AFTER

 BEFORE

Here is a fun and simple upcycling project for an unremarkable jean skirt.  A jean skirt, like this one, may be getting looked over and ignored in your closet, they have a tendency to come in and out of fashion.  Add a little edge to a jean mini, wear it bare foot or with a casual pair of flip flops/sandals, and you will look casually chic!  If you don’t have one, they are certainly plentiful at thrift stores.  I found mine at a thrift store for $2.99.   It was fine on it’s own, but I wanted to add a lot more pizazz!

I started by cutting a few more holes into the already fabulously frayed denim.  The holes are “clean cut”, but will fray in the wash machine.

I then cut two pieces of fabric, about 7″ x 7″.  I decided to use a leopard pattern, that was on a scarf .  Use anything you want, i.e. white lace, black lace, tie dye t-shirt, a fun stripe or floral pattern.  You could coordinate with a favorite summer tank or sandals.  Be creative!

I wanted raw edges, but still stitched 1/4″ from the edge, to prevent complete unraveling.

Next, I laid my skirt on it’s side and tucked the fabric inside.  It was pinned where I would be doing the hand stitching.  The corners of the fabric and around the holes, were the main area I focused on.

Finally, I washed the skirt to release the fraying.

This was a fun project that didn’t take long at all.  With just a little effort you can really jazz up your wardrobe and express your own personal style!

This isn’t my typical sewing or thrift store styling blog, but it’s definitely about upcycling.

I live in a small house and would be quickly over run with all my wonderful thrift store treasures if I wasn’t organized.  I also need to see, at all times, exactly what I have and I need easy access to my items.  Organizing takes time and thought initially, but saves time and actually money, in the long run.  How many times have you bought something that you may already have, just because you couldn’t find it or forgot you had it?  I certainly have!

SCARVES

In the past, I kept my scarf collection in a tall wicker basket.  This just wasn’t working.  The scarves, stuffed at the bottom, were neglected and forgotten.  I wanted to be able to see what I had.  The basket was big, bulky and always in the way.  My solution was a tall room divider screen.

Room divider screens are wonderful from a decorative stand point.  They add interest and height to your decor and are easily tucked in a corner, taking up very little space.  I found mine at a small town junk shop years ago and I have taken it everywhere with me.  The owner of the shop said it was an antique voting booth and even had a little shelf.  I nabbed it for $15…score!  I simply added hooks to the center piece of the frame to hang the scarves.

Now, I am able to drape scarves over the top and hang them on the hooks.  This gives me plenty of space and makes it possible to even color coordinate my scarves.

PURSES

My purses were another space consuming item that I needed to find a home for.  My solution, hall trees.  Hall trees are easy to come by and make great displays for all those beautiful purses.  I’ve seen amazing hand bag collections, that are art in their own right.  Bring them out and make them part of your decor!  A hall tree is easily tucked in a corner and out of the way.  I add a few extra hooks to mine for even more storage. 

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NECKLACES

Not having proper storage for necklaces can drive a person crazy.  They are easily lost and tangled.  Again, my solution is a small room divider screen.  When it’s time for me to accessorize an outfit, now I feel like I’m at a quaint little boutique (my dream is to own one someday) with everything at my finger tips.  Other than the screen, all I needed was a package of hooks.

I screwed them randomly into the screen and that was it!

Shine a little light on it and it becomes a stunning and sparkling addition to you decor!

With just a few simple, inexpensive items, that are readily available at thrift stores, you can add practical, beauty to your room, closet, or boutique.

Thanks for checking out my blog!

UPCYCLE/REDESIGN A BORING SWEATER INTO A PLAYFUL CROPPED LAYER THAT YOU WILL REACH FOR AGAIN AND AGAIN!

 AFTER

 BEFORE

There are so many plain and unwanted sweaters that get donated and discarded.  I look at them as perfect blank canvases to create gorgeous pieces for your winter wardrobe.  They cost VERY little when bought at thrift stores.  Cropped sweaters are a huge trend and very easy to make.  I will show you how I make them, and here is a great link, that shows you how to wear them!  http://www.refinery29.com/cropped-sweaters-and-ways-to-wear-em

 When I found this sweater, I loved the texture and monochromatic blend of browns.  I gave it serious thought before I bought it, though.  I wasn’t sure what I would do with it, but I brought it home anyway.  Glad I did!  I decided I would make an edgy, trendy crop sweater that is neutral enough to layer with just about anything.

I began cutting it about two inches below the collar and about five inches off of the bottom.

Be careful not to cut too much at first.  The knit fabric will really spread out, open up, and become a lot wider and larger than it would appear.

I then folded it over, pinned it, and gave it a finish stitch.

