Hey Everyone!  Nicole from Sketch42 here! I am delighted to be this month’s blogger of the month, and even more delighted when I opened the gorgeous little package that the folks at M&J sent over! 

This spring I am SO inspired by neons and color so when I opened the box and found neon grosgrain ribbon and Rit Dye, I was thrilled! I have been dying to do some dip-dying ever since I made some tie-dye napkins this summer. Dip Dying seems just a tad more sophisticated and is a much simpler affair. 

So for my first project, I made a place setting that I would use for a spring lunch or brunch. The great thing about this project is that even just by using the neon grosgrain bow as a napkin ring, you can set a totally current and chic table with very little permanence or cost. 

After I made the dyed napkins and the co-ordinating napkin ring and placed them on a white plate, I knew I wanted to add way more color. So I added a peacock colored placemat that I already had. Then I realized I had these amazing vintage neon glasses and that they would add even more color to the table. And then after that, I thought of making the orange coaster! (I was considering making a placemat but I didnt have enough cord…)

For my second project, I spruced up one of my daughters shirts, by adding a strip of neon grosgrain underneath the buttons. I love this idea because its so subtle and yet it really makes the shirt seem super fresh. I also adorned the collar with a beaded flower to add that little extra something. I totally want to make one of these for myself using the neon yellow ribbon… but thats a project for another day. For a man’s shirt, I would add the ribbon on the underside of the collar. Just a little peak of color is the key to keeping this DIY sophisticated. 

Materials Sent
4mm Imported Rayon Twist Cord Item# 42950 in Orange 
1” Imported Chromspun Grosgrain Item# 02224 in Neon Orange  
1” Imported Chromspun GrosgrainItem# 02224 in Neon Yellow
1” Imported Chromspun Grosgrain Item# 02224 in Neon Pink
2mm Round Learther Cord Item# 00260 in Turquoise
Thread Item# 42681 in Golden Rod and Poppy
Rit Dye Powder Item# 46301 in Fuchsia and Sunshine Orange 
Seed Beads Item# 76010 in Paque

Project 1

Project 1 Instructions: Dip Dyed Napkins

• Follow the instructions on the Rit Dye Box. I chose to do mine on the stove. Mix dye with hot water, salt and a small amount of detergent. Stir and wait until desired color is achieved.  
• Take clean, washed napkins and dip into the dye bath. I dipped the edges of one napkin, the side of another and the bottom of another. Ultimately, the napkin with the dyed bottom was the most successful.
• Immediately rinse with warm water, then cold until the water runs clear. 
• Dry and iron. 

Project 2

Project 2 Instructions: Neon Grosgrain Bow. 

• Begin the  bow by winding the ribbon back and forth to form three loops. To do this, first form one loop. Holding the loop at its midpoint, wind the ribbon underneath to form another loop that is slightly larger than the first. Now hold both of the loops together at their midpoints and wind the ribbon underneath in the opposite direction to form a final loop, again slightly larger than the previous.
• Staple them together at the midpoint. 
• Wrap a small piece of ribbon over the staple and secure in the back with a glue gun. 
• Attach to the center of the extra ribbon , and using the glue gun secure the ends of the ribbon to each other. 
• Place the napkin inside. 

Project3

Project 3 Instructions: Orange Cord Coaster

• Remove the tape from the edge of your cord. 
• Using a glue gun, apply a little bit of glue to the edge of your cord to stop fraying . 
• Place the cord flat on a table and wrap the cord into a spiral, using one hand to keep it flat and the other to twist. 
• Take your glue gun and cover the entire cord with glue. Make sure that the glue gets in between the cord. Finish the edge of the cord with a little more glue and tuck it into the side of the coaster. 
• After the glue dries, turn it over and voila! 

Finished Look

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Project 4

Project 4:  Neon edged white button down: 

• Take a plain white button down shirt.  Find a ribbon that matches the width of the area you want to cover.
• Remove all the buttons. 
• Using a no-sew iron on stitching, fold over the edge of the ribbon and iron it so that fraying is not exposed.  
• Measure the length of the ribbon to your shirt adding a 1/8 of an inch (for folding over) and cut the ribbon. Then finish that edge with the iron on stitching as well. 
• Iron on the entire ribbon to the length of the shirt. (I made sure that the side edge of  my ribbon would jut out just past where the shirt would cover so that the ribbon would show the entire length of the shirt even when it was buttoned.)
• Sew on all the buttons using colored thread. (Even just simply changing the thread would have subtly spruced up this shirt!) I also stitched the top and bottom edges of the ribbon to the shirt.
• Stitch a few beads in a flower pattern at the collar.  
• I paired it with jeans and a bracelet I made by braiding the enclosed leather cord.