Guest DIY - Kirsten of Studs & Pearls

I'm so happy to have the gorgeous Kirsten of Studs & Pearls as this months Guest Blogger here at A Pair & A Spare. I'm sure you've all seen her amazing DIYs - she is definitely a girl after my own DIY lovin heart. In this guest post she show you how to revamp an old pair of heels with a bit of 70's glamour. Take it away Kirsten!

This DIY includes three of my favorite things - chevron, rose gold, and turquoise. It's super easy to do and is a great way to spice up a pair of plain shoes. The metallic chevron creates a really awesome, eye-catching effect!

You'll Need:
- Shoes of your choice
- Masking tape
- Metallic gold acrylic paint
- Copper or maroon acrylic paint
- Paintbrush
- Scissors
- Leather scraps of your choice
- Glue gun or super glue

1) Cut out two triangles; the size of these will depend on your shoes.

2) Mix UNequal parts gold and copper or maroon.

3) Rose gold is technically gold mixed with copper, but you can get the same shade with maroon.

4) Create a V with the masking tape. This will be your first/outer stripe; make sure the tape is as flat as you can get it!

5) Carefully paint in between the strips of tape.

6) Let dry, and peel off!

7) Making sure the paint is COMPLETELY dry, place a second set of masking tape strips for the second/inner V. This will be much smaller than your first one - I made mine a small triangle.

8) Let dry again, then peel off the tape. Be careful to not peel it too fast, as you might strip off some of the paint from your first V.

9) Glue the pieces onto your shoes! They'll look like a completely new pair.

Guest DIY Post: Topshop SS11 Inspired Nails by MJ of Dreaming Spires and Old Car Tyres

My gorgeous friend MJ of Dreaming Spires and Old Car Tyres has done a tutorial of her tie-dye nails inspired by the Topshop SS11 collection. I saw them on her blog a while ago and just had to know how she did then. MJ jas been doing a number of nail DIYs inspired by SS11 collections. Aren't these ones perfect and oh so 70's? She's done a fantastic video tutorial for you all, showing a very interesting water marbling technique to get the tie dye effect. It looks like it takes a bit time and a whole lot of skill, and the technique has the most beautiful results. I know this is something I am going to have to practice a bit (or a lot!), and can't wait to try. And MJ has the cutest accent too. Scroll down for the video tutorial. I hope you'll also head of the MJ's blog and check out all her other fantastic DIYs!

Guest DIY Post: Love Aesthetics Two Tone Platform Heels

Last week I did a profile on the amazing Ivania of the blog Love Aesthetics, and I can imagine you all fell in love with her as much as I did. Well I am soooo excited to share with you a DIY guest post authored by none other than Ivania herself! In this post she shows us how to make an organsm-worthy pair of Jil Sander inspired two tone platform heels. These are definitely on the top of my list, I've seen the Anywho girls wearing shoes similar aswell. If you haven't checked out her blog I would head there quick smart, her style and DIYs are lust worthy. Take it away Ivania!

I found these babies at a secondhand market. Their perfect shape struck me immediately and reminded me of a pair of recent pointy Jil Sander platform heels. Though their silver color in combination with their heel- and platform height made me doubt about the possibility for them to be part of a tasteful ensemble. Did they used to belong to a Spice Girl or a stripper? Yes the shiny silver had to go. Or at least half of it. These heels are made out of a synthetic kind of satin. Special fabric paint would probably work best on cotton, canvas, velvet or any other real fabric coated shoes. For Leather shoes there are special leather paints for sale at any shoe maker. But this cheap material almost feels like woven plastic, a permanent marker was perfect for the job. Permanent marker also works like a charm on faux leather.
How to:
Draw a line along the exact middle of the shoe with chalk. If you have a very steady grip draw along it immediately with the permanent marker. Else you can always stick a piece of tape along the line to avoid making mistakes.  Then fill in all the color, remove the tape and Voila! Two tone heels.
I don’t care to which 1995-stripper, -Spice Girl impersonator or drag queen they used to belong, with this 15 minute alteration they were even good enough to wear to last year’s Amsterdam fashion week!

Guest DIY Weekly Post - Mulberry Inspired Skirt by Carly from Chic Steals

This week's DIY weekly is being guested by the lovely Carly from Chic Steals! A wildly popular and talented DIY blogger from over the pond, I never cease to be inspired by Carly's projects and 'why buy when you can DIY' attitude. So happy to have her do one of her 'DIY in 5' projects on A Pair & A Spare. My usual DIY Weekly tutorial - a Celine inspired pocket blazer, is up on her blog here so head over there and check it out.

Take it away Carly!

DIY in 5: Mulberry-Style Paperbag Waist Skirt (from a Too-Big Thrifted Skirt)

On my blog I share a series of do-it-yourself tutorials for the beginning DIY'er called DIY in 5 - minutes, that is.  The easiest, quickest ways to take a piece from blah to fab and update it to current trends.

Designer Emma Hill created a collection for Mulberry Spring 2011 RTW with a number of chic and effortless pieces that every girl would want in her closet.  Most notable were her paperbag-waist pants and skirts, which looked gorgeous paired with tighter blouses and tops.  I too fell in love with the sorbet colors and forgiving shapes, and instantly ran out to the thrift store to DIY my own version of her cinched paperbag-waist skirt.
You Need:

*super-large pencil skirt - the larger the better!  (No front seaming or pleats, and choose a stiff fabric so the gathers will hold their shape)
*coordinating 1" wide belt

Optional:
*waistband elastic
*scissors
*matching thread
*sewing machine + needle
*fabric glue
*fusible interfacing
*iron + ironing board

1. When selecting your skirt, find one as big as you can, that's about a below-the-knee length when worn naturally. (The cinching at the waist will take it up a few inches.)

2. Turn it upside-down and pull it up to your waist.

Cinch with a belt tightly at your natural waist.

  "Fluff" out the gathers at the top just like the inspiration photo.

3. Optional: For more permanent gathers, sew waistband elastic inside the skirt where you want the waist to be.

 If you do this, you can also wear the skirt right-side up, belted at the waist, with the gathers at your knees for a completely different look!

 4. Optional: If you want your skirt just like the one in the picture, cut out some matching skirt fabric from the inside waistband or hem to repurpose 2 belt-loops, one at each side seam.  Also, cover your belt in the matching fabric by gluing on some of the skirt fabric you cut from the hem.  (If you're worried that by cutting out bits of the inner waistband or inside hem will destroy the shape of the skirt, fuse some interfacing to the insides after you've cut so the fabric doesn't sag - and don't cut through any seams or through the outside where the missing fabric will show!).

Well, that was simple!

Wear with a round-collared blouse tucked it, or a boatneck long-sleeve tee to up the sweetness factor - and some stompy ankle-boots to mitigate it.

Happy DIY'ing!
xoxox
Carly

Thanks Carly! How fantastic is that skirt? So honored to have such a DIY guru post a project here. Now make sure that you head over to Carly's blog and get stuck into her projects and DIYs - her 30 Day Outfit Challenge will support the wardrobe overhaul that I have been blogging about very nicely, and will help you get into all those clothes that have been sitting in your wardrobe not being worn!