Mar 8, 2011 | DIY
Actually it’s a DIY of a Yazbukey brooch that was featured in the Spring 2011 Z Spoke by Zac Posen show…but that title was a little long.;-)
This is unfortunately the best photo I have of the original. Img by Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com.
Remember those pieces? Or maybe the lips brooch from his Zac Posen Spring 2010 RTW Collection?
Photo by Don Ashby & Olivier Claisse
Yazbukey as well. (Known for their pop-art and attention-getting accessories, the Parisian line Yaz Bukey uses mirrored plexiglass as their main material of choice.) Since the actual watermelon brooch in question never went into production, I was inspired to DIY my own version…though it can’t double for lasercut plexiglass close-up, it’s a pretty good dupe for much, much cheaper.
For the other brooch I bought a plastic fruit slice from Michael’s (in the floral/decorative fruit crafts section),
1) sliced it in half with an X-acto knife
2) rubbed the rough edges off with sandpaper, and
3) hot-glued a pinback onto it.
And I managed to do my nails, too.;-)
Since fruit is such a HUGE trend for this Spring…if you’re not ready to plunge into all the bright colors for the season, why not try a smaller brooch? You can certainly mimic the enamel- or plexiglass look with liberal coatings of high-gloss sealant! (And even try for a Zac Posen lips brooch…or an ode-to-Prada banana brooch..or a Stella McCartney-inspired citrus slice if you’re up for it!) And if you’re looking for super-easy, just find some plastic fruit from a garage sale, Goodwill, or your local craft store and have fun with it!
Thank you to Anita and the whole Free Magazine team for this feature! I’m so excited to have been able to contribute!
Happy DIY’ing!
x0x0x
Carly
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Nov 25, 2009 | DIY
While the economic news of the past couple of seasons has been somber & depressing, accessories have been anything but! Bold, funky, colored, and exuberant pieces crafted from unusual, low-end materials like plastic, acrylic have a larger-than-life 80’s feel but with modern, penny-pinching sensibilities – the perfect counterpoint to a sleek dress or structured, tweedy suit. Inspired by the likes of Marni and Alex + Chloe, we’ve put together this little D.I.Y. so you can outfit yourself with bold shapes cut out of shrink plastic and layered with mirror for the ultimate Eighties Revival Necklace.
This is what you’ll need:
*shrink plastic (found at the craft store or online at ShrinkyDinks.com; we chose the pack of Ultra Thick Misty White shrink plastic for about $7)
*sheet of cuttable mirrored plastic (craft store or online at Scrapbook.com)
*glue (like GOOP)
*jump rings
*chain necklace
*scissors
*sheet of cardboard (if using an oven to bake the shrink plastic), or a heat gun
*pen
*awl, thick needle, or other sharp instrument
*pliers
MAKE THE PENDANT SHAPES
1. Cut the shrink plastic into your desired shapes (such as randomly-sized triangles) to make pendant backings. Remember: Your plastic will shrink to about 45% of its original size – so cut almost twice as large as you want the finished piece to be!
2. Bake pieces in oven (or using heat gun) according to package directions.
3. Allow to cool. When cool, trace pendant shapes onto wrong side of a sheet of mirrored plastic.
4. Cut out mirrored plastic and glue onto shrunk plastic pendant backings.
ATTACH TO NECKLACE
5. Using an awl, thick needle, or other sharp tool (it works best when heated), poke a hole at the top of each of your pendant pieces.
6. Add jumprings and attach to chain necklace.
VOILA! A girl can never have too many shiny, mirrored things in her life! Pair over a white tee and some dark skinny jeans for a rocker, glam-girl vibe; layer under tangled chains and rhinestones for a Renaissance revival; or let it stand on its own as a statement necklace with a gorge printed wrap dress.
Rather not do all the cutting and baking yourself? Order your pendant pieces ready-made at Ponoko.com, where you can get your own sheets of mirrored plastic, acrylic, vinyl, or balsa wood lasercut to your specifications. String onto a necklace or earrings and enjoy your creation – or even sell your finished products through their marketplace.
TIP: Don’t be afraid to experiment further with shrink plastic! Besides making pendants, you can also form bracelets and rings, make tags and charms, craft buttons, curl it over while warm to create 3D shapes…the possibilities are only limited by your imagination. You can stamp it, paint it, airbrush it, lacquer it, decoupage it, marble it, or add crystals or heat-fix studs. It’s a really interesting medium that lends itself superbly to a variety of different designs – and allows you to mimic the look of designer accessories for very little investment.
Happy DIY’ing!
-Carly J. Cais, Contributing Editor
(as posted on FashionTribes)
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