Get it in the neck - an extra easy choker tutorial

With chokers taking centre stage as a trend - starting last year and it appears it's meant to go on for next season - you can't go far wrong with anything from metal masterpieces to 90s retro. I plumped for an easy tutorial to tackle the latter, remembering vividly how I used to love the new age look of an adjustable choker fashioned from black cord and a single charm (ideally a mood stone or an ethnic-style bead). Take it from someone who's been there, adjustable single-bead chokers are every bit as much of an authentic '90s staple as their velvet and stretch wire contemporaries.

Luxe and Tux - a brief refashion

For those of you who are wondering if I'm still alive or have been abducted by aliens just as the respective mid-winter festivities are starting, the good news is that tonight I have finally found the motivation to write up my latest project with a mini-tutorial in picture form. My refashion of an evening jacket was inspired by the YSL tuxedo jacket Cara Delevingne wore to the Paper Towns premier.

The Best of Cara Delevingne's 'Paper Towns' Style (clipped to polyvore.com)

Having a glam jacket to add at least a token gesture of warmth over skimpy party dresses is no bad investment for the chilly winter months. What's more, a boxy suit jacket is the perfect match of devil-may-care glamour and aloof androgynous mystique, a twist on traditional elegance that gives festive glitz and sparkles a razor-sharp edge.

You will need...

A suit or evening jacket

Leather, faux leather or satin trim, about 10cm wide

Sewing machine with a leather needle (which you can pick up at all good haberdashers) unless you're working with satin

Scissors

Time

5-6 hours.

Difficulty

Quite easy

In principle, it's a straightforward project but you need to be reasonably confident at sewing with leather.

Luxe it up

Since I was just covering the collar, I let the picture speak for itself with a few pointers and directions.

This is how mine turned out:

The Trends on Thursday - Pompom go

I rather fancy I have two genuinely legitimate reasons to be rocking these DIY dangling pompom earrings:

1. Christmas is  just around the corner (in real terms - yes, I said it!) and the various inexplicable novelty rituals that  we observe year-in-year-out in its honour aren't just socially acceptable but a contractual obligation.


2. Pompoms have edged their way back into fashion as a subtle yet stylish way to add the idiosyncratic character associated with quirky craft trims, while staying inside the line of good taste.

So, really, it's only fair that I should share a quick tutorial with you for getting this simple yet bold look.

The Trends on Thursday - How to upcycle a blouse 'cold-shoulder-style'

What springs to mind when one thinks of shoulder-centred fashion? The distinctive padded power-dressing silhouette? Military chic epaulettes? Bare-shouldered bandeau tops or Bardot necklines? Well, this season takes a less-is-more approach with the current cold shoulder cut, hence the inspiration behind this quick, simple DIY fix for making a tired old blouse or top on trend for 2015-2016. Here's to hoping shoulder patchwork is the next seasonal trend so your new creations can be brought up to speed once again in the near future!

Customisation for for camo

A photo posted by Charley H (@chiccheatcharley) on Jun 1, 2015 at 2:13pm PDT

Owing to other stresses and commitments in my life I sadly haven't been able to devote the concentration and efforts I'd normally like to solving the world's DIY fashion problems and granting you access to some of fashion's most coveted items the creative way. However, I did find the inspiration in something similarly utilitarian to finding a way to express your creativity under constrained and difficult circumstances: the humble camouflage jacket. Graffiti chic had a fashion moment recently but it was the graffiti on the jacket worn by Charlotte Free earlier this year that inspired me to try and get the look with fabric paint and a glue spreader (because, I mean, why not?). Graffiti chic might have been a statement look but it surely takes one of the most quintessentially 90s paradigms of army camouflage to transform a fleeting statement into of-the-moment retro kitsch.

A photo posted by Charley H (@chiccheatcharley) on Jun 1, 2015 at 2:17pm PDT

DIY your festival wardrobe: Day one

Kicking things off with Coachella - and the inevitable fanfare of fashion coverage that goes with it - the festival season is officially upon us. Whether you've joined the Coachella crowds already or are still hanging on for the summer for your fill of live music levity, 'tis the season for anticipation, appreciation and agonising over what to wear to look effortlessly fabulous while braving the mud. For the latter, let us offer you some quick-yet-effective DIY fashion ideas to peruse for inspiration. Today we're in a-little-bit-country country with fringing, check shirt customisation and bohemian detailing for making your own unique statement.

