Tag: DIY

DIY

Frugal-nomics DIY: Leather Fringe Skirt

I’m often asked where I get my inspiration from for my DIY projects, and the honest answer is….”everywhere.”  For this one in particular, I was doing a modeling job one day for a clothing company recently when one of the designers came in with a leather fringe skirt, and I thought….I love the rock and roll edge, gotta have it!  So, in addition to the leather fringe heels I made here (which I won’t be wearing at the same time as the skirt, just an FYI) I wanted to add another cool leather piece to my wardrobe as we get further into fall, and this was a quick and easy addition.

Want to know how to wear it?  Just add some tights and a chunky sweater and you’re all set. Tell me what you think below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SUPPLIES: Skirt (I got paint on me one day in the subway on my way to a modeling job — long story — so I picked this one up for like $5 at H&M), faux leather, leather studded trim, a straight edge, glue, rotary cutter, scissors, and a tape measure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HOW-TO:
1. First step, fold your faux leather in half and stretch it out on a flat surface.
2. Measure the length of the front of your skirt, seam to seam (mine was about 14 inches across).  Then cut 3 sections of the folded faux leather, each 7 x 14 inches. The length is determined by the length of your skirt, and you may want to be a little more generous with the width to avoid my mistake I made of it being too short once you put it on).
3. Leaving the folded edge across the top, cut each of the 3 sections into 1/8 in strips with a 1/2 in seam allowance (so, don’t go all the way up to the top).
4. For safety, lay out the 3 sections before you glue them down. Once you know where you want them to go, start from the bottom and put a line of glue across top seam of 1 of your sections, and press it down into place. I let my fringes hang about 1.5 inches over the skirt’s hem. Repeat this for the other 2 sections — ending directly on top of the waistband.
5. Lastly, measure the width of the waistband of your skirt, cut a piece of trim the desired length (again, try it on before you cut), and then glue it into place. Presto! Quick, easy, and more importantly — no sew!

DIY

Frugal-nomics DIY: Fabric Covered Lampshade

I’m finding that creating your own personalized home decor has never been easier.  So I decided to finally do something with the blank lampshade I’ve been staring at for a couple years now.  I knew I wanted something with a splash of yellow that would compliment the throw pillows I had made a while back.  So, with less than an hour of time and a yard of fabric, I created a splashy solution that completely brightens up my space.  Tell me what you think?

 

 

 

 

 

 

SUPPLIES:  lampshade, a yard of light- to medium-weight fabric, scissors, fabric glue, pencil, and spray adhesive.

1. Wrap your lampshade in your fabric, then take your pencil and mark 1.5 inches past the point where the fabric meets the other side.
2. Being conscious of where you want your pattern to lay on the shade, mark 1 inch with your pencil at what will be the top and bottom of the lampshade drum.
3. Cut out your form — it will look like this.
4. Lay out some newspaper, and spray your lampshade with the adhesive (Note: It’s best to do this outdoors; but if you must do it indoors, be sure to be in a well ventilated area).
5. In addition to the shade, spray your fabric with the adhesive, along with dotting it with the fabric glue for added security (Note: I added the fabric glue because I realized my spray adhesive was only temporary).
6. Carefully wrap your lampshade in the fabric — I started in on the seam, so I could end there as well (Note: It was immediately fast drying, so I had a few seconds to play around with it to get it right).
7. Glue along this seam that you started and stopped on, then fold back the flap so you have a neat edge — now press it into place.
8. I wanted my print to line up as best it could….here it how it looked along the seam.
9. Lastly, glue along the top and bottom edge of the drum, and then fold the fabric down, like a hem (Note: If you want it to look really neat, fold it down twice — feel free to use the iron if you need to). Voila!

OUTFITS

Cargo Diem

Happy Friday guys!!!  So while it’s technically fall, we are squeezing out our last handful of warm days, and I couldn’t resist showing you a few pieces I’ve picked up and customized over these last few months.  I’ve been wanting a cargo vest since last year — that’s why I always say to invest in a few wardrobe pieces and you’ll get wear out of them year after year — so since I had a couple thrifted cargo jackets, I took one to my tailor and had the sleeves removed to achieve the look I wanted.  To top off the look, I also took to creating my own version of a necklace I’ve been drooling over — the Pegasus Necklace by Stella & Dot.  But, I didn’t want to fork over the $200 plus price tag….so…after a little digging, I found some leaf chain and took to my latest #diy.  Like the look….tell me what you think below. Have a beautiful weekend!

:: OUTFIT ::

Cargo Vest :: H&M (originally a thrifted jacket that I had turned into a vest)
Tank :: Faded Glory
Shorts :: Zara (2nd hand from eBay)
Necklace :: (My own creation)
Boots :: Steve Madden
Bag :: Kenneth Cole