment of vintage and retro. If you want to upcycle something yourself or if you’re looking for something that has already been restored, you are in luck – with many traders specialising in this type of thing. After wearing yourself out “I looking around every nook think it and cranny of the Den, you can pop into the attracts lots of aptly named café, Molly’s Kitchen. They make the different people from students to antique most delightful cups of tea and breakfast bagels, dealers so it’s a very among many other yummy delights, all served broad audience.” on mismatched china. Every piece of the furniture in the café is available to buy - you might even end up buying what you’re sat on! Barbara Hamilton from Hampshire tells us why she loves Molly’s Den so much: “You can buy your childhood! It’s kitsch. Each piece has a story.” Vintage and retro is very on trend at the moment and has been for a number of years, Molly’s Den in Dorset has always been busy, and so when the opening of the Hampshire Den was announced the public loved it. We spoke to Megan Trott manager of the Hampshire Den, she tells us why they decided to open another site: “There was so many people who were coming in and going are you going to be opening one any nearer to Southampton, or the other side of Christchurch and there was so much interest from the
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further away areas.” The new den has a distinct atmosphere, Megan explains: “It’s brighter, and nicer, but you know when the suns out which is really nice. I think the café works a lot better.” The Hampshire den is also a treasure trove, just on much larger scale - 30,000 square feet to be exact – it even has a double decker bus inside. Everything in this den is on a bigger scale, even the café, which is run by an outside business – Robin’s Nest. It may not be the same as Molly’s Kitchen at the Dorset Den, but is just as full of charm with mismatched tables and chairs as well as quirky china pieces. The opening weekend of the Hampshire Den was a very busy one, with “Honestly free valuations, a live if you see band and of course something in here, hundreds of traders you have to buy it and potential buyers. Megan tells us: “the when you see it or amount of people who it will be gone!” have come through the doors here already, is just incredible. It was so busy on the first weekend, we didn’t’ expect it to be that busy at all.” Even though they sold the majority of the stock, they don’t seem to find this a problem as Megan clarifies: “stock is constantly changing, as soon as we open the doors our traders are bringing in stock all day. Honestly if you see something in here, you have to buy it when you see it or it will be gone!” Megan has worked at Molly’s Den from the beginning, as she met the owner Dean years ago: “Dean used to have a centre similar thing; The Dorchester Curiosity Centre, and we had a pitch there selling our furniture.” After much persuasion she got him to open up a store of his own. “We said you’ve got to start one in Poole, you need to do it you need to do it, and he basically said if you can find me a warehouse, then you can come and help me run it. So we did. I’ve been there from the start, but I think Dean would have done it anyway, and because we were local to the area, it was nice for him to know that we knew the area,” Megan explains. When Molly’s Den first opened Megan and her friend had a pitch, so it was only a matter of time before she started working there, she explains: “I used to do painted furniture, with my friends, we had a
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big spot in the one in sell anything, so it’s nice to have Bournemouth - the Hetty Green other people sell my stock for me. area, they are now opening up their I think it attracts lots of different “It’s own shop. That’s what I was going people from students to to do with them, but I decided to antique dealers so it’s a very kitsch. come here instead there’s only so broad audience.” Each piece much painting you can do!” Craft is a massive part Molly’s Den is a very unique name, of the vintage lifestyle, has a story.” which is great for such an exceptional especially now with the rise place, Megan enlightens us to why of crafters, with programmes it is called this: “We were coming such as The Great British Sewing up with so many names, that had Bee and craft fairs popping up antiques or vintage and retro in it, all over the country. Molly’s Den but because it’s so vast and there have not over looked this, with the are so many different things in here, new Hampshire Den trialling craft you couldn’t pin point it and put a workshops, Megan explains further: description in its name. It just had to “The craft workshops is by one of be something completely different, our traders, she approached us something that people and asked if we could hold craft remember. A name like and we said yeah “Instead workshops Bournemouth antiques go for it. There should be of people centre or something more workshops coming like that wouldn’t have soon, just to test it out. going out on worked, because its I think instead spa days, they Because not just antiques it’s of people going out on want to do a the whole vintage and spa days, they want to do retro thing as well. Dean workshop” a workshop, or like mums was trying to think of names going out for tea and cakes and his daughter is called Molly. and going crochet making.” I said why don’t you call it Molly’s Why not take a visit to one of the Den, and it kind of just stuck.” dens and see what delights you can Due to open two new dens in go home with or even try out one 2014, one in Winchester which of their workshops. It might give will be in a 100,000 square foot you some inspiration to go out and warehouse - just think of all the try some new crafts that you may wonders you could find in there. have never thought about before. They are also opening up another Why not dig to the bottom of that in London that will be nearly 90,000 treasure trove of delights and come square feet, with plans to also open out with something magnificent. sites in Worthing and Nottingham Molly’s Den seems set for great things. Megan explains what the future holds for Molly’s Den and the team: “I think Dean wants it to become a brand, he wants to open about 5 in the next two years, and yeah he wants it to be everywhere. Dean is unstoppable, he will just continue to open them. It wouldn’t surprise me, he’s just so focused; he gets with it and does it. There is always something to do.” Vintage Per Sempre owner, Leah Evans explains why she started trading at Molly’s Den: “I started trading in September. Prior to that I had my own vintage shop, but last April I decided to close as I had my daughter. I then had all this stock and needed an outlet to sell at. I had heard good things about Molly’s and as you are not tied into a contract didn’t see it as a risk. The best things about it are that I don’t have to be there. My shop was such a tie and if I didn’t open I didn’t
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How to make...
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...a simple skirt
It’s in the name, this is a very simple to make skirt, perfect for holidays, festivals or lazy days in the sunshine with your friends. This should take you around 15 minutes, so not long at all, so if you’re struggling with what to wear one day you could potentially rustle up a new skirt, whilst your tea is brewing! Words by Megan Norris Images by Craig Chmarny and Megan Norris 23
You will need Half a metre of stretch cotton. Fabric Land - ÂŁ3.99 a metre I inch thick elastic in the colour of your choice. Fabric Land - 47p per metre Thread in the colour of your choice. Sewing machine Scissors Pins A tape measure
Step one
Measure your waist, then cut the elastic to the same size. Measure the fabric to the same width as the elastic and add 1 and a half inches for seam allowance.
Step two Work out the length you want the finished skirt to be, and then add another inch for seam allowance. Cut the fabric.
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Step three
ThriftTip
Wh : e ric, n putt in p to t lace t g pins h h em int e stitc w hing ay yo horizo o nta whe . Thi u will l n yo s is h be take u ne elpf ul e the m o d to ut.
fab
Fold the fabric inwards, so the underside of the fabric is showing, then use your pins to secure the sides together.
Step four
Using your sewing machine on straight stitch, sew all the way down where you have pinned – this will then create a tube.
Step five
Press along the seam using an iron, this will make your seam into an open seam.
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Step six
Fold over half an inch at the top of the fabric, to create a seam and pin. Pin the elastic to the underside of the fabric, so only half of the elastic is showing over the top of the seam.
Step seven
Using a zig-zag stitch sew the elastic onto the skirt, taking the pins out as you go.
Step eight Now to create the hem – using ½ an inch at the bottom of the tube, fold and press up and repeat along the bottom. Using a zig-zag stitch, sew the seam down.
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ThriftTip
Ma ke : the sure y edg ou ar the e elas of the e sew in t tha s t th ic. This eam, g on e o flip w n ove elastic ill me to r wh doe an wea ilst y sn’t ou’ ring re it.
Ta da!
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