Sonya Nimri

I used to be a regular on this magazine show called Soaptalk on the Soapnetwork presenting fun and easy last minute Halloween Costumes .  The costumes were wild and over the top yet all of them had the common element of being fairly easy to construct.  Here are some vintage videos to get inspired by: http://sonyastyle.com/sections/wear/Halloween_Costumes_DIY

It's acorn season so I can't help but post yet another acorn project.  Go grab yourself some before the squirrels get to them first!  As for the beads, you don't have to actually know how to crochet to make these earrings, simply find crocheted beads at the bead store or buy these adorable Artistrywear beads   online.  Other fiber beads would work too- say felted beads would look amazing since having fiber, metal, and wood in one project is just so harmonious. What You'll Need: 2 Acorn caps 2 Crocheted beads (mine are Plaid Artistrywear Beads ) 2 gold bead caps 2 earring hooks 2 flat headed head pins Hot glue gun G-S Hypo Cement Jewelry Glue  or Superglue Round-nose pliers Wire cutters Little bowl of rice or beans Directions: Drop a small dab of hot glue into each acorn cap. Press crocheted bead lightly into cap, hole side up- making sure the glue does not ooze out of sides.  Hold in place for a few seconds. Put head pin through go...

A simple project that I made with an Indian vintage silk skirt that had shredded to pieces.  Any fabric will do but keep in mind that thicker fabrics will make thicker rope.  I find that a fine silk or satin crepe is ideal for this project because it shrinks up so easily when twisted for a soft, pliable, rope.  This project also looks great with two thick pieces of yarn.  A bike handlebar streamer instructional using the same technique coming soon! What You'll Need: Two 34"x 2" strips of silk or one double the length (longer if your wrist is a little chunkier) A safety pin Needle and thread Bead with big hole Directions: Tie the fabric pieces together at one end in a half-knot.  Just above the knot, pin the strips to your work surface. Pick up the two pieces of fabric and twist them clockwise.  Continue twisting until the fabric is twisted so tightly that it begins to kink. Twist the two fabric pieces together counter clockwise.  Continu...

Fall is in the air and I found some sweet little acorns while on a walk in the woods in Dover, a charming town right outside of Boston.  The caps seemed to come right off so I thought that they would make a cute pin cushion cap.  These would also make great place markers for a dinner party with embroidered or even written names either attached to the acorns or sewn into the fabric. What You'll Need: Circle to trace, I used a jam jar lid Some yarn or cotton balls for stuffing Scissors and pen Scrap fabric  Acorn caps Glue gun Needle and thread Directions: Trace a circle on your fabric, cut it out. Fill the center with stuffing. Sew the edges of the circle and cinch. Put a dab of hot glue inside the acorn cap and press the sewn edges of the fabric into the cap.

I had to make a pair of these at Theo's Christening when Chris realized that he had forgotten his cufflinks in L.A.  This is a quick project that anyone can make with either beads, buttons and twistie-ties from the grocery store. What You'll Need: Two beads or two buttons or four buttons (make sure one of the pairs fit through the button holes so you can get them on) Two twistie-ties, stripped of their paper. Directions: Run your wire through the button holes and twist around center wire behind the button.  Do the same for the bead leaving a distance of 1/2 inch between the two buttons.  It won't be pretty where you twist the wire around itself, but it won't show when it's through the button holes.