DIY-scapades - Dyeing by degrees

Florals are something that never go out of fashion, or rather a staple statement that grows back continually after it fades. They're also eclectic in the different forms they take, from dotted 'ditsy' prints to oversized motifs to 3D appliqué that jumps off the material. It was Vivetta's take on the latter that has whetted my aesthetic appetite of late.

Vivetta Navy Cotton Embroidered Tea Dress (see more sleeveless cotton dresses)

The graduation from flat to 3D was something I wanted to try but I decided to shake things up a bit, medium-wise. It was one thing sewing flowers on but what about adding in a little colour contrast?

The next step was to dye the dress using Dylon fabric dye. It's intended for natural fabrics; synthetic fabrics don't soak up the colour as well. And so, when I dyed my dress, with its mix of natural, synthetic and synthetic blend fabrics, that was the whole point.

The result

Critter creative - How to DIY a Fendi monster keyring

Who could miss the huge trend for little monsters, courtesy of Fendi? Here at Chic Cheat, I, too, had to get in on the action.

You will need...

Difficulty

Easy

If you can cut shapes out of faux fur, you can do this project; that part is about as hard as it gets.

Time

One hour, maximum.

Create a monster

Fur is a very difficult texture to mark,especially, if you're working with a dark colour. I used a gold paint pen.

N.B. Don't forget to trim back the fur on the base where you want your monster's eyes to go.

DIY-scapades, inspired by Saint Laurent Palm Print Canvas Skate Sneakers

 You will need...

White canvas trainers

Pencil or pen

Black 3D/opaque fabric paint

Fabric paint or silk paint in various shades of orange and yellow

Makeup sponges

A fine-tipped paintbrush and a wide-tipped paintbrush

Water

Difficulty

Quite easy

A straightforward project but drawing and painting skills are definitely recommended.

Time

About two hours.

Master strokes - DIY brush stroke effects with fabric paint

You will need...

A pale coloured garment
Pebeo Setasilk silk fabric paint (for drizzling)
Dylon fabric paint
A thick brush (I used an old blusher brush)

Difficulty

Very easy

In principle, it couldn't be simpler, however there are two caveats: results may vary depending on your technique; and, the not-so-easy challenge here is to keep your work surfaces clean. Prepare to get messy!

Time

Mine took about 10 minutes.

Throw it on...

A video posted by Charley H (@chiccheatcharley) on Jun 9, 2016 at 2:25pm PDT

Crystal eyes - How to DIY Fendi crystal cat eye sunglasses

With summer finally here, I leapt upon the opportunity to DIY a pair of sunglasses. This season, when it comes to on-trend elegance, I think the cat eyes have it.

Inspiration

Fendi Swarovski crystal-embellished cat-eye acetate and silver-tone sunglasses (see more transparent glasses)

You will need...

Difficulty

Quite easy

Straightforward, in principle, but in practice, a degree of care, skill and patience is definitely required.

Time

About half an hour.

#videotutorial for my #diy #cateyesunglasses Apologies for the video quality in the middle but for those who are wondering, I made a template for the cat eye wing thingy (technical term 😝) on paper by tracing the outside of the lens, cut the template out and then traced it twice onto fibreglass sheets before affixing them with the mixed resin. Hope that clears up any confusion.

A video posted by Charley H (@chiccheatcharley) on May 30, 2016 at 12:48pm PDT

How to make a marbled clutch - a DIY video tutorial

You will need...

Difficulty

Easy

Easy when you know how, but it does take a degree of care and patience to pull off.

Time

About five minutes (half an hour you include drying time).

Video tutorial

A video posted by Charley H (@chiccheatcharley) on May 15, 2016 at 1:27pm PDT

A photo posted by Charley H (@chiccheatcharley) on May 15, 2016 at 2:16pm PDT

Ballsy earrings - how to DIY a pair of Prada sequin ball earrings

Inspiration

Guide to statement earrings: the wish list – in pictures | Fashion |... (clipped to polyvore.com)

You will need

N.B. You will need 8 large sequins (4 of each colour) if you want to make yours exactly like the original but I decided to do mine differently.

Difficulty

Quite easy

Straightforward and easy when you know how but certain parts of the process are quite fiddly, especially making the ball shapes.

Time

One-and-a-half hours.

Get the ball (earrings) rolling

N.B. Cut each slit on the opposite side of the sequin to the hole.

As stated previously, if you want to make yours like the original, you will need to cut four sequins in each colour and glue them together in pairs, with one of each colour.

With the slits facing each other, slide two disc sequins together at right angles to each other to form a ball shape. Put gemstone glue inside the slits beforehand so that the ball shape can be sealed together easily.

...And there you have it; it's that simple!

A photo posted by Charley H (@chiccheatcharley) on May 3, 2016 at 2:03pm PDT

A photo posted by Charley H (@chiccheatcharley) on May 3, 2016 at 2:09pm PDT

A photo posted by Charley H (@chiccheatcharley) on May 3, 2016 at 2:16pm PDT

DIY Digest - Choker in the pack

The choker's back, big this season and brilliant for adding a touch of instant hippie chic if you use ribbon or crocheted trims (think festival glamour). And the best bit? It's easy to put together in ten minutes with the right trim and a little bit of creative know-how.

You will need...

Time

About ten minutes - tops!

Difficulty

Very easy

Not much else to say - this is about as straightforward as it gets.

Make it in minutes

*Leave a few centimetres of excess ribbon on either side for knotting.

Choose your marbles - how to make a DIY marbled clutch

From Acne to Edie Parker and everything in between (including the Urania Gazelli Pac Man clutch that inspired this project) the perspex box clutch never fails to make a statement and add a touch of class with a shimmer of sumptuous marble texture. The great news is that it's still on trend and super-easy to make with a touch of creativity and an eye for re-purposing. Allow me to demonstrate...

You will need...

Difficulty

Quite easy

A straightforward, super-short (by my standards) project but a touch of skill and patience is definitely required.

Time

Mine took two hours but it depends on the design you use; a simpler one would be much quicker to do.

A photo posted by Charley H (@chiccheatcharley) on Apr 17, 2016 at 3:41pm PDT

A photo posted by Charley H (@chiccheatcharley) on Apr 17, 2016 at 3:39pm PDT