That’s all there is to it!  A very simple project, but so chic!

HERE IS A FUN WAY TO ADD A LITTLE “STREET CHIC” TO YOUR WARDROBE!!

I’m loving all the skinny pants and leggings that come in bold patterns and creative designs!  They are so much fun to layer and they add a lot of punch to a tired wardrobe!  I will take you step by step through the process of creating one such pair of funky skinny pants.

 AFTER

 BEFORE

I found these high waisted pants at salvation army and they were the perfect candidate for this project.  The pattern was a lot of fun, it looks like a cross between snakeskin and lace.

The fabric was of a nice quality being mostly cotton with some spandex.

 I began by sizing these pants.  These were a size ten and I wanted them to be a five.  I also wanted a skinny leg.  These needed to be taken in, from top to bottom. 

 I turned them inside out, marked with pins (on the outside of the legs) were I needed to sew.  Then I ran a stitch from the top to the bottom.  This is easiest to do if the pants do not have pockets.

When I had finished sewing, I realized, that I had the bottoms so narrow that I couldn’t even get my foot through.  I decided, instead of ripping out the seam, that I would add a sexy little slit.  I love them even more now!

  I let the pattern of the pants dictate what type of applique I would add.  Since they had a bit of a lace look, in black…I used black lace.  I went to my collection of scarves and found a black lace scarf, it was perfect.

To attach the lace to the pants, I used a product called Heat Bond.  It is a double sided, iron-on adhesive.  I bought mine in a five yard roll.

The instructions come with the adhesive.

I laid the adhesive, paper side up, on the lace and held an iron (medium heat) on it, for two seconds.

After I had ironed on the first side of the adhesive, to a rather large piece of fabric, I began cutting out the shapes.

Once my shapes were cut out, I peeled off the paper backing.

I then placed my shapes on the pants, with the adhesive side down, and pinned them to the pants.

Now it was time to heat set the lace shapes to the pants.  The shapes were pressed with an iron for about eight seconds.

The Heat Bond boasts that it is a no-sew product.  I still hand stitched around the edges for extra security.

This is just one example of embellishing clothing with Heat Bond.  There are so many things that can be done with this.  I will have more projects of this type in the future, so be sure to check back!

YOU CAN LOOK LIKE A MILLION BUCKS FOR PENNIES ON THE DOLLAR, BY UPCYCLING THRIFT STORE FINDS.

Wearing thrift store or second hand clothes can get a bad wrap, yet when I’m out treasure hunting at these stores, they are always busy and usually packed!  Often, there is a line of people waiting at the door, anxiously awaiting opening time.  Everyone seems to love a deal and if you put a little thought and planning into it, you can create an amazing eco-couture wardrobe that is unique and reflects your personal style.

One of my favorite little tricks is to just copy a look or outfit.  There have been times when I’m ready for a different look or want to look updated and trendy for a special occasion, but I’m stumped about where to begin.  I begin by looking online.  I will google celebrity outfits or cute outfits, sometimes I google my favorite celebrities that are notorious for fabulous, chic dressing, like Kim Kardashian or Victoria Beckham.  Why not?!  Celebrities often have stylists that put a lot of work and effort into their looks.  It’s almost a guarantee to be fabulous.  When I find a picture that I love, I print it off (providing my temperamental printer isn’t down) or sketch the look and make a list of the key elements of the outfit.  I don’t get too literal, these pictures are just guides/inspiration, you have to be able to improvise without losing the over all feel.  Here is an example, I found this picture of Kim Kardashian, and loved it.  It’s classy, chic and trendy! 

Picture courtesy of ohhlalook.com

 This picture was the inspirational starting point for this blog.  Her clothes were not from a thrift store, but my look will be.  For this look I didn’t even need to go shopping.  I have stock piled so much pre-loved clothing that all I needed to do was walk to my closet. 

The key to this outfit is the shape.  I started with this jacket/top (not exactly sure how to define it).  It has a fun, flowy shape, the collar is similar to the inspiration picture, and although it is synthetic, it had the look, feel and sheen of silk.

I hand stitched the front closed, leaving a bit of a plunging neck line and officially labeled this a “top”.

Next, I pulled out a pair of high waisted, black, thick, cotton pants.  It’s important to look for high quality fabric content.  I would never buy a pair of polyester pants unless they were absolutely amazing.  These pants are beautifully textured with a tiny little waffle pattern and have a sexy slit at the bottom.  The style of the leg was wrong, though.  I had to narrow them dramatically at the bottom to echo the shape of the inspiration pair, in the photo.

 I next chose a wide black belt because I felt I needed to give my outfit a little more shape.