Feb 12, 2011 | DIY
So Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week Fall 2011/12 has commenced and the shows are now well underway…and I’m following the coverage as it breaks. I’m a little sorry I can’t make it out there this time around, but there’s so much going on here I just can’t tear myself away. For now, following from a distance will just have to do…and I’m beginning to formulate some ideas for DIY’s straight off the runways for the upcoming Fall season.
However, as Spring is just around the corner here are some luxury-label pieces that have caught my eye…and that you could totally D.I.Y. Here’s the five-second rundown:
Marc Jacobs Tape Sweater
Quick How-To: Attach pieces of white sweatshirt fabric onto the front and back of a loose-knit beige sweater. Use black Duck Tape
to disguise the edges of the sweatshirt pieces (and tape another piece on the inside so it won’t stick to your skin through the loose-knit). Never wash this sweater again!
Miu Miu Tiered Lace Dress
Quick How-To: Take any mini sleeveless LBD sheath and stitch tiers of lace trim around it. (I believe this type of lace is called “Venise/Venice Lace” or “Guipure Lace.”) Sure, it’s fiddly, but it will get you exactly the same look for a whole lot less!
Coach Tangle Ball-Chain Framed Small Bag
Quick How-To: Use a small clutch purse frame that has holes in it for sewing onto your bag, and attach different types of ball chain, colored chains, oxidized chains, and rhinestone chains to the holes as you sew the bag body onto it. Alternatively, just use a clutch purse that has the style of frame you like, and attach the chains near the frame using jump rings or threading jewelry wire into the purse body to hold them on.
Quick How-To: Pick a pair of neutral pumps and add a thick layer of hot glue [gluesticks for general purpose, or for fabric/vinyl crafts if you can find it], pressing tiny shells like these and these into it before it dries. Do a single small area at a time since the hot glue dries super-fast! (Yes, this is one of the few times I will actually advocate using hot-glue in a wearable DIY! Also allowed in hair accessories and brooches.;-)
Quick How-To: Attach stick-on pyramid nailhead trim around a pair of old-school visor-style sunglasses
. Poke holes with an awl into the sides and add cone spikes through the holes.
Alexander Wang Plastic Necklace
Quick How-To: Two pieces of Crystal Clear shrink plastic, colored with a thin coat of green acrylic paint, cut into a collar-shape and attached with jump rings and chains. Easy-peasy!
Christian Dior Haute Couture Flocked Dress
Quick How-To: Take a vintage, long-sleeved dress (that’s already stiff) and add colored Craft Flock Fibers to one side of it to get this lovely textural feel. Trial and error is the name of the game!
See any brand-name items that you’re wondering how to DIY? Hit me up at carlyjcais at chic-steals dot com and lmk! I’ll include them in the next round of High-Fashion DIY’s!
xoxox
Carly
photo credits: net-a-porter.com, Fashionising.com, KeikoLynn.com, StantonJames.com, thefashionspot, wireimage.
~If you liked this post, please share it!~
Leave Comment
Dec 17, 2010 | DIY
So sorry for the slowdown in posts as of late. I have been consumed by doing the Christmas shopping, putting together boxes of gifts, making goodies and cookies, writing Christmas and New Year’s cards, and standing around at the Post Office that this holiday brings. I think I have things a little more under control now, but there’s still an overwhelming amount of things to do and get and wrap before next Saturday.
In the meantime, if anyone has any free time and would like to make some jewelry and accessory pieces (maybe as a last-minute gift?), here are some Free Projects from Michael’s:
And some Free Project Downloads from Interweave (require E-mail mailing list signup, but just unsubscribe after you’ve received your freebies if you’re not interested):
Also: Free E-Book on the power of making things by hand to get you inspired:
You can never have enough techniques for DIY’ing in your trick-bag…and the more you know, the more you can apply that knowledge to problem-solving in many different areas.
Enjoy!
xoxox
Carly
~If you liked this post, please share it!~
Leave Comment
Dec 15, 2010 | DIY, Fashion
How goeth the holiday shopping? I am terribly behind and having mini panic-attacks in-between braving the crowds at the mall and waiting in a line that stretches 3 times around the Post Office just to use the Automatic Mailing Machine. Hopefully everyone else has it under control – but if not and you’d like some ideas for that person who prefers to do everything themselves – and who has more than just a little craftiness up their sleeves – look no further and check out these DIY-themed gifts, all available online: (all under $50* – except for one* very important gift!!)
