Tutorial: 

Fringed T-Shirt

The Inspiration:

Fashion trends come and go. And often times they come back, like this spring’s fringed t-shirts. 

These shirts can cost you anywhere from $15 at Forever 21 to over $100 for a higher end brand like Wildfox.

Don’t want to spend that much money, or can’t find a design you love? Then make your own! It will cost you no more than the sweat off your brow. Just kidding, it’s even less.

Materials:

An old (or new) t-shirt that needs re-vamping

scissors

 a straight edge 

fabric pencil/marker

about 10 minutes

Step 1:

Turn your shirt inside out and lay it flat to smooth out the wrinkles.

Step 2:

Figure out where you would like the fringe to start and mark that using your marking tool and a straight edge*. 

*Technically it doesn’t have to be straight. The fringe can be higher on one side or have a curve to it. As the designer, it is all up to you.

Step 3:

 

Figure out how wide you’d like the fringes to be. Don’t make them too thin, as they will become narrower with the final step. I’m making mine about an inch wide. You can either mark this or eyeball it as you go.

Step 4:

Take your scissors and cut up to your indicated line to make the strips.

Step 5:

 

When you’re finished cutting, tug on each individual strip. This will make them roll up on themselves which completes the “fringe” look.

Final Result:

This is what your basic fringed t-shirt should look like!

You can always get more creative and add fringe to your sleeves, cut across the neckline to make it off shoulder, add beading or knots, etc. etc.

Good luck, have fun, & enjoy!

xoxo,

Elizabeth Moreno

Tutorial: 

Columned Cuff

The Inspiration:

I was just shopping around and saw this particular cuff at Forever 21. Cuffs or thick bangles have been popular for a while and the cuff shown above looked simple enough to make so I thought I'd try to make a rendition of it.

Here it goes!

Materials:

Scisssors,

Chalk,

Craft Needles,

Beading elastic cord,

Ruler,

Cocktail straws, coffee stirrers, and/or regular straws

(If you decide to use regular straws you might want to spray paint them)

Step 1:

Cut two pieces of elastic a little larger than the circumference of your wrist. add an additional four inches to knot the final product.

Step 2:

Using a ruler and chalk mark the straws at desired length. I made my marking at 2 1/2".

Step 3:

Cut the straw where you made the marking and then you can use that one straw to cut the rest of your straws

Step 4: 

Once you get enough pieces to fill the length of your elastic then you can proceed to the next step.

Step 5:

Using the ruler and the craft needle puncture two holes in each straw piece 1/2" from the edge of the straw on each side.

The result:

Tip: If you feel confident and comfortable working with a candle you can heat the tip of the needle to help puncture the straw easier.

Step 6:

String the elastic through the craft needle. This step may be a little tricky so the larger the needle the easier this step will be.

Step 7:

Tie a knot at the end of the elastic and feed the needle through the holes punctured in the straws like pictured above. Repeat this step to the second set of holes punctured in the straws.

Step 8:

Once the elastic is fed through all the straws, tie a knot using each end of the elastic to secure the band. Its best to do a double not to tightly secure it and then the excess ends of the elastic can be trimmed.

Final Result:

The end product is a columned cuff. There are many ways to change this cuff so experiment with different straws, colors, and even lengths of straws to achieve a more staggered cuff.


Good luck, have fun, & enjoy!

xoxo,

Linh Nguyen

Tutorial: 
Detachable Studded Collar

Inspiration:

I was in Vegas over the weekend with a group of friends, and one of my girl friends was wearing this really cute top.  I complimented her on it and I pointed out the studded collar.  

"Oh, this is detachable", she replied.

Surprised, I asked her where she got it, and she told me,

"I didn't buy it.  I made it!"  

I was even more shocked.  I asked her how she made it, and she told me, "I just cut this collar out of my boyfriend's shirt."  She said that it didn't take her too long at all, and that was when I realized what a great DIY project this would be!  

Detachable collars are seen everywhere these days- they're sold online and in stores, and many fashion bloggers and style icons have been sporting the detachable collar look.  These collars can be worn with anything from t-shirts to dresses, and they can be dressed up or down.  The particular studded collar that is featured in this tutorial will add a quirky edge to any outfit.  This project requires minimal effort, very little materials, little to no money at all, and, even better, you can make it in less than 10 minutes and wear it right after!

Approximate time: 


10 minutes or less

Cost: $0-$5 (find an old shirt lying around your house- or just steal your dad's/BF's/brother's!)

Materials:

Button-up woven shirt with collar and neck band (men's shirts are best for a looser fit!), 

iron-on metal studs, 

scissors,

iron, 

press cloth (any plain woven thin fabric will do)

Step 1: Use scissors to cut out the collar.  Cut just around the neckband, right underneath the seam.  There should be one button on the neckband's front to attach the collar around your neck.

Step 2: Place collar on ironing board with the FRONT of collar facing UP.  

Step 3: Arrange studs on collar as desired.

Step 4: Gently place press cloth over the collar where studs were placed.  Be careful not to move the press cloth around because it can shift the placement of the studs!

Step 5: Make sure your iron is on the highest setting.  Take your iron and carefully place iron right on top of the press cloth, over the collar where the studs are placed.  DO NOT press, move, shift, or slide iron around because that will cause studs to move around.  Just simply hold the iron for about 10 seconds or less.  Steam.  Remove.  Repeat for a second reinforcement.

Step 6: Wait and allow the studs cool with the press cloth over.  Then remove press cloth.  Be careful!  Metal studs can get really hot and can burn your skin!  Turn collar over and iron the back side of the studs to further reinforce the glue backing of the studs.

Step 7: Turn collar to FRONT side and allow the studs to cool.

Step 8: Put your iron on low setting and iron the rest of the collar and neckband to smooth out any wrinkles.  Allow collar to cool.  Make sure all studs are set.

Final Result: 

Good luck, have fun, & enjoy!

xoxo,

Tiffany Ly