Who doesn’t like to accessorize with Disney merchandise?  Many people search for their unique accessories in Disney Stores and on the website, but there are other places to look.  Here are two online businesses that are run by teens who have succeeded in making exclusive Disney merchandise to embellish any outfit that you can’t get ANYWHERE else!

Magical Ribbons is a one-girl company led by 19 year old Hayley.  She creates her own unique hair ribbons inspired by Disney characters and attractions.  They can be made to fit on headbands, have clips for your hair (alligator or pinch), and for you boys out there, bow ties for any occasion.  The prices are as perfect as the bows ranging from $5.00 (It’s A Small World) to $17.00 (Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! Minnie Mouse)!  Most of the bows will complement many outfits and are easy to wear (they aren’t too crazy, too big, too wacky, etc.)  Haley started the business just last January, and people have already ordered 1,000 mini bows and over 900 regular sized bows.  I have worn her bows before, and I actually wore my favorite one (you will find out which one that is later) last Friday. I got a LOT of compliments on it and met many girls who like Disney too!

Some of Hayley’s most exclusive bows include one for the Pixar movie “Up” which is a basic white bow with many different color ribbons carefully placed above the bow to make it look like balloons ($10.00).  It is very hard to describe, but you get the gist. Another bow is inspired by the World of Color show in Disney’s California Adventure ($16.00).  It starts out as a basic black bow with sequins on the borders of the ribbon.  On top of that is translucent, colorful fabric that makes a smaller bow.  What I love most about the World of Color bow is that there is a Mickey shaped light in the middle of the bow that changes color every 5 seconds.  It is beautiful and practical!  I am actually waiting for it to come in the mail now!  My favorite bow however is the Peter Pan bow ($9.00).  This was the first bow I ordered from Hayley.  I fell in love with it and it is a fan favorite (it is also her favorite bow).  The Peter Pan bow is a green bow with another smaller bow in a lighter shade of green.  The smaller bow is on top of the bigger one. A brown band keeps the two bows together and a red feather peers from the top of the bow.  It is made to be worn on the left side of your head so the feather is going the same way it is on his hat.  I adore it! The last bow I am going to mention specifically is the Park Map Bow ($9.00).  Hayley takes park maps from any of the 4 Walt Disney World Parks and both Disneyland parks and turns them into wearable bows.  You specify which map you want, and she makes sure the icon of that park is the center of the bow.  I have the Magic Kingdom Park bow, and in the center of the bow is the castle.

Unfortunately, you cannot order from Magical Ribbons right now.  Haley closes periodically to give her time to hand make all the bows and get them out on time (keep in mind this is one girl doing EVERYTHING).  The next time she will DEFINITELY be open is November 19-22^nd however she may open up October 15-18th, but it is to be announced.  You can decide what you want between now and then. You can order and see all of her bows here:  magicalribbons.tumblr.com.

Hayley (a different Hayley than mentioned above even though they share a unique spelling) runs a business with the same idea, taking things people wear and make them Disney-oriented.  Her venture is called Simply Mad Designs.  Instead of doing bows, however, Hayley does shoes!  She is 17 years old and has been hand painting shoes since 2010.  You can send her a white pair of Toms, Converse, or basically any other shoe.  You tell her what you want on it, and she will do her best to make it exactly as you imagined it.  Prices range from $30.00 –  $50.00 depending on the design.  Some shoes she has already created include a pair of Converse All-Star low tops, which is one of her favorites.  The left shoe was Peter Pan and the right shoe was Wendy (ironically, these were made for the Hayley who runs Magical Ribbons) and a pair of Vans that were inspired by Charlotte from The Princess and The Frog.  Simply Mad Designs is also not open at this time, but she will be re-opening in October.  I do not own a pair of shoes by Hayley however I plan on getting a pair of painted Vans as soon as possible.  You can look at other shoes she has painted and get inspiration for what you want on your own shoes here:  simplymaddesigns.tumblr.com.

As I mentioned before, both of these businesses are closed for ordering at the moment.  This gives you plenty of time to think about what you want before you order!  I just want to ask you all to do something when you order:  tell Hayley (whether the one who runs Magical Ribbons or Simply Mad Designs) that you heard about them through WDW Radio.  Both of these girls make sure their customers are happy with their orders.  If you have never ordered through tumblr before, you either have to make a tumblr account or do as instructed by them in their FAQ pages.  If you have any questions, hit “ask” on their websites and ask them your question.  They both try to respond as soon as possible.  I guess it’s important that I mention that neither Magical Ribbons nor Simply Mad Designs is in any way affiliated with The Walt Disney Company or WDW Radio.   Additionally, I was not paid to mention these sites.

This week’s “Where in The World?” picture is taken at a resort pool. Which resort pool? That is your job to find out.

See ya REAL soon!
~Makena

The post Accessorize with these Disney Teens appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

Hi Everyone! A few years ago I started subscribing to a site that occasionally posted what were called style boards. They were a little like inspiration boards, but took clothing and accessories to achieve a look, rather than taking similarly themed images to achieve a concept. Fast forward to now, and there are a number of Disney-based style board sites on tumblr. and Pinterest, which I love to look at.

So, what does this have to do with crafting, you might be asking? I like the idea of coming up with style boards when planning my next Disney vacation. I have amassed a large number of the Disney Store items for my trips including their organic t-shirts and Disney Couture jewelry. I take pieces that might go together and create a style board in PowerPoint. Believe it or not, these style boards eventually inspired some of my crafting. And, they are so easy to make.

Think of these style boards as a collage that will get layered upon itself, almost like a digital scrapbook page. Here I made a quick style board for a Parks ready, Disney Mermaid themed look. I tied some Mary Blair in with a Pirates of the Caribbean poster along with the more obvious Ariel and Ursula items shown.

Now, it’s your turn. Let’s get started together!

To begin your own style board in PowerPoint:

1. If you would like to revisit how to arrange images in PowerPoint, click here for reference.
2. Start with a New Slide, click Layout, then select Blank.
3. This time, to insert photos, clip art or other images: Go to your website of choice, say DisneyStore.com. Copy the image you like~here, I’ve chosen my favorite Ariel t-shirt. Paste it onto the PowerPoint slide.
4. Then, go all the way to the left and select the little wand that has a little angle next to it. When you hover over it, it will read “Set Transparent Color”. I added a red arrow to show you where it is. Click it, then go back to the image you just pasted and click it again. This will make your image have no background. It will be ready to begin layering with other items.
5. Keep collecting the images you like for your look by copying, pasting and setting transparent color.
6. Then, arrange the images in layers by selecting “Bring to Front” or “Send to Back” under the Format Tab. Play with how you space everything out.
7. Feel free to crop your images by using the Format tab and clicking Crop.
8. Like I wrote the other week,  you change the size of your images when they are “highlighted” on the slide by dragging and pulling the circles and boxes on the sides and moving the green ball at the top.

I like to add a few extra images to complete the style theming. And that’s really all there is to it.

I wonder what Disney Parks style boards you will come up with! What outfit will inspire your future projects?

Enjoy your day and craft away!

Fran’s Notes:

~Try the techniques I’ve shown you here and apply them to your next digital scrapbooking layout.

Like so many of us, Fran Cassano’s life is sprinkled with Mickeys. From collecting Park brochures as a child, to creating ideas for her own Disney Fairy Tale Wedding, paper crafts have kept the magic of Disney a part of her everyday life. Fran invites us capture our own memories through Practically Perfect DISNEY Crafting… Break out the tools that have been gathering dust. And let’s figure out how, together!

The post Practically Perfect DISNEY Techniques: A Disney “Parks Ready” Style Board appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.