DIY - Cut off spring boots

Have been looking for lovely spring boots, but am having real trouble finding ones that are the right height, have the right heel etc etc. In a dream world I would have a pair of the Isabel Marant boots that Kate Bosworth never takes off (seen here). Buttt unfortunately thats not going to happen any time soon, so I was very interested to see these cut off boots on Wide Awake Thoughts, not sure if she has done them herself or they came like this. Definitely possible to cut off a pair of boots to create the perfect spring boot. Going to have to get thrifting...

I would probably cut them a bit shorter if I was going to do my own - perhaps right on or below the ankle. And I would do a very slight V at the front and back of the top of the boot - so that they look a bit western and like the ones here. It may then be smart to glue the edges lightly and if you like, apply some textile paint (or acrylic) over the edges in a colour matching the leather if you want a more polished look.
Images: Wide Awake Thoughts / Ascot Friday /Free People

DIY - Fringed Body

Love the fringed arms on this bodysuit, I know they were for sale at topshop - but in the spirit of DIY, I think I will make one myself. I am going to get a long sleeved black top and a piece of black jersey (an old top you are going to throw out will work nicely), cut the fabric into 1 cm thick strips, leaving a section of uncut fabric along the top, and then glue this section along the undersides of the arms. Fantastic fringed wings!

DIY - Mens shirt into a skirt

There are sooo many ways to refashion a men's shirt (refer to my shirt dress post here) and this one, turning a shirt into a skirt, is a pretty easy DIY. All you need to do is cut the shirt, then add some elastic to create a paper bag waist (you could even do a little hand sewing job of the waistline if you dont have a sewing machine - doubling it over and hand stitching and threading through some elastic). I always find lovely mens shirts in thrift shops that are too big to wear so this is a great way to use them. Monoxious also has a great DIY on this aswell, where she leaves on the sleeves to create waisted ties for the skirt.

Image: The Glamourai DIY

DIY - Cut out shoulder tutorial

Forever 21's Blog has a great DIY section with a whole heap of great DIYs, especially love this cardigan one, as have been doing this to all my would be thrown out cardigans....

Images: F21 Blog

DIY - Shirt Dress

Shirt dresses are so easy to wear - with a pair of shorts and suede wedges. I have made quite a few in my time, I usually make them out of thrifted oversized mens silk shirts. Its important to make sure that the shirt has a nice rounded hem line so the bottom of your dress looks nice - like the hem in this picture. What I usually do is cut off the sleeves to the shoulders, and then take the dress in at the sides to make smaller armholes and a more flattering dress. Throw on with a skinny vintage belt for shape and away you go!

Image: The Satorialist / Whistles as ASOS

DIY - Cut off trench coat

Love the length of this trench coat - and a very easy DIY! Buy an old trench coat from a thrift store (where else?) and cut off. Sew the bottom hem line just below the waist - or leave it unhemmed for a more rough look.

Image: Vanessa Jackman

DIY - Cut out Shoulders

More lovely cut out shoulder DIY's. The angle of the cuts running down the shoulder is perfect and very flattering. I am going to do this to one of my rarely worn silk long sleeved tops - and sew silver chains along the edges of the cut outs instead of beading.

Image: Vanessa Jackman

DIY - Tote Bag

Lets be honest, some blogs are good and some blogs are crap (hope mine isnt part of the latter!). Going to DIY a few tote bags of my own - 'your blog is rubbish' and 'i dont care what you wore today'. obviously not applying to the huge number of blogs I check on a daily basis...

Images: Outsapop Trashion

Festival Fashion: Hotpants

Image: Garance Dore

DIY Elastic Harness

Images: Monoxious.com

DIY - Knotted Belt

DIY - Leather Disk Dress

Leather disks are a great way to spice up a black bodycon dress, and they create a gorgeous fish scale texture. A cheap way to source them is to cut them out of a mens leather jacket or old leather pants bought from a thrift shop. If you are lucky enough to have a Reverse Garbage in your town or city (where manufactoring offcuts are sold to the public for art and other creative ventures) that is a great place to get them. I am yet to find anything like it in the UK but went regularly to the one near me in Australia.

Image: Cocorosa

DIY - Cut T-shirts

More and more I am posting about DIYs that require at most a pair of scissors (and opposable thumbs to use them ofcourse). This is probably a reflection of my lack of time and money to fuel any major DIYs, and my addiction to thrift shopping and simple reconstruction of clothes. You can cut a white tshirt about a million ways to spice it up a bit.

Images: Styles By Kling / Outsapop Trashion

DIY - Denim Scalloped Shorts a la chloe!

Great DIY I found on the web, there aren't any instructions but it appears pretty damn straight forward. Seriously, all you need are a pair of scissors, some pins, a pen and bang - cute festival shorts! Update: made my own last night so will post this weekend.

Image:internodiciotto

DIY - Best party idea....

Say on the invite that its going to be a 'white' party....

Image: The Cobra Snake

Festival Fever!

Festival fever is rampant at the moment, what with Isle of Wight and Rockness just gone and Glasto set to start next week - summer festival season in well underway. Have noticed that Topshop, Asos, Monsoon and just about every other online retailer has set up a 'festival' shop on their website, obviously cashing in on the stress of 4+ days camping in a field while trying not to look like a troll. The bf was nice enough to point out to me this morning that 'its not a fashion parade'....hmmm was he at the same festival as me last year and the year before? Admittedly I was asking him for advice about which mickey mouse ears out of my collection would work best (may have been overdoing the planning side of it), and I guess by day two its going to be so muddy noone is going to notice. Anyways, must thank Asos for crystalising so cleary for me where I am at with festival dressing:

Images: Asos / Circa Now

DIY - Festival Face Paint

With Glastonbury literally just around the corner (excitement levels at an all time high) festival face paint/make up has been on my mind. Saw a piece in the Sunday Times style magazine today with a step by step guide to some cool face design (although the electric pink and blue wasn't for me). Topshop's new make up range also includes gold and silver face crayons for festival fun which could be very cool. However, I am undecided whether Glasto is the right place for festival make up, it might be a bit to overdone, and the likelihood of rain that washes the face paint down onto the front of your dress is quite strong. Maybe for Coachella? Anyways, these images make me think festival time.

Images: Knight Cat / Circa Now

And the sale continues....

Have thrown a few more things on ebay. De-cluttering is the name of the game. Get amongst it here.

DIY - Turban

Saw some gorgeous turban headbands in Liberty the other day, got me thinking just how easy they are to DIY. Just tie a scarf or long strip of jersey or velvet around you head as if you are going to tie a bow at the very front and middle of your head. Instead of tying a knot, twist the fabric around so that each end is going back in the same direction from where they came, and tie in a bow at the back of your head. Voila! You should have a twist like the one in the second picture in the middle of your head.

Image: Google, Late Afternoon.

Shorties

The only thing to be wearing in London's changeable 'summer' weather, with a khaki or leather jacket kept close to hand.

Images: Studded hearts

Delicious

Image: Rag and Bone

DIY - Fringed Shorts II

Cut off a tight pair of black pants (we all have a few pairs in the cupbard that are either a little small -dammit- or have a wide leg) to bum grazing length and then add some fringed fabric.

Image: Asos