Thatch the way I like it - how to upcycle a backpack in the style of Chanel

Chanel's backpacks are so good, we're havin' it 'Bricolage' again!

I thought I'd share my recent project for which, as you can see, I didn't even have to buy anything, just recycle an old backpack that was gathering dust at the back of my wardrobe and some leftover scraps of fabric.I was working from this:

Image: gnitide.blogspot.co.uk

So, here goes...

Difficulty

Very easy

Easy fo sheezy! I can't think of anything particularly taxing in this project if you use split pins, just be wary of them stabbing you when you use the bag. You might want to use duct tape to keep them flat.

If you use staples, it's slightly harder. Make sure they're stationery ones and at least 8mm wide. Don't use a staple gun as those staples are too weak.

Time

An evening, to answer in my lazily ambiguous current style. Maybe more. I wasn't counting when I did it but I'd estimate it at 3-5 hours.

You will need...

*Alternatively, you can use split pins; I found them easier to work with when I tried them but you'll need something to pierce through the bag's fabric, like a scalpel.

** For best results, use fabrics of varying textures and opacities. I used black chiffon, white organza, satin in both colours and some tweed. You could even try experimenting with greys and silvers.

Bricolage collage

 Cut your fabric into strips - measuring by eye but trying to get them as neat as possible - and then into squares. Fray the edges slightly but not too much.

Attach the squares to your bag using your stapler or your split pins. If you're using a stapler, it probably won't be long enough to use folded in its usual way, so pull it flat, put a notebook you don't mind ruining between the two layers and press your staples in as hard as you can. You will then probably need to use your fingernails or pliers to bend the staples closed and flat.

Cover the back and sides of the bag. When you're finished, give your fabric an all-round blast of clear lacquer as a fixative, to stop your pieces from fraying.

Chic Kane - how to DIY a Christopher Kane feather applique floral jumper

How many kinds of stylish flowers grow in an English country garden?

 

Image: net-a-porter.com

You will need

N.B. The feathers I used came from a shop on eBay. I bought two packs of white feathers, six in black and one in wine. They were 99p each, exclusive of postage and packing.

Difficulty

Pretty easy

It helps to be a skilled gluer but, as tutorials go, nothing too taxing here.

Time

A day - 7ish hours, I think but I was pretty distracted when I did it so it may take you less time if that level of patience seems too tall an order.

Total cost

The feathers and glue gun sticks (trust me, you'll need plenty!) came to about £15. The jumper was about that price as well but if you've got an old one or are lucky with charity shops, hopefully your project won't incur quite such an expense.

Either way, you'll probably make a fair saving on the original, given that it costs £2475!

The fruit of the plume

Slip your magazine in between the front and back layer of your jumper to avoid sticking them together. Glue your feather in place to form flower shapes. I set them out in outwardly-radiating clusters of five, six and ten, with the latter set out in two layers. Try to contrast textures and colours. Owing to supplier issues, I was actually sent a few packs of chicken feathers, which are fluffier than the ones I had intended to use but worked nicely. As happy accidents go, I'd definitely recommend it, if such a thing is rationally possible!

Trim your flowers along the edges so that each feather has a flat tip. Try to separate some of the strands and cut inner circles shorter than outer ones and you should have something that looks rather like this:

A Tribe Called Equestrian: How to DIY a Pixie Market Lace Horse Top

Just horsing around with the up -and-coming lace and applique trends!

Wild horse lace top (see more embellished tops)

You will need..

...and a sewing machine.

Difficulty

Easy

Well, I presumptuously say easy. It does involve sewing and requires a reasonably steady hand but if you've got those skills down, this one's a straightforward evening's-worth of a DIY.

Time

A few hours - I slacked off big time and was very distracted so I'd say 2-3 hours, tops.

Haute to trot...

Print out the horse template to A4 size, cut out the edges and cut the shape out twice in lace.

Craft mount the lace shapes to your sweatshirt.

Top-stitch satin binding along the edge and attach two 'manes' of fringing.

DIY Digest: Record time with Olympia Le Tan

Just for the record, Parisian fashion label, Olympia Le Tan, has retro-fabulous in the bag!

Image: Style.com

Perhaps a busy work schedule, coupled with the above inspiration (namely the Olympia Le Tan Record Bag) can render me the only person above the age of 6 to get excited by a pile of felt but that's exactly what I've been getting up to this week. Sorting the messy heap of jewellery that has been gathering dust and growing in size in my room was made especially satisfying when I espied an entirely size appropriate, well compartmented jewellery box - even more so when I decided what to do with it simply by covering it and decorating it.

You will need

Cylindrical bag or trinket box (I chose the latter as I figured I'd get more use out of it)

Gold gel pen

Small fabric scissors

Craft Mount

Embroidery thread and needle (optional)

Felt in:

Black

Purple

Dark blue

Turquoise

Green

Light Green

Orange

Red

Difficulty

Very easy

One might almost say childsplay! Cut, stick and no need to even colour in - except with in a basic fabric collage kind of a way.

How it's done

Simply trace around the edges of each section of your trinket box/ bag with your gel pen, cut them out and craft mount them in place.

The arrow I did freehand, eyeballing a centimetre further along the edge of each piece. The writing I embroidered in place.

DIY of the Tiger - How to craft a Kenzo tiger-embroidered sweater

Easy tiger - well easy when you know how - with inspiration courtesy of Kenzo.

Image: Coolspotters.com

You will need

A sweatshirt (mine was £6 from Primark)

Soft fabric interfacing

A4 printer and paper

Iron and ironing board

Differently coloured marker pens

Scalpel

Small all-purpose scissors

Pins

Sewing machine (make sure it can do a basic zigzag stitch)

About 4 differently coloured threads (I chose bright yellow, lime green, dark purple and lilac)

Felt in 4 different colours (I chose orange, pink, purple and navy)

Gemstone and fabric glue (£2.99 from Hobbycraft)

Difficulty

Medium 

This turned out slightly more challenging than I expected, purely from trying to get the sewing neat.

Time

8 hours - I think. I didn't time this one too fantastically. My schedule was such that the whole process was a bit stop-start (also, when you're filming and editing video tutorials the process always takes much longer) so it was hard to tell.



Here's a printable copy of the template I drafted up: