Friday 2 May 2014

DIY Lace Skirt

Hey Lovelees!






Spring has finally arrived, bringing some much needed sunshine and warm weather! I for one am in the mood to finally wear pastels and airy skirts again. This DIY is inspired by the pretty lace skirts seen on Burberry's spring runway. I think it's fun to have a little skin showing, and the lace offers the perfect amount of peekaboo action.

For my skirt, I followed this tutorial from A Pair & A Spare, except I sewed two layers of fabric - the lace plus a thin jersey for the lining. I loved the way it turned out, the pink and blue/grey make a beautiful and delicate combination. What do you guys think??

Thanks for reading, happy spring!
Rachelle
@RachelleMLee     @MakeYouLoveLee

Thursday 10 April 2014

DIY Reversible Box Top

Hello Lovelees!



 

Here is my take on Boat People's minimal box top tutorial! It actually took a while to find the perfect fabric and measurements for me, but boy was it worth it. I am so happy with the result, and the versatility is the cherry on top. Sometimes I like having the simple black front and the rosettes on the back, but it's awesome to be able to switch it around. Share your thoughts on this, do you like my different fabric choices??

As always, thanks for visiting!
Rachelle
@RachelleMLee     @MakeYouLoveLee

Friday 21 March 2014

DIY Toggle Ring

Hey Lovelees!


Today's tutorial is super simple, but the result is a minimal and delicate ring. It is so chic and easy to wear, you'll reach for it every morning. I know I do!

Materials:

- thin chain
- toggle set
- 2 small jump rings

- pliers

Instructions:

1/ Wrap the chain around your finger and cut the appropriate length.

2/ Open one jump ring, attach one end of the chain and the ring of the toggle. Close the ring.

3/ Open the other ring and attach the other end of the chain to the bar of the toggle.





And that's it! Just wrap the ring around your finger and close the toggle. Stack this unique ring with other jewelry or wear it on it's own. The possibilities are endless!

@RachelleMLee     @MakeYouLoveLee

Friday 7 March 2014

DIY Marbled Purse

Hey Lovelees!



Today I wanted to share with you my new favorite purse! I think marble is such an awesome print: it's unique and modern, but in a subtle way. I came across Fall for DIY's tutorial for marbled sneakers, but I didn't have a pair of plain white shoes lying around. So I decided to spruce up a black handbag with a cool oval shape. I was so surprised by the easy steps and the final result blew my mind. It's the perfect accessory that adds the just the right amount of chic to anything I wear!




Thanks for reading and let me know what you think!
Rachelle
@RachelleMLee     @MakeYouLoveLee

Thursday 20 February 2014

DIY Delicate Copper Earrings





There's something to be said about minimal and simplistic jewelry. These dainty earrings can be worn all day everyday, adding polish and elegance to any look. Plus, they are super easy to make!

Materials:

- 2 copper headpins
- a pen
- optional: rubber earring backs

Instructions:

1. Lay one headpin halfway over the pen. Use your fingers to bend the headpin, creating a U-shape.

2. Repeat with the other headpin.

And that's it. Seriously. With two easy steps, you have a pair of delicate, classic earrings!

Enjoy!
Rachelle
@RachelleMLee     @MakeYouLoveLee

Friday 7 February 2014

DIY Sweater with Knit Straps

Hello Lovelees!





I don't know about you guys, but sweaters are my go-to during the winter. Just slip one on under your jacket and you're ready to brave the cold. I have collected so many over the years, so I thought it would be nice to spruce up a basic sweater that I've had forever. I was inspired when I first saw this blog post by Dentelle + Fleurs, and I knew I could recreate it myself! With ideas from this braided sweater tutorial by Fashionrolla, I got started.
Just a head's up, my directions are quite vague because the design is really up to you! You can keep it simple and just have 1 or 2 straps, or you can go a little cray. Have fun!

Materials:

- sweater
- yarn (I used thicker yarn in a similar color, but you could also try a contrasting color)
- knitting needles
- yarn needle

Instructions:

1. Think of a general idea of where you want the straps to be on your sweater. This will help you figure out the width and length of each strap. I chose to do 6 straps: 2 that were 11" long, 2 that were 16", and another pair that were 23" and went around the sleeves.

2. Start knitting! For all of my straps, I cast on 4 stitches, and then knitted until I reached the desired length.

3. Take the extra skein of yarn left over from casting on and off, and thread through the yarn needle. Then stitch each strap onto the sweater. Knot the ends in the inside of the sweater, and trim the loose threads.

And voila, you've made yourself a new sweater! It's still basic and goes with everything, but there's a little something special now.

Thanks for reading!
Rachelle
@RachelleMLee     @MakeYouLoveLee

Thursday 23 January 2014

DIY Chain Boot Straps



Hello there Lovelees!




We all have those perfect boots - you wear them so much that they start feeling a little boring.Today's DIY is the best way to spruce up a basic pair of black boots. Sure, the chain straps look pretty darn cool, but they're removable too! You don't have to completely sacrifice your favorite boots and they're even more wearable.

I was first inspired to add heavy chain embellishments to my boots when I saw this pair by Givenchy. But this tutorial from A Pair & A Spare showed me that I could make them removable too! Here's my take:

Materials:
- a pair of boots
- curb chain (about 40cm)
- 2 hair elastics...trust me!
- 8 jump rings
- pliers

- optional: embroidery thread

Instructions:

1. Measure then cut the chain so it wraps around the top of the boot. I would suggest for you to remove one or two links so it will be really snug with the elastic.

2. Attach one jump ring to each end of the chain.

3. Open another jump ring and add on to one of the rings from the previous step. Then link on a hair elastic.

4. Link the same elastic to the other end of the chain with two more jump rings.

5.Repeat steps 1-4 for the other boot.

6. I wrapped embroidery thread around the middle of the elastics. This is to prevent the elastics from snagging and pulling the whole strap off.






Now just slip these babies on over the toe of each boot, and your good to go! The heavy curb chain adds just the right touch of edge to your basic boots. Go ahead and try this out, it's just too easy.

Love,
Rachelle
@RachelleMLee     @MakeYouLoveLee


Thursday 9 January 2014

DIY Pyramid Purse

Hey Lovelees!



The idea for this fuzzy pyramid first began when I saw this pyramid bag from Love Aesthetics. I followed her tutorial, but decided to add a zipper to make it a purse/clutch to make this structural and architectural piece more functional. And then I saw shaggy felt from Michaels (meaning: no hemming!) and I got working right away. It's surprisingly easy, so give it a shot!

Materials:

- felt
- zipper
- chain (I used an old necklace)
- hole punch
- large jump ring
- scissors
- needle and thread / sewing machine

- optional: eyelet setter

Instructions:

1. Cut out a rectangle from the felt, about 42 cm x 20 cm.

2. Sew the 2 shorter ends together, with the right sides facing each other. This will create a tube.

3. Turn the tube right sides out. Pin the zipper on of the open sides of the tube. The end of the zipper should be at the seam you just made in the previous step.

4. Sew the zipper to the felt. I would suggest hand stitching to avoid having to awkwardly position it with a machine.

5. Turn the bag inside out again. Sew the other end of the tube closed, but make sure to put the seam from Step 2 in the center. This will create the 3D pyramid.

6. Punch a hole at the end of the zipper. You can add an eyelet at this point if you want! Either way, thread an open jump ring through the hole, attach the two ends of the chain, and then close the ring.

And there ya go! A cool, architectural clutch that no one else at the party will have!


Thanks for reading!!

Rachelle

@RachelleMLee 
@MakeYouLoveLee