4 Quick Projects

 A few April showers later, and spring in definitely in bloom. I documented some quick projects to share. Why not give something new a try.

1.)Tiny Storage Tubes

This collection of pill containers really did come in handy. Now I can house the tiniest in size, but some of the greatest in my work: studs and other embellishments. 

(really the only medicine I need)

2.)Ticket Stub Collage

I have been going to shows since the 7th grade and collecting my ticket stubs ever since. Some were lost along the journey to the present, but a great way keep the rest of the memories safe and alive all at once, is by creating a collage.

3.)Replace Buttons with Studs

I thrifted this skirt a few weeks ago and thought it could use a little pick me up.  Using needle nose pliers and a thread remover, I replaced the non functional buttons with black studs instead.

4.)Denim Jacket + Pin Collection

My favorite classic denim company has got to be, hands down, Levis. Wanting to add some character to my new thrift find, I used some old pins from high school and a few new ones.

(also created a new & cleaner watermark)

Later Kids :)

How to stud an article of clothing.

On the menu today, we have an old thrift find I discovered about 3 years ago at The Salvation Army in Middletown, NY. A little black, little boys blazer--a petite young lady's dream, really. I already have two black blazers, this one being more fitted, so i thought why not add some edge to it.

I decided to mix it up and do a combination of brass and silver hardware, that way I  don't have to go crazy about which jewelry matches or not (an old obsession of mine).  The studs i will be using are from studsandspikes.com. Shipping was lightning quick.

Before doing anything, I like to layout the pattern I will be executing. It's acts as a visual of the finished product and gives you an idea of what works for the garment. Of course this is entirely up to you, and what you want the end result to be.

Some of the studs points may be too dull to manually insert into the fabric you are working with, thats where a good knife comes into play. In this case the silver ones needed some assistance.

Here we go! Press the stud into the starting point of the fabric to make a perforation.

Pierce the fabric using the guidelines of the perforations.

Some of the prongs of the stud may need to be straightened out before placing into the fabric. This can simply be done with a pair of pliers.  

Press the stud through the holes you created.

Now bring the pliers back into the game, and get ready to bend the prongs of the stud to set it in place.

The next stud I like to place is what i call "the end point stud". If this is done, there is no way you can screw up the pattern you want to accomplish.

Now you are ready for the brass studs. The points on these were sharp enough to pierce the fabric on there own. You are just going to repeat the whole process as shown above.

One pocket done!

Fin!

Remember that you can always go and add more to your creation, but with a lot of D.I.Y. projects, especially ones involving clothing, it is difficult, and sometimes impossible to go back and make changes. Once you cut into a shirt--that's that. I myself have ruined amazing clothing attempting to create something more from it. It's just a matter of learning from your mistakes, and remembering to do it better next time. Never give up!

I went ahead and added some more. I'm sort of obsessed :)

Now Playing:

Artist: Beach House

Album: Teen Dream

Song: Zebra

Hunting at The Salvation Army

Hello! For my first post, I thought I would go back to my roots and show off some of my winnings today from The Salvation Army. Not only does the money you pay for donated goods go to a great cause, but you can also find amazing one of a kind "vintage" items that can be modernized for today. I have been thrifting since I was 15 years old and fell in love immediately with the idea of discovering wonderful pieces for less than I paid for a school lunch.  I rarely buy new clothing. Fashion is constantly repeating itself and you can find similar, to exact replica's of clothing that are in trend today. Overall, I wouldn't really call myself a "trendy" person. When i do see a trend I'm into, i try to recreate it, but add my own twist. When It comes to my personal style i definitely march to my own beat. 

But enough about me, back to what I collected today. I found 3 button downs. The rust orange one( being my one of my favorite colors) is in fact a mens size small, but I enjoy the slight oversized fit of it, and it's sleeveless making it perfect for summer. The royal purple is a new color I'm introducing into my wardrobe (for quite sometime, the color purple has been through a hiatus from my closet. Can't remember why?). It is cropped and made of 100% silk. The gray is actually a button down pullover sweatshirt. Loving anything with a collar and with the addition of comfort , it had to come home with me. I also hit crop tank gold today. The amount I had in my basket could have clothed a small army, but being on a budget I had to stop and think. I went with the two neutrals which fit me best anyway. I plan to rework 2 of the items i bought today, but I'll leave them as a surprise for future posts.

Now to the receipt. Payed $15.00 cash money for 5 tops, and saved $4.00, because 2 of them were on sale for half price! Thrift stores usually color code their items with tags and select which color to be on sale for the day/week.

One of the tanks even had my name as the brand, also spelt accurately. Wild! When thrifting brands/designers don't mean a lot to me. I usually go for fit and quality, but when i do come across a designer item for less, it really can't get any better.

Time for me to eat dinner. "Let's get the rhythm of the hotdog!" I'll leave you with a now playing:

Artist: Caribou
Album: The Milk Of Human Kindness
Song: Bees