Lace Edged Socks
How to make your own lace edged socks Lace trim socks Socks and strappy heels are not a combo I would ordinarily think of wearing. To start with, I hardly ever wear heels, and when I do I'm always reminded why I don't wear them. Socks and sandals immediately make me...
DIY Headband/Fascinator
How to make a fascinator Headband/Fascinator This is not a look for wallflowers or a job interview. This is all about a night out partying or a festival. It's about having fun and being playful. I often braid my hair or twist it into knots which adds to the...
Turban Headband from a T-shirt
How to make a turban headband Turban from an old T-Shirt Some DIY projects spring easily to mind. Others come about by default. The idea to make this turban came from a need to keep my ears warm after I went for a run on a particularly cold day in Scotland. My ears...
Lace Collar DIY
How to make a collar You might be ready to wear a collar by now. I always take sooo long to warm to trends. And then discover that actually they are not that bad and promptly OD on them. I cant stop making tie dye scarves. My justification is that I ride a scooter and...
Ribbon Brooch
Make a brooch from ribbon Scraps for the ribbon brooch As I keep saying - the point of this blog is to try and find ways to make old clothes or cast-offs into something new and hopefully - on trend. Its not that easy as it turns out. Some things are seriously...
Pom Pom and Tassel Scarves
Greenie Dresses for Less outfit Tassels and pom poms on scarves The last two posts have shown how to make pom poms and tassels as well as some ideas for using them to breathe new life into old clothes and accessories in your wardrobe. My model is posing in two scarves...
Braided Hair Band
How to make a fabric hair band Braided hairband I mentioned in the last post that I would show the hairband my niece made. You can see it on her - here. She took three pieces of ribbon and braided them. On the one end she made a loop. The other end slips through the...
Restyling Shoes
Flower shoe decoration Add a rosette to a pair of pumps I hope that my days of being offline are finally behind me. Switched to a different ISP and am crossing my fingers as I type. The shoes in the photo aren't exactly dull. Sparkly silver sequins are a a bit of a...
Restyle Sandals
Add trimmings to brighten up your sandals Adding embellishments to sandals I was in a fabric shop come haberdashery last week. It's a luxury I allow myself every now and again. Wandering around and looking at the various fabrics and other items. This particular store...
Purse or Handbag Charm
Make a charm for your wallet Purse charms There are so many variations on purse charms. Some people prefer wearing them on their handbags. Here is my take on the concept. I took three pieces of chain of differing lengths. Next I joined them together with a O-Ring....
How to Make Nautical or Military Badges
DIY clip on badges Add a brooch clasp to the back of a badge In this post longer length skirt and badge I showed an outfit with the badge in the centre of the picture. The two new badges on either side of the original badge in the picture, are about to be...
Trilby Hat, Replace Trim, Traditional Clothing
How to upcycle a hat Replace trim on trilby Keeping cool in the searing heat here in Cape Town right now is proving to be a challenge. Just getting some sleep would be nice. At night I lie awake too hot to do anything. Daytime temps are climbing close to 40'C and the...
Make a Chanel Style Chain, Change Strap on Bag
Upcycle a handbag chain Making a Chanel chain One of the hallmarks of a Chanel bag is the chain. The ribbon threaded through the chain is distinctively Chanel. If you are wanting to give one of your bags an upgrade, you could do the same to the chain of the bag you...
Easy to Make Medals
How to make fashion medals Easy "medals" In this post I show how to make military style medals to wear on your jackets. It's a small touch. But rather than splash out on a couple of new jackets, you can lend a military look to existing jackets by styling them...
Skinny Belt
How to make a belt Vintage dress plus home made skinny belt Another easy way to update your wardrobe is to incorporate a skinny belt. They work well over a jacket or with a pullover. I took a look at my current crop of belts and found not much to work with. I...
Military Jacket with Medals
Making medal accessories Military restyled jacket This jacket was minding it's own business being a regular muted green basic. I like the military trend, so I tried to give it a bit more metal. First to go were the plastic buttons. In came some metal buttons. Next I...
Lace Belt
How to make a lace trim belt Adding lace to belt Could old be the new, new? We've had phases where navy or another colour was the new black. Improved health awareness means 40 is the new 30. Can wearing old clothes be the new thing to do? As awareness of global...
Ribbon Necktie, a la Alexa Chung
Ribbon bow at neck Green velvet ribbon neck-tie a la Alexa Chung This post is a nod to the girl of the moment Alexa Chung. She often wears ribbon tied at the neck of a white shirt. So simple, so inexpensive, so subtle and oh so stylish. I have a few pieces of velvet...
No sew silk scarf
I was back at the fabric shop today. I could visit the bead and fabric shops and wander around all day long simply looking at the stuff for sale. I'm not convinced the price of an outfit is what makes it special. It's the juxtapostion of shapes and colours as well as...
Flower brooch
These little flower brooches came from an idea on the Martha Stewart website. Martha had these paper flowers you string together to make party decorations. I thought why not use fabric scraps to make flower brooches instead? The template is easy enough. It's a rounded...