Tag: Mood

DIY

DIY: Great Gatsby Headband

So I recently saw the newest remake of the Great Gatsby , and  I was mesmerized the entire time with the fashion.  Take me back to the 1920’s — PRONTO!  The feathers, the dresses, the cloche hats — I was truly in love…and the blinged out Tiffany headband worn by Carey Mulligan, was no exception. So you know me….in homage to hers, I grabbed a fabulous brooch and made my own for a fraction of the cost.  Tell me what you think!


SUPPLIES: crystal brooch, e6000 glue, rhinestone ornament, needle and thread, ribbon, rhinestone chain (I originally thought I would use these white plastic strip of beads, but later opted for the rhinestone chain), scissors, and wire cutters.

How-To:
1. Cut two pieces of ribbon at an angle on one end. My first one is 15 inches, and my second is 21.5 inches at the longest points.
2. Dab a tiny bit of glue on the end so it won’t fray.
3. With your wire cutters, remove the back pin and adjoining metal to create a “flat” back to your brooch.
4. Using the e6000 glue, adhere both ornaments to each side of the brooch’s back.
5. Let dry for a few hours.
6. Feed your ribbon through the open end of your rhinestone ornament, and with only a half if left over, apply a dab a glue to it and hold it (Note: it all depends which side you want to wear the brooch on. For example, if you want it on the left side of your face, when it’s laying down on your table and facing up…you’ll want to put the shortest ribbon on the right).
7. I originally thought I’d try plastic beads, but later thought the rhinestone crystals pictured here would be much better — I was right. Cut two strips, the length of about 14 stones.
8. Glue these two strips of rhinestone chain to the back of the brooch.
9. You can always go with just glue for a clean finish, but if you’d like a little added security, stitch the ribbon in place.

DIY

DIY: Chain Link Heels Inspired by DVF

So, I fell in love with these chain link heels from DVF from the moment I saw them.  So I grabbed some secondhand shoes (which I got for $5 instead of $10 because they were missing an ankle strap — which I knew I wouldn’t need, but welcomed the discount) metal chain, closures, and glue and immediately got to work. This takes my heels from drab to fab in no time. Tell me what you think!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SUPPLIES: heels that once had an ankle strap, matches, large chain, smaller chain, 2 leather/metal closures, clear illusion cord, E6000 glue, wire cutters, and pliers.

 

 

HOW-TO:
1. Go ahead and measure out how much chain you think you’ll need for your ankle strap (don’t forget to allow room for the metal toggle that will be attached. I used 10 large ones in total), and the chain that will go down the back of the heel (here I used 8) — use your wire cutters to pry the links open, and twist.
2. Remove one link from the smaller chains for the left and one for the right foot.
3. Add this one link to the base of each of the chains that trail down the back of the shoe.
4.Remove the 2 “toggle bars” and “loops” from the leather pieces. Be sure to keep the little rings attached that connect them to the leather, because you will use them in a second.
5. For the ankle strap (again, mine was 10 rings) attach the toggle bar by its ring to the chain (Note: If its for the right shoe, you will do the right side of the chain.  We’ll start with the right foot).
6. Now add the loop via it’s connector ring to the left side of that chain.
7. For the right shoe, you will count in 3 rings from the toggle bar, and then pry open that link.
8. Slide this 3rd link onto the loop on the back of your heel, and close it back.
9. Next take your chain that is 8 links long (the one with the small ring at the base), and attach it to the loop on your shoe as well.
10. Pulling the chain really taught while keeping it straight, slip the clear illusion cord through the small ring at the bottom of the chain that goes down back of shoe. Wrap this cord around heel a couple times right above the shoe tap, and double knot it on the inside of the heel.
11. Cut off excess cord right near the knot you created.
12. Use a match to ever so slightly melt the knot at the base of the heel tap (Note: be really careful doing this or the cord will snap).
13. In the middle of the heel, place just a dab of glue just beneath the chain to hold it in place (Note: you can also add a tiny bit to the chain itself to keep it turned in the direction the desired direction).  I also used a piece of string to tie it in place while the glue dried for about half hour.

 

 

DIY

DIY: Camo and Leather Foldover Clutch with Tassel

We’ve seen it on the runways of DKNY and even Valentino — camo is really hot right now!  But you know, I wanted a functional way to wear it — an accent piece that I would get more wear out of then say with a top or a jacket. So, I opted to make a clutch.  I combined the camouflage with a few textural elements like the tassel and leather…and I’m killin’ a bunch of Spring/Summer fashion trends at once.  Tell me what you think. Are you a fan of this neutral pattern?

 

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SUPPLIES: needle and thread, zipper (11.5 inches), rotary cutter, straight pins, faux leather/vinyl, camouflage fabric, silk lining, scissors, wash cloth & iron (optional), and a sewing machine (note: can be hand sewn).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HOW TO:

1. Cut out two camo rectangles (mine were 13 x 10 inches), and two leather rectangles (13 x 3inches).
2. Pin one leather rectangle to camo rectangle. Place raw edges together, right sides facing each other.
3. Flip it over and sew on wrong side. Repeat for other camo/leather section.
4. Cut two pieces of silk out for lining.  (Note: I used my new attached camo/leather rectangle as my guide for what size I would need).
5. Take your zipper face down and pin it to the top edge of the right side of a piece of your camo/leather rectangle AND one piece of the silk (Note: If you happen to find a zipper that is too long, feel free to do what I did here to shorten it).
6. Sew these three pieces together.
7. It may be a little tricky to work around zipper head. You’ll want to sew as close to the teeth as possible, so after sewing about an inch, pull zipper head back. (Note: You’ll move it back into position as you go along).
8. Right sides facing, take the other camo/leather piece and silk and lay it on top of the other side.  Pin the free side of the zipper to these pieces along the raw edge.
9. Sew the zipper on.
10. Be sure to watch out for the zipper pull like in Step #7.
11. It’s time to sew it all together! Use straight pins to give yourself about a half inch seam allowance on the remaining three sides.
12. Go ahead and sew it all up.
13. Before you get to that last side….be sure to open up zipper a few inches so you can get it open once you are done sewing.
14. Cut corners of bag off at an angle on both sides.
15. Flip bag to the right side.
16. Take a piece of leather about 7.5 inches in length, and cut about 7 thin strips of leather for your tassel with the rotary cutter.
17. Fit leather strips through zipper head.
18. Take one leather strip and wrap it firmly around the head of the bundle of strips three times.
19. Hand stitch this binding strip to the bundle of strips for security.  Cut off excess.
20. If your fabric is puckering at all, feel free to iron it out, applying a damp cloth over the leather portion.