1. The Big-Ass Book of Crafts, $19.95
2. Beginner Studding Kit, $23
3. Wood DIY Gnome, $4.99 (sale)
4. Charmed Knits: Projects for Fans of Harry Potter
, $10.19
5. Kenmore Drop-In Bobbin Sewing Machine, $141.99*
(This is, BTW, the exact same machine I use – Hub gave it to me for my birthday 3 years ago. It is by far the best machine I have ever used – glides through EVERYTHING, even leather up to 3/4″ thick (six layers of sueded split top leather at 1/8″ thick a layer), and it’s never broken or given me any grief. It has 90 stitches on it (not that And I’ve never sent it in for maintenance, oiling, or anything. It’s pretty fabulous and I can’t say enough good things about it!)
6. Gingerbread Train Kit
, $19.95
7. Mayan Magic Chocolate-Making Kit, $24.99
8. Urawaza: Tips & Tricks from Japan, $15.95
9. Felt Whole Cakes Pattern Set, $5
10. Black & Decker 14V Drill with Stud Finder, $34.99 (sale)
If you know anyone who wants to get into studding their clothing, shoes, handbags, and accessories, the studding kit will set them on their way to spiky fabulousness – or for the DIY gourmet, make-your-own-chocolate or a sweet gingerbread train that will have to be safeguarded against prying little fingers until after the holidays.;-) And no serious DIY’er should ever be without a power drill – I use mine to drill holes in pendants, sand and buff metal jewelry, distress denim…and of course, make holes in walls! (and your drill doesn’t have to be pink for it to be perfect for you, despite what the hardware store guys may think:-)
xoxox
Carly
~If you liked this post, please share it!~
Leave Comment
Jul 23, 2010 | DIY, From You
from formspring.me:
Hi! Do you have any tips on how to recreate this necklace? http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/5264/dsc0749.jpg Thanks!
Leave Comment
Apr 18, 2010 | DIY, From You
Awhile ago I received the following question on formspring.me:
I have this really cool old hockey jersey, but every time I wear it, friends say I look homeless. Do you have any ideas for what I could make it into so it’s more hip/flattering?
This was my answer:
OMG, I had one too! I loved it like a brother – it was the NJ Devils – and whenever I wore it (during my long-ago teens), friends would laugh at me because it was so big and mannish.
To make one more flattering…hmm. You could always do what those girls in Philly get done – have their mens’ football/hockey jerseys altered into dresses/cute skirt-and-top combos that are more girly. (I used to work at one such store…there was even a customer who bought a gigantic Sixers’ jerseys and wanted it made into a full-length dress for her PROM. /* o *
I’ll post a couple sketches of styles typical to what we used to make as soon as I get back and have the use of a scanner.
However, it’s been my experience that with a sports jersey, you’re severely limited by the polyester mesh fabric, the color combo, and the gigantic logo, and so you have to end up altering it into something that is still sporty instead of being able to hide its origins altogether. (And unfortunately the re-designs of mens’ jerseys like they do in Philly still scream 2003.) Perhaps you could chop it into something sporty and cute a la Alexander Wang? A cropped short-sleeve jersey (rolled sleeves) to wear with cuffed khakis and wedge-heeled sneakers?
What do you think?
xoox
Carly
And finally I’ve gotten around to posting some sketches I did this evening of the kind of styles we did by refashioning the jerseys. (I was waiting for my Victoria’s Secret catalog to come so some of those lovely ladies could be my models, hehe.) I know some of these designs are really dated (and they aren’t exactly what we made way back when…I honestly don’t remember the exact details), but maybe they give you a starting point to work with?
And these were the neck corsages I used to make – cutting flowers out of different colors of jersey mesh, sewing them on to velvet ribbon, and adding “dewdrops” with a glue-gun. They proved really popular – especially around prom-time…there was even a girl who had us make her red Sixers jersey into a full-length halter-neck gown with matching elbow-length gloves (all out of mesh jersey material)!! *shudders* Each to her own, I suppose!
Hope that helps!
xoxox
Carly
Leave Comment
