Okay Nerdy Chicks. You know that feeling you have when you see something in a store and the first thing that pops into your mind is, “I can make that!” And the second thing is, “I’ll save money doing it!” If you are one of those people, you are definitely a nerdy chick… and this post is for you.
With Halloween is right around the proverbial corner, now seems like a good time to talk about a particularly successful project I completed about two years ago.
- All by itself, it has brought hundreds and hundreds of people to CRAFTY CRAFTS, the craft blog I run with my daughter.
- It has been copied and worn by a teacher in a Halloween parade in Sewell, NJ.
- It has won a Halloween Costume Contest judged by the mayor of the booming metropolis where we live.
- It is…
The Hippie Vest.
And we (my daughter and I) made it ourselves.
Sometimes being a Nerdy Chick means making your own costumes, or your own birthday cakes. Sometimes it means thinking you don’t want to pay for something because you assume you can make that something better yourself.
Sometimes you are wrong about the previous assumption.
But not in the case of the Hippie Vest. The Hippie Vest rocks. It was created from a $2.50 brown fleece blanket, iron-on patches, a needle, and a pair of scissors. It didn’t take long to make. But long it will dwell on the Internet, and bring hits to the craft blog, especially around Halloween.
Long live The Hippie Vest! I wish all of my ideas were this good.
To find out how to make The Hippie Vest, click HERE.
And if you’ve ever taken the “I can make that!” challenge, tell us how it turned out in a comment! 
Nerdy Chicks Rule 
Very cool! Growing up, I never had a storebought costume. Part of it is I know I’m lucky to have had a mom who wanted to help make costumes, but–and she would admit this–some of her attempts also didn’t quite work. But the point is, we were inventive and that’s more fun than picking out an over-priced plastic get-up that any kid down the street might have. In later years, I made my own. My favorite was a playing card which I made out of a piece of posterboard and hand-drew a Queen of Spades. My best friend and I worked for weeks on it!
Your post reminds me I should get out the fall decorations this weekend. 🙂
Thanks Steph I loved the home made costumes growing up, and my mom is crafty so she helped make a bunch of them, but I have to admit to a three year stint as Caspar the Friendly Ghost in a plastic mask… he was so cute my sister and I both dressed as him! (Cute still sells.)
I can’t buy something I feel I can make, even if I don’t end up making it in the long run. Last year for Halloween, I was Senior Citizen Barbie, complete with walker and fake cigarette (I won first place at the office).
I’ve been remodeling my kitchen and will tile the backsplash this weekend. I’m considering it a jumbo craft project. I also bought transparent colored beads to try to turn a recessed light into a chandelier (could be great or stupid).
But, hey, it’s all creativity. Whether in crafts, drawings, or words, creativity in one stimulates creativity in the others.
I know the feeling Mary, but I’ve had to break myself of the habit…. I just don’t have time to make it all…. or any of it! Would love to see pics of your chandelier when you are done!
How big was the fabric used to make this?
It was a small fleece blanket purchased from Walmart. I don’t remember the measurements, but the standard size fleece blanket that you get for $5.00 or less.