Before and After: French Knotted Skirt

I thrifted this dress from a 2nd hand market a couple weeks ago and only just got around to 'repairing it'. At the time I didn't think twice before buying it since it was only $4. But after trying it on I realized that the dress was incredibly ill-fitting and dirty at the top although it does look quite dainty.

But the main reason I had bought it in the first place was because I fell in love with the fabric, off-white and dotted with french knots.

So I removed the top half of the dress, added some elastic and turned it into this:

Still delicate, but actually fitting this time.

DIY Braided T-Shirt Belt

I really love things that are perfectly imperfect, rugged at the edges. That's why I love this belt, plus it's really fun to make. They look best in bright colors, they'll stand out more.

This belt can be worn as a necklace or headband but I prefer it in belt form.

Stuff you need:

5 cm wide strip from the bottom of a t-shirt

1. Cut the strip so that it is no longer a circle

2. Draw vertical lines along the entire strip at 2 cm intervals

3. Cut on the lines, make sure to cut like shown below

4. Now it gets complicated, bring the piece on the furthest side under the second one

5. Bring the 3rd piece through the first one. Continue to bring the next piece through the one before...

Until it looks like this

6. Cut 2 small strips of t-shirt material and tie them to the ends of the braid

Pretty funky right?

TOMS

Blake Mycoskie visited Argentina as part of the amazing race in 2006 and what he saw changed him. Along the streets of the entire country he saw many children walking around barefoot! People who walk around without shoes are likely to suffer from soil-transmitted diseases that could possibly lead to death. So he asked himself how could he fix this?

The idea that followed soon turned into a worldwide phenomenon, TOMS. After seeing the local farmers and polo players in Argentina wear these shoes called alpargatas, Mycoskie knew people would love them. TOMS, comes from the word tomorrow and Mycoskie says ‘the idea is that you buy one today, we give one to a child tomorrow.’ That is the one for one program. TOMS does not only provide shoes for children in Argentina but also Cambodia, USA, China and South Africa among other countries.

I first read about TOMS a while ago in my teen vogue handbook and have craving a pair ever since. After doing a school project on them I found out a lot more about TOMS and now I finally have my own! There is such a wide range of styles, I was quite overwhelmed and didn’t know what to choose. In the end I settled for the classic black ones. Once I get bored of the black I will probably spray paint them or something, add my own flair. Yes, I will put it up here when I do :)

I have heard about all kinds of fake TOMS and copies but I think people should just buy the real ones. They may be a little more expensive but it’s worth it. Why? Because they are just so insanely comfy and they're for a good cause.

Before I end this post I really want to say this because it is the title of the TOMS section in my teen vogue handbook: excuse the pun, Blake Mycoskie is a good sole.

DIY Juan Carlos Obando Inspired Necklace

Juan Carlos Obando = Genius.

He paired these bold, vibrant necklaces with beautiful dresses and delivered fantastic results. I can imagine these necklaces being worn to excite any old outfit or to accompany an amazing one. Either way I know it will look great.

Stuff you need:

Pantyhose 

Bright colored fabric

Large round beads

Needle and thread

1. Cut off both legs of the panty hose and stretch them out till they are as long as possible. I made this contraption using 6 jars and stretched them for 4 hours so they would stay long.

2. Put your beads in one of the panty hose legs.

3. Make sure all of the beads are in the middle of the pantyhose and tie a knot before and after each bead.

4. Cut the fabric so that it is about 15 cm by however long you beads are.

5. Roll up the fabric and sew in place. Also sew the sides closed. Try to fold the fabric inwards when you sew so that the frayed edge does not show.

6. Knot the other pantyhose leg on one end.

7. Wrap it around and knot at the other end. Remove excess.

Now that is what I call a funky DIY.

Before and After: Distressed and Bleached Denim Shorts

Based on the inspiration from my previous post my friend and I made ourselves some distressed and bleached denim shorts. Aren't they cool?

I began with these jeans:

And turned them into these:

Here is my friend's pair:

We followed this step by step video tutorial made by caffaccino. Enjoy!

Inspiration: Bleached Denim

I think the best way to revamp your denim is to bleach it, but not completely. Be creative.

Below are a couple of photos that I loved from all over the web. I hope they inspire you as much as they did to me.

For a revamp to your bleached denim set them ablaze with a packet of colored dye.

Now grab that old denim and bleach away :)

DIY Tribal Print Dress

I absolutely hate making clothes using patterns, and that is why I love this dress. It is so easy to make and pretty too, plus you don't have to follow a pattern.

I have seen these dresses being worn just about everywhere, so I wanted one for my wardrobe too. This dress looks best in tribal printed fabric but if you want you can use another light weight fabric.

Our dresses:

Stuff you need:

2 meters of tribal printed fabric

Sewing machine (needle and thread will take a while)

Elastic 4 cm less than the size of your waist

Safety pin

1. Begin by folding the fabric in half width wise. The fabric usually comes pre-folded like this. Measure the length between your shoulders and about add 30 cm to that. Mark that amount at the top of the folded fabric. Draw a line from both marks to the bottom corners, as shown below.

2. Fold the sides inwards. Pin and sew in place. 

3. Next, fold the fabric inside out and sew the sides together. Leave space for armholes on both sides.

4. Turn the fabric right way round, then cut a hole on the fold for your neck. Pin and sew.

5. Trim the bottom of the dress to your preferred length. Cut a strip 3 cm wide from this excess fabric. Turn the dress inside out and sew on both sides of the strip around the dress where you want your elastic to be. Using a safety pin pull you elastic through strip.

Have fun DIYing!