DIY Paree - what to make of the Paris Fashion Week shows

The final destination at the big four fashion capitals didn't disappoint on the inspiration front!
Concluding my fashion week-themed DIY round-up, I picked out a few key trends and inspirations for quick, easy projects from Paris Fashion Week. From the tales of the intricate and ornate at Dries Van Noten to the resurrection of Derek Zoolander at Valentino, the Paris shows refused to do things by halves. Thankfully, however, some of the stand-out looks wouldn't be such a tour de force to replicate, including the multicoloured fur patterns and '80s-style patchwork. Check out my guide and see where the inspiration takes you.

D&G to DIY - six fast, easy DIY ideas from Dolce & Gabbana's Autumn2015 collection

Oh, mamma!
A label not known for blandness and understatement, Dolce & Gabbana gave us an opulent homage to motherhood. While the show was focussed on the making of tiny people, my beady DIY eye spotted a few - somewhat quicker and easier - ideas for things to make or to use for some glamorous inspiration.

Re-Tweed - Another way to customise trainers in the style of Chanel

So good, I plagiarised them twice!

Sneaker (see more tweed shoes)

'Tis the season for sentimental retrospectives as we pore over the pop cultural profferings that set 2014 apart. In a year that gave tomboyish comfort items wardrobe staple status, there was arguably not one so distinctive as the artistic trainer trend - a must for she who shoots her street style snaps on a bicycle and gets a kick out of colourful customisation. I might have tried it before but I had to go back for one more try.

You will need...

 

Not pictured

Neon yellow and green acrylic paint.

Clear lacquer or a similar fixative.

Difficulty

Very easy

The main reason why I revisited this trend in DIY form was to find a method that was easier (still) than my last attempt and I'd definitely say that this project met that criterion.

Time

1-2 hours.

Get your tweed on

Paint the soles in neon yellow and green and fix with clear lacquer once the paint has dried. 

Use craft mount to attach your tweed fabric. I used mine to cover the cushioned areas. If you find that the edges are a bit loose, you can tidy them up with a glue gun.

Paint the remaining panels in gold and silver.

Simple as

Hippie hippie chic - How to DIY a Creatures of the Wind fringed necklace

The Best Jewelry Trends from Spring 2015 (clipped to polyvore.com)

Next spring is set to take fashion deeper into the 70s from cut and colour palette pastiche to the earthy, bohemian whimsy of hippie paradigms, from fringing to tie-dye and folk-inspired patchwork. It definitely captures the kaleidoscopic haze of the 'me decade' with its characteristic nod to crafty detailing and ethereally chaotic mix-and-match styling, so of course it would have me beavering away at my desk with any trims, fabrics and quirky embellishments I could find - it'd be rude of me not to!

You will need

I used faux leather in red, yellow, two shades of grey (no more needed, thank you), teal, light blue, white and black. I'd recommend sniffing around eBay or your local market for inexpensive samples.

Not pictured

Needle and black thread

Sewing machine with a leather needle - alternatively, if you don't have one or aren't too confident in the company of such an item, you can just as easily use a stapler.

Difficulty

Quite easy

It is fiddly, it does take a bit of care, technique and love but categorically I can't find anything too challenging here.

Time

Now for the bad news. Against my earlier expectations, this one turned out to be a 6-hour project.

You wanna be a hippie?

Cut a piece of black leather that's 8x20cm. Fold it over by 1cm at the top and  either glue it in place with craft mount or sew it along the edge if you're using a machine to fix it in place.

Cut a piece of grey leather measuring 6x20cm and stick it in place across the bottom using craft mount.

Sew or staple the fringing to the back of the faux leather. Don't worry about staples or stitches showing, as we'll soon be covering these up with fringing.

Starting at the bottom cut some coloured faux leather pieces and attach them where you would like them to go. I'd recommend cutting them in a trapezium shape that flares outwards at the bottom.

Cut the pieces into fringing, making the strips as fine as you can - no more than 5mm in width. If you're cutting trapezium shapes like I suggested, cut them so that they flare diagonally outwards. Add more colours as you move up the grey base and try messing some pieces about by tousling them with your fingers.

Once you have made your fringing design, cut two equal lengths of ribbon that fit around your neck and can be easily tied in a bow. Attach them and hand stitch some black gems onto them.

