DIY Color Blocked Pants Color + block = the 2 words in fashion most commonly used this season. It was just a matter of time before we’d incorporate this much loved trend into a DIY. And thanks to Tommy Ton‘s color blocked pants, spotted at New York Fashion Week, we were finally inspired to give an old pair of chinos a much needed makeover! You’ll need: Depending on the length of the pants, measure 12-16 inches from the bottom hem to the calf. Start painting, using generous amounts of paint. Once the legs have been painted, allow it to dry completely. Fold the bottom of pants twice into a cuff. Ready, set . . . color-blocked! (top image via StreetFSN, rest of images by HonestlyWTF)
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. 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! Boy, oh boy . . .
DIY Découpage Floral Bag When H&M asked us to DIY a boho-inspired item for their summer issue, découpage was the first thing that came to mind. Honestly, does it get any better than customizing a simple handbag with a brilliant floral print? However you create it, it’ll be satisfying to know that you’ve designed yourself a one of a kind bag! You’ll need:a handbagcotton fabric with a large floral patternpainter’s tapeMod Podgecraft paint2 small plastic dishes2 brushesscissors Start by taping off the edges and hardware of the handbag. Squeeze a dollop of colored craft paint into a small disposable container. Allow the first layer to dry completely. While the paint dries, carefully cut out a handful of flowers from the fabric. Arrange them onto the painted section of the bag. Remove the painter’s tape when the Mod Podge has dried clear and your floral handbag is complete! (all images by HonestlyWTF)
Loeffler Randall x Flower Girl DIY DIY Friendship Necklace As soon as Lauren and I saw this editorial in Flare Magazine, we knew we had to recreate these awesome, friendship bracelet-like necklaces. We promise they are super easy to make and the perfect way […] DIY Miu Miu Jeweled Heels You can always rely on Miu Miu for sensational sparkly shoes. 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. 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. Remove the cutter and use the tip of the needle to reign in any stray fibers, if necessary. Carefully peel the sweater away from the foam.
DIY Chanel Pearl Hairpins This week’s DIY, requested by a reader, was inspired by the abundant and delightful use of pearls in Chanel‘s Spring 2012 Collection. Though I’m usually not the biggest fan of pearls, I actually fell in love with the way Karl affixed them along the back of necks and pushed oversized ones into loose updos. His modern interpretation of the underwater gem just goes to show that pearls can be worn any day, at any age! With a few easy steps, you’ll be able to whip up a handful of pearl hairpins as fast as you can say “Sally sold seashells by the seashore” 10 times. Backwards. You’ll need:8mm – 12mm half drilled crystal ‘faux’ pearls20 – 22 gauge wirebobby pinswire cutterflat nose plierssuper glue Start by cutting off a 5 inch piece of wire. Put a few drops of super glue onto the tip of the folded part and insert it into the pearl. Allow it to dry completely. Continue to wrap tightly 5-6 times. Now, secure the pearl by wrapping the other side around the bottom half of the pin.
DIY Sachin + Babi Rorschach Necklace Is it a bat, a butterfly, a moth, a pair of wolves, or even two dancers? However you perceive it, we certainly won’t be examining your personality or providing you with a diagnosis today. Instead, we’ve collaborated with Sachin + Babi to create a fabulous statement necklace, inspired by three elements from their Spring 2012 Collection: Rorschach ink blots, leather, and gold! You’ll need:5″ x 7″ piece of faux leather vinylRorschach pattern (available here)8 feet of thin chain (cut into 19 5″ pieces)20-21 inches of thick chain21 4mm jump ringsa black permanent markerdouble sided tapea leather rotary punchsmall sharp scissors2 pairs of pliers Print the downloadable pattern here. Tape the pattern to the backside of the vinyl leather using double sided tape. Let the markings dry and remove the paper from the vinyl to reveal a new pattern. Using the smallest setting on the leather rotary tool, punch out 19 evenly distributed holes along the bottom of the pendant.
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. 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)
Style Scrapbook: DIY "OMBRE DENIM SHIRT" December 29, 2011 in Uncategorized by Andy I FINALLY got around to do this DIY but since I didn’t want to ruin one of my favorite denim shirts, I went and bought a cheap one at a small store and luckily, the operation was successful!. …This DIY is as simple as they come so if you are feeling adventurous, here is what you need and the step by step: *Special fabric bleach in powder (if you can’t find it, use normal bleach) *Gold buttons (make sure they are the same size as the buttons you are replacing) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Honestly WTF Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday! I can’t wait to spend the week relaxing with the family, playing board games, wrapping presents and making gingerbread garlands . . . what do you have planned? (photo via John Lewis) Cotton candy or bubble gum pink? Showing up on discarded furniture on the streets of Milwaukee are lyrics by the master love song balladeer himself, Lionel Richie. I love wrapping presents. You’ll need: 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. 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)
DIY Chindi Reindeer The moment I spotted these colorfully wrapped reindeer and moose at Anthropologie last December, I knew I had to DIY it for HonestlyWTF this holiday season. Created in the style of vibrant Chindi rugs from Jaipur, India, these wrapped reindeer are incredibly fun to make, are a clever way to repurpose old t-shirts, and make fabulous gifts! You’ll need:paper mache reindeer or any other animal1 yard total of various colors of cotton or wool jersey2 small brown pom pomshot glue gunlots of glue sticksscissorsjingle bells (optional)string (optional) Start by cutting the fabric, along the width, into 1″ strips. For a medium sized paper mache object, 26-30 strips should suffice. Beginning in the middle of the torso will serve as the guideline. Continue twisting, glueing, and wrapping. As the rope begins to runs out, tie a knot at the end. Keep wrapping and again, follow the contours of the reindeer. There will be areas where wrapping all the way around won’t be an option.
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. Fashion Frances May was one of the first independent shops i discovered online, many many years ago now, whose inventory and general vibe i really fell in love with. which is thrilling to me because they are now a proud sponsor of the blog (yay!) they just recently relaunched their website – showcasing big beautiful images and wonderful lookbooks – as well as their usual collection of amazing clothes for men and women. they have also just launched their first in-house collection, a collaboration with Portland designers Church & State. Rachel Turk & Nathaniel Crissman of Church & State and Pamela Baker-Miller of Frances May put their heads together to re-interpret favorite Church & State silhouettes with a Frances May twist. the lookbook was shot by Caesy Oney. you can shop the entire collection here. if you had to tell me tomorrow that i could only wear pieces from Frances May for the rest of my life, i would be totally okay with that.