Chic flicks - 8 easy art-inspired DIYs

While events have conspired to keep me away  from blogging for a while (said events include a seriously underestimated project from the weekend), I thought I'd share a blast from the past with the very big, very now art-inspired fashion trend. I've compiled an outfit's worth of nine easy tutorials of paint flicking, drizzling and splattering in an homage to the great masters, along with recycling Roy Lichtenstein-style and Banksy-inspired stencilling.

The tutorial links are:

http://chiccheat.blogspot.com/2013/02/graffi-tee.html

http://chiccheat.blogspot.com/2013/12/cool-binns-how-to-diy-tom-binns-painted.html

http://chiccheat.blogspot.com/2014/04/take-bow-how-to-diy-headband-in-style.html

http://chiccheat.blogspot.com/2014/05/a-bit-of-pollocking-how-to-do-diy-paint.html

http://chiccheat.blogspot.com/2014/07/supra-duper-how-to-diy-supra-painterly.html

http://chiccheat.blogspot.com/2010/01/splash-paint-not-cash.html

http://chiccheat.blogspot.com/2013/12/binns-there-done-that-how-to-diy-tom.html

and of course...

http://chiccheat.blogspot.com/2014/01/travel-chanel-how-to-diy-chanel.html

An entry with polish - 8 easy DIYs you can do with nail polish

The natural and surely harmless high of shopping brings a giddy intoxication - one that can very occasionally skew one's judgement and send inhibitions through the floor in an incident commonly known as the impulse buy! We've all been there, done it, bought the proverbial or perchance literal t-shirt and lived to regret it. Some prefer to bury their heads in the sand - or the offending item in the deepest recesses of their wardrobe, in sufficient confinements of darkness to compensate for the shame of it genuinely seeming like a good idea at the time. Others try to make the best of a bad situation; the match might not be obvious, on the dim return to reality, but surely you can make it work. Maybe it's merely a question of customising or tweaking it for a better fit. Here at Chic Cheat, there's no prizes for guessing which approach I endorse!

The impulse buy fear doesn't stop at clothing. Many has been a time when I've treated myself to make-up that I haven't managed to use within its lifetime, especially nail polish. If you're not especially into nail art, or prepared to put the work in, it can seem like a waste to don something you have to remove within 24 hours for school, work or any other institution in which painted nails could bring shame on the professional reputation of the establishment or cause mortal contamination. Also, I get hangnails which sting murderously when they come into contact with nail polish remover. So what do you do with a nail polish collection you can barely wear? Use them as a glossy, economical alternative to enamel paint, of course!

Tutorials clockwise from the top left:

http://chiccheat.blogspot.com/2014/07/unleash-your-marbles-how-to-diy-jean.html

http://chiccheat.blogspot.com/2013/02/diy-digest-on-target.html

http://chiccheat.blogspot.com/2014/04/girl-with-pop-art-earring-how-make.html

http://chiccheat.blogspot.com/2014/06/go-girls-how-to-diy-charlotte-olympia.html

http://chiccheat.blogspot.com/2013/07/bedroom-bonuses-2-sticky-tape.html

http://chiccheat.blogspot.com/2014/06/jelly-treats-how-to-diy-pair-of-sophia.html

http://chiccheat.blogspot.com/2013/02/take-your-pixels-how-to-diy-orla-kiely.html

http://chiccheat.blogspot.com/2014/06/amore-for-morir-how-to-diy-ceramic.html

Supra Duper - How to DIY Supra's painterly look on high top trainers

High tops are the perfect 'blank canvas' for painterly effects!

Inspiration

Image: Revolveclothing.com

You will need...

 * I used both but you can use one or the other. I know fabric paints are expensive and you don't need to use anywhere near as many as I did - I'd recommend four colours, tops, with a mixture of runny silk paints and thick fabric paints.

Difficulty

Very easy

While an element of technique is required to pull off the messy painted look, it can be achieved by taking your time and really taking care. This is one of the easiest projects I think I've ever done and very therapeutic - flicking paint always is (cleaning up, not so much!).

Time

As long or as short as you like, depending on how detailed and messy you want your project to be but I think you're hard-pushed to take more than an hour (unless, like me, you're extremely easily distracted!).

Get your splodge on!

The silk paint method

Squirt drips of silk paint along the tops of the trainers and the laces, alternating colours as you go and varying the distance between each drop, so that some paints run into each other and some stay as they are - a straightforward way to get the most out of few colours.

The fabric paint method

Yes, that says 'flick paint,' gutter brain! The trick here is to keep your brush as dry as possible; put it straight into the fabric paint and use a generous amount. Flick your brush in a short, fast upward movement so that the paint tapers off and leaves brush-like streaks.

Finally, get a generous splodge of fabric paint on the bristles and flick them at the shoes, causing the paint to splatter.

A quick drip, flick and drizzle with fabric paint is all you need to make a powerful print statement!

That's the way I spike it - How to DIY an Eddie Borgo cone gemstonebracelet

Owing to the epic challenge of moving, things have been quiet at Chic Cheat HQ, but since I'm back, I thought I'd make my returning presence known with a bit of colour.

Inspiration 

DIY 

I'll fill you in on the method soon, but just to give you the edited highlights, in amongst a seemingly neverending onslaught of packing boxes, lugging them and unpacking everything once again, I managed to fit in an hour or so of creating an homage to Eddie Borgo's gemstone cone bracelet by deliberately mixing colours in polymer clay and gouache, rolling them into cones, adding the odd lick of pearlescent nail polish and topcoat and gluing them to a chain. It was generally easy but fiddly, and now I'm exhausted. So now you know.

Unleash your marbles - How to DIY a Jean striped rainbow clutch by EdieParker

Cook up a stylish storm with a deceptively simple upcycle!

Image: Modaoperandi.com

Of late, I've fallen in love with Edie Parker's marble-effect clutch bags. This designer's clutch motifs range from stripe patterns to quirky fruits and flowers and even bespoke name designs in a handwritten signature typeface. But above all, my eye was caught and my imagination captured by the rainbow clutch design, worn recently by country singer, Kacey Musgraves at the 25th Annual GLAAD Media Awards.

You will need...

* Amendment (added 21/07/2014): Use metallic paper, not tissue paper.*

I would also recommend using a paintbrush for the nail polish, in the interest of speed (just go with this one). You can also use it to create marble-like swirls in the nail polish, but it's technically optional.

Time

An hour, tops.

Difficulty

Pretty easy

It's reasonably straightforward, if messy. It's a quick project, yet easier if you take your time - I mean that in the 'more haste less speed' sense, rather than the 'add a painstaking extra hour' you'll be pleased to know!

Add some stripes

As you can see in the picture, I've already done one side so, turning our attention to the clear side, you start by cutting the paper into strips of a similar width. The width you cut should depend on how wide the plastic box is. Mine were 2cm wide. You might need to make the first and last stripes slightly wider if the width isn't easily divisible by the number of stripes. Also, remember to measure with the curve of the surface if it isn't flat.  Pour a generous blob of nail polish over a small area.

 Spread the nail polish in a messy 'marbly' way using a paintbrush or the brush inside the bottle. Be careful not to waste the whole bottle in one gush - nail polish dries quickly and, when it comes to coverage, a little goes a long way.

Place each strip across the inside of the box. I recommend using metallic paper, so you should place them with the coloured side facing downwards.

Cut away the excess paper, close the box and you should be left with something like this:

Amended DIY