OMG-SM - How to DIY an MGSM fur motif coat

Fur and clothing in the craft room.

MSGM Rabbit Fur Motif Coat (see more MSGM)

With high fashion straddling the areas of having the need for snuggly winter comfort covered and not taking itself too seriously, it has chosen to make both statements with brilliantly coloured fur. While there are plenty of examples to choose from, particularly in the Lolcore category, in my opinion, there's no example so fine as this MSGM rabbit fur motif coat.

You will need...

Not pictured: scalpel and silver marker pen.

Tip: Sniff around your local market for cheap faux fur and the internet for the jacket, as you can get some good deals (mine was only £25, which included the postage).

Difficulty

Very easy

This is one among many projects I've done that would fit under the category of very-easy-to-make-but-impossible-not-to-make-a-mess-in-so-doing if the laws of tagging were to permit it. It's quick, straightforward and - dare I say - almost therapeutic. Sadly, the latter isn't true of cleaning up afterwards.

Time

I wasn't counting but I'm going to say somewhere between an afternoon's work and five hours, if that makes sense.

Get your coat...

Cut shapes into your card to make templates. I decided to use card suits for my design, whilst keeping the lips and hearts (which are, kind of, also a card suit, as I fully appreciate). I'd recommend using a scalpel for clean lines and precision.

Trace shapes onto the back of the faux fur and cut them out.

Pin the stencils to the jacket and cut the faux fur as flat as possible inside the shapes.

One you have cut out all the areas where you intend to put the shapes, attach them with craft mount.

Gravy trainers - how to DIY Dior's floral sequinned trainers

Running stylish with DIY-inspiring customisation from Chanel and Dior!

Image: Stylefrizz.com

It was Dior's Fusion trainers that caught my eye - and captured my imagination - when I decided, on a whim, that an indulgently customised magnum opus like these would be the perfect replacement for my old, worn, sad-looking trainers.

StyleBubble recently described Dior Fusion trainers as "the rise of 21st century contrasting mix and match in fashion.  High and low.  Expensive and cheap.  Couture and sportswear.  Casual and dressy.  The list goes on" in a favourable, admiring post. While the aesthetic, itself might have divided opinion, the conceptual statement of juxtaposition - and resonance, of the high fashion trainer trend being assimilated at the highest tier of couture - convinced me that intricately customised trainers wasn't just inspiration, but relevant and a must for my next project and tutorial.

You will need...

A appreciate that it's a long list, although it does include a lot of basics, such as pens and scissors (just make sure the ones you use are all-purpose) but it's not as bad as it looks (in my over-enthusiasm, I realise I've neglected to include pattern paper and a sewing machine!). The only things you'd need to search for would be the beads, sequins and ribbon, the trainers and the staple gun. You can cut up a sports t-shirt or polo shirt to get airtech fabric  - it's not as illusive or specialised as it sounds.



Difficulty

Challenging

I'm not going to lie -  I underestimated this one, in terms of the work, time and technique involved. Hopefully, you won't find it as hard with my guidance ;)

Time

Two full days - I might as well be honest, here. Owing to the - hopefully hard-wearing - customising techniques I used, it's a bit of an investment, time-wise.

Dior or DIY

Trace about 40 flower shapes into the plastic sheet and cut them out. You might need to use a metallic marker but try not to smudge it. Cut the flowers out and punch holes in the middle of each one.

Cover a trainer in pattern paper (you can use tissue paper) and trace around the edges to make pattern pieces. Once you have traced them, add a small (about half a centimetre) seam allowance using a ruler or graded setsquare and cut them out. Cut out two of each piece in airtech fabric and sew them to make covers.

After you have sewn the covers together, hand-stitch circles of green sequins. Then, stitch a flower, a blue sequin and a blue faceted bead in the middle of each one.

Fold the cover over on the top edge, and onto the wrong (non-customised) side . Slip stitch the top edge to the fabric on the lining of the ankle and the tongue, if possible.

Use the staple gun to attach the cover to the sole of the trainer. Trainers are typically padded at the soles, so, stapling the fabric at the side shouldn't go inside it and into the area where your foot will go, although it's always worth checking so that you don't end up lacerating your feet when you wear them! I tidied mine up with a lick of white fabric paint, but that's optional - you've just got to keep your staples as far out of view as possible.

Finally, hand-stitch the black grosgrain trim along the centre and in a bow shape.