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Rookie & RIT Dye Tutorial. It happens to me every year. The second spring hits, I’m standing in front of my closet going, I am so sick of all my clothes, if I see that shirt again I’ll throw up, but I don’t have any money for new stuff, I’M SO TIRED OF EVERYTHING I OWN. You know that feeling? Let’s kill it with instant-wardrobe-transformer (aka RIT dye). RIT is a brand of clothing dye that’s been around since the 1930s. It turns drab-colored clothes and accessories into bright works of art, and I am obsessed with it. You can go from these: to these! And it’s not even hard. Now, there are other kinds of clothing dye out there, but I chose RIT because it’s got simple instructions on the back of the package, it costs about $3 per box, and you can find it almost everywhere in the U.S. I’m gonna show you how to do a basic stovetop dye job. But! OK! You will need: So now that we have our materials, let’s dye this elegant-yet-boring purse I found at a garage sale for a dollar!

Step One: Fill your pot ¾ full with water. DIY Ombré Denim. Dip dyed ombré denim has been popping up here and there and not only do we love the look, it’s super easy to do yourself! We’ve combined Tory Burch‘s dip dyed jeans and Miss Unkon‘s ombré 501s as inspiration for a pink infused DIY that could be done in a jiffy. Start by rinsing your shorts with water. A bottle of RIT liquid dye amounts to 1 cup; you’ll dye your shorts with the lightest shade first and darkest shade last. Pour 1/3 of the cup of dye into 2 gallons of hot water and mix. When dyeing dark denim, you will want to use less water for a darker dye. Dip your wet shorts about halfway into the dye and let sit for approximately 10 minutes. (Click images to enlarge) Ring out the excess dye and add another 1/3 cup of dye to your bucket. It’s that easy: ombré dip dyed denim shorts! DIY Collar Tips. You probably have guessed by now that we have a major soft spot for almost all things western . . . bolos, cowboy boots and the like.

So when Balenciaga incorporated a modern take on western collar tips into their Spring 2011 Collection, we were beyond thrilled. Who knew these little metal tips are capable of brightening up any button up shirt?! With a pair of inexpensive decorative brass corners from the hardware store, we made our own Balenciaga-inspired collar tips that are to DIY for. Start by drawing 2 lines at 45 degree angles on the inside of each brass corner, creating a small wedge. Use the cutting pliers to cut out the wedges. Sandwich a brass corner between two pieces of fabric. Once you’ve flattened your corners, super glue a clutch pin back to each backside.

Let it dry. Attach your new collar tips to any shirt! We’re excited to experiment with more fancy decorative corners and adorn our collared shirts! (top image from here, rest of images by Honestly…WTF) DIY Peter Pan Collar. We almost lost our marbles when we first spotted these scalloped white Louis Vuitton collars on the runway.

And so when Lucky Magazine asked us to create a tutorial for their November issue, DIYing Peter Pan collars was an absolute no-brainer. Crisp, feminine, and perfect for fall, who would have thought Neverland could look so chic? You’ll need:2 scalloped edged collar pieces cut from white felt or rubber flannel (pattern downloadable here)a single hole punch or leather rotary hole punch1 yard of white ribbona needle and threadhot glue gunbutton Using the pattern template, cut out the two collar pieces. Create small holes between each scallop, using the hole punch. Overlap the two wider end pieces and push a button through the last two aligning holes.

Sew the button in place from the backside. Cut the ribbon into two half-yard lengths. Wrap the collar around your neck and tie it into a bow. Your Louis Vuitton inspired peter pan collar is finished! DIY Bow Tie. A couple of weeks ago, we celebrated FNO by DIYing bow ties and neckties from scraps of denim at Madewell – because honestly, who isn’t borrowing a bit of inspiration from the boys this season?

Today we’ll be showing you, who may have missed the event, how to DIY a bow tie with luxurious, Dolce & Gabbana-inspired velvet. Before you know it, you’ll be well suited and ready to channel your inner Marlene Dietrich! You’ll need:a 6″ x 3.5″ piece of velveta 0.75″ x 2.5″ piece of velveta 1″ pin backa glue guna rulera pen Start by drawing a vertical line and a horizontal line, dividing the rectangle into 4 equal quarters. Pinch the intersecting lines and pick up the velvet.

