Lovely Jubilee - Part 1

Frustratingly, owing to technical difficulties, my two Jubilee-themed entries have had to go live later than I would have liked. I won't bore you or appear to beg for your sympathy by going into details on he matter. If anything, I'd liken said glitches to the doomed off-ramp area of the Miami MacArthur Causeway on a bustling Saturday, i.e. don't go there! So, writing with a kind of preemptively retrospective angle, here's how I, here at Chic Cheat, celebrated the biggest national and international news of this past week (I mean, the utterly enthralling story about the drugged man eating a vagrant's face was tempting and all, but, you know, when in Rome...)The first thing I crafted in honour of Her Majesty's celebrated 60-year reign was this Alexander McQueen Union Jack clutch bag:

- Pre Owned Alexander McQueen Britannia Union Jack Crystal Clutch -...

Difficulty

Very easy

Not my most adventurous entry, or ambitious, but then that means it's not my most challenging, either. For all those new to Chic Cheat or to DIY fashion as a whole, I'd recommend this tutorial as a great way to start.

Time

About 10 hours - hazarding a guess here, as I dipped in an out of this with a lot of distractions, so it could well be less, you'll surely be pleased to know.

You will need

A metal clutch bag (prices may vary) I tried it on a converted jewellery box, and although I wouldn't recommend it, the same method would apply to - and work on - the former.

Pack of 250 diamantes in royal blue and red, each priced at £1.29 with 80p postage and packing, bought on Ebay from a seller called crystalsandgems2010 (24408): Total: £4.18

2.5m ribbon in red and a slightly wider ribbon in white (wider by about 4mm) prices may vary, as would appropriate widths, depending on the clutch bag you use

Fimo clay £2 from Cuddly Buddly

Blue Dylon opaque fabric paint £3 and a paintbrush

Gold paint by Humbrol about £4 on Ebay

Two small pearl beads (optional)

Gemstone glue - £3.49 from Hobbycraft

Faceted red  and blue beads (bonus if you can get them in different sizes - prices may vary but I'd recommend Ebay for this one)

Craft mount

Tweezers

Contact adhesive (£2.08 per tube at B&Q)

You need to...

Use your Fimo clay to sculpt a skull-shaped clasp cover for your clutch. Start by kneading the clay to get it soft enough to work with. You can also sculpt the back around the clasp of your clutch by building it over the fastening and removing it once you are finished.

Following the directions closely on the packaging, leave your clay skull to bake in the oven.

Paint your skull gold.

Paint your clutch blue, unless it is already that colour.

Cut your ribbon to fit in a Union Jack pattern on each side. Craft mount it to your bag, starting with the white before going onto the red.

Using your tweezers, glue on your faceted beads and diamantes.

After your gemstone glue as dried, repeat the ribbon and gem processes on the other side.

Finally, using your contact adhesive, glue your skull in place and, if you have decided to include the two pearls I recommended earlier, glue them in the eye sockets.

...So there you have it.