Alice in Stilettos » DIY

DIY Faux Fur Ankle Cuffs Inspired by Thakoon

Ashley Spiker — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 02:14:48 +0000

I’m always “altering” my clothes. Right before I left for fashion week I had a tan faux fur jacket and I wasn’t happy with the shape so I took the sleeves off making it a fabulous vest. I had the fabric from the sleeves left over and held onto it. This season Thakoon’s show featured many different types of fur ankle cuffs which I loved! My fabric was perfect for this project.

Thakoon’s & My version

I don’t even own a sewing machine so this project is pretty easy.

Materials:

1 yard of faux fur fabric

Ribbon, leather cord or both (I used both)

Thread

Needle

Scissors

Velcro strips (optional)

How to:

There are a couple of ways you can execute the concept. You can 1. either sew them onto leggings 2. use strips of velco or 3. just sew the fur cuffs completely together. Just make absolutely sure when you are sewing the fur together that you size them right so you can get them over your foot onto your ankle!

After you decide how you are going to assemble the cuffs, start by hemming the fur on each side (top & bottom). Fold the fur down only a couple of centimeters and begin hemming it around the circumference. Repeat on the other end.

After hemming, take your scissors – confession *I used a knife because the scissors weren’t sharp enough* and make 8 even slits (4 on each side) creating holes for the leather or ribbon to slid through. Whatever tool you use be careful!!

Next slid the leather/ribbon through the holes making a criss-cross. Then either make holes at the top and knot the fabric on the inside or make a bow in the front.

DIY: Tie Dye Bleached Jeans

Ashley Spiker — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:07:31 +0000

I’m still in love with the Balmain tie dye/bleach spotted jeans from the spring 2009 rtw collection and lucky for me, destroyed denim is still very much in as is always creativity and unique expressionism which is why this is a perfect spring project. [ Video & how to guide below!]

Denim found on the spring 2010 rtw runways:

Chloe | D&G

Victoria Beckham in Balmain | My first pair of DIY bleach denim

Materials:

Bleach

Gloves

Jeans or denim

Squirt & spray bottle

Optional Materials:

Tooth brush

Sponge

Trash bag or newspaper

How to:

I strongly suggest wearing gloves and doing this project outside so the bleach doesn’t harm your skin or smell up your home. In the video you will see I laid the jeans on my outside patio on top of two garbage bags. The wonderful thing about DIY projects is that there isn’t a formula. I wanted to create a bleach spotted look so the squirt bottles I purchased in the travel section of Target worked best for me.

This is a quick project and if you take too long, the bleach will begin to eat the jeans. I start by randomly spotting the jeans with bleach and then carefully flipping them over doing the same technique on the other side. I would take about 2-3 minutes “decorating” on each side. You will begin to see the bleach turn the denim yellow which means it’s processing and working. The length of time the bleach will take to create nice white bleach spots depends on the shade of denim. For my pair of lighter denim it only took the amount of time I used to design them, then they were ready to be rinsed. However with my darker pair of jeans I let them set, while the bleach processed for an extra 3-4 minutes after I designed them. There are so many different shades of denim, just monitor the process and make sure to get the color you want.

After the jeans are designed and have set the amount you want for the bleach to process, I like to rinse them out in the shower (keep the gloves on). I guess I do this step to immediately rinse the excess bleach out making sure it doesn’t bleach the denim anymore or too much. Then I throw them in the wash (alone) and voila!

DIY: Fabulously Decorated Heels

Ashley Spiker — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:16:10 +0000

Alicia Keys

My rendition

Materials:

Your favorite pair of heels
If you don’t want to permanently alter them, choose heels that you can decorate temporarily without any glue or adhesive.

Jewelry
I used Pearls & a pair of vintage earrings but a broach would probably work better. Any type of beads, or even a metallic chain would look edgy and coordinate with this season’s trends.

Concept:

I originally saw these heels on a web site Alicia Keys was recently spotted wearing. For about a week I kept thinking that I needed to recreate the look (on a much smaller budget) without permanently changing my shoes & knew that I had the jewelry lying around to try it. Halloween was fast approaching and I was participating in a Moulin Rouge/Burlesque group costume with my girlfriends. I thought this was the perfect time to try out my idea on one of the most creatively acceptable nights of the year. It only took me about 10-15 minutes & my heels were the perfect design for the trial. I danced the night away & the jewelry stood intact. I will definitely be using this idea for many more outfits to come and had to share the idea.

How to:

There isn’t one method for this DIY style. I recommend choosing a couple items (ex: 2 strands of pearls and a broach) first and keeping it simple. Once you know what works/what doesn’t, you can use more materials and perhaps if needed an adhesive. I want to try using some type of metal chain, broach and ribbon next time. Once again, GET CREATIVE & have fun with it! Just make sure it is fully secure & attached – you don’t want to start unraveling or falling apart.

Moulin Rouge & my Single Lady

DIY: Beaded Panels

Ashley Spiker — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:26:38 +0000

Meet Virginia Peterson - a.k.a cooler Martha Stewart

Create easy modern decor panels!

Materials:
2 1/2 yards upholstery fabric
Assorted beads
Needle & thread
Plywood or photo frame

Concept:
Meet Virginia. A.k.a, the younger hipper Martha Stewart. Virginia is always looking for DIY ideas in magazines, books & websites. She found the fabric panel idea in a magazine displaying 2 single-colored block-style panels accenting a wall. Virginia used the floral patterned fabric she had previously purchased for another project to create and improvise her own version.

Virginia stapled plywood together creating a frame upon which she could stretch the fabric onto. You could also use a flat wooden picture frame. After stapling the fabric onto the frame, you can choose to create accent points.

Choosing the fabric:
Solid or patterned upholstery fabrics work best for this project. Choosing which type of fabric design depends on the space you are filling and the ambiance you want to create. Virginia’s apartment includes a collective array of unique vintage pieces and the fabric she chose compliments and accents her space.

Beaded accent flower

Where to bead:
You can also bead on both a solid and patterned fabric, however beading on a patterned fabric will be easier since there is a form to follow. Creating and accenting the focal point draws the eye and attention. Virginia found that glass bugle beads or sequins work best. She chose to accent a large flower with bugle beads creating the focal point for one of the panels.

This project takes around 2-3 hours depending on how much you chose to bead. On a scale of 1-5 Virginia rates the difficulty level a 3. There is an endless creative range to this project – get creative and explore!