Flip the piece over, while still pinching the backside, and place a drop of hot glue in the center. Place another drop of glue on the front side and fold the fabric closed. Turn the bow on its backside and glue the tip of the velvet strip to the center. Glue a pin back to the back of the bow. Your velvet bow tie is finished! DIY Elbow Patch. While perusing Pinterest one evening, I came across an intriguing tutorial on the wonderful art of needle felting.

I had to learn more – especially after realizing it entailed repeatedly stabbing a needle up and down into a piece of fabric or sweater. A satisfying stress reliever that results in something wearable? Sign me up. And now that I can officially call myself a needle felting maven (and nerd), trust me when I say that you’re going to have a blast with this technique. So grab your supplies and let’s get started on a pair of heart shaped elbow patches! You’ll need: With the sweater on, place a piece of tape about half an inch below the elbow.

Align and center the bottom of the cookie cutter along the top of the tape. Fill the cutter, spreading out the wool fibers evenly. At the base of all felting needles are tiny, sharp burrs, which grab and interlock the wool fibers. Continue stabbing away until the surface is flat and even. Carefully peel the sweater away from the foam. Ta da! DIY Tie Dye Denim. Whether it be shibori or with bleach, warm weather brings out our utmost desire for tie dying – especially when it comes to bleaching as working outdoors for this project is a necessity. Inspired by Isabel Marant‘s tie dyed sweatshirts, shirts and jeans, we grabbed our favorite denim shirt and a bottle of Clorox for one of our favorite summertime projects. You’ll need:a denim shirtbleachrubber bandsrubber glovesplastic container If the shirt hasn’t already been pre-washed, run it through the washing machine first.

Start binding the sleeves first. After the sleeves are tied, crumple the body of the shirt. Pour 3 quarts of bleach and 3 quarts of water into a plastic container. Let the shirt sit for approximately 15-20 minutes. Throw it in the dyer and your denim tie dye shirt is ready to wear! (Paige Paloma Leggings $299, Madewell Denim Shirt $78; all images by HonestlyWTF) Lovely Laurels. Christian Dior Fall Couture 2012 A series of rooms, in a Parisian venue, were blanketed with over a million luscious flowers . . . the scene was impeccably set for Raf Simon‘s debut collection for Christian Dior. Full skirted and […] Pixie Land I can only imagine how liberating it must feel to take the leap towards the ever so sophisticated pixie cut, made popular by 60s icons Twiggy, Jean, and Mia. Unfussy and easy to manage, the […]

DIY Embellished Denim Shirt. In case you weren’t able to join us last week at Madewell‘s anniversary event, we’re giving you the breakdown on just one of the many ways we embellished our favorite chambray shirts that evening. So grab a handful of sparkle and let’s get gilding! You’ll need: For shank style buttons, start by cutting off the backs with a pair of flush cutters.

Vintage buttons are most commonly made of lightweight metal and plastic so cutting off the shanks is very easy. For embellished collars, make sure there are two sets of embellishments so that the design is symmetrical. Squeeze a dollop of Jewel-It washable glue onto a wooden spoon or small plastic container. Position the embellishment on the tip of the collar and work outwards. Note that the glue does not set right away and takes quite a while to dry so be careful not to nudge the pieces around too much. Repeat the same design on the other collar tip and that’s it, you’re done! DIY Wrap Bracelet - Honestly WTF. You should all know by now that we are all about stacking bracelets on our wrists. The more, the better. In fact . . . the most, the best! With that being said, we’ll show you how to master a version of the ever so popular wrap bracelet. It’s so simple and addicting, you’ll soon be churning out these wristlets with your eyes closed.

You’ll need (for a double wrapped bracelet) :* Lengths will vary depending on the size of your wrist (see comments for suggestions). Fold the length of leather cording in half to form a loop. Place the ball chain along the leather cording with the end of the chain meeting the end of the wrap. Continue wrapping while checking it for fit around the wrist. When you have reached the end of the ball chain wrap the linen cording around the leather strands 2-3 more times.

Thread the hex nut through the strands and tie a second knot. Trim with scissors and your wrap bracelet is finished!! The materials are listed for a double wrap bracelet. It’s a party!