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

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

DIY Statement Beanie

Hey Lovelees!

So the weather here in Edmonton has taken a turn, which means it's time to bust out the beanies! Ah, something fashionable and cool. Statement beanies have been popping up everywhere, but I thought I would give it my own spin by adding some tasteful bling. Try this easy fix to spice up a plain, kinda boring, black beanie.

Materials:
- beanie
- necklace (I used this one, and similar here)
- needle and thread (try using embroidery thread if you can, it makes things quicker and easier)
- optional: pliers

Instructions:
1. Slide the letter beads off of the chain. Depending on the necklace you choose, you may need to remove the clasp in order to take the beads off. The pliers should do the trick.

2. Lay your beanie flat and position the letters.

3. Once you're happy with the look, it's time to sew them on. I used about 2-3 stitches per letter with the embroidery thread. If you're using regular sewing thread, the more the merrier!

And that's it! I gotta say, I'm quite impressed with myself. So easy but it still looks so cool and chic.There are tons of other inexpensive pendants and charms out, so go crazy people (what do you think of using this?). Give it a shot and please let me know how it goes!

Love!
Rachelle
@RachelleMLee @MakeYouLoveLee

DIY Striped Purse

Hey Lovelees!

I have been obsessed with black and white stripes lately. It's an interesting pattern that's simple and intricate at the same time. I'm pretty sure it's my easiest tutorial yet, but it still looks so sophisticated. Go ahead, try it out!

Materials:

- black structured purse/clutch
- white leather/faux leather
- printed pattern of stripes (I just searched 'stripes' on Google images)

- e6000 glue
- scissors and/or Xacto knife
- marker or pen

Instructions:

1. Measure the length and width of your purse. Then use these measurements to draw a rectangle onto your printed sheet of stripes. Cut out.

2. Draw a border of about 0.5 cm inside the rectangle. Then, using the Xacto knife or your scissors, cut out either the black or the white set of stripes. Do not cut through the border!

3. Place this stencil onto the back of the leather. Trace it onto the leather, then cut out. I put my piece on a black background so it's easier to see!

4. Carefully glue leather piece onto the purse (I did it one stripe at a time). Let dry.

And your beautiful striped purse is finito! I only did one side, but feel free to repeat Steps 3 and 4. You can wear it with bright, solid colors or a simple pattern, like polka dots.

Enjoy!
Rachelle

DIY Lace-up Back

Hey Lovelees!

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, I've been busy with school and Connie over here has been traveling again! Today's DIY is inspired by this picture from Vogue Street Style. It just perfectly mixes the sporty trend with a classic leather jacket. The lace-up back is a small detail with a whole lotta oomph. So go ahead, take a teeny break from those darn awful finals, and try out this DIY!

Materials:

- leather jacket
- black leather/faux leather scraps
- red cord

- e6000 glue
- scissors
- ruler
- lighter
- optional: plastic cord stopper (mine is from an old backpack)

Instructions:

1. Cut the back of your jacket, so you end up with 2 pieces. Try to use a jacket that has a seam at the back, so it will make this step easier.

2. Cut the vinyl into 10 rectangles measuring approximately 1 cm x 3 cm.

3. Fold these in half and glue. Make sure to leave enough space for your cord to go through! Let dry.

4. Place 5 loops on one side of the jacket and glue in place. Do the same on the other half of the jacket. Let dry again.

5. If your jacket has a lining, glue it to the outside of the jacket, sandwiching the loops between the two layers. I used paper clips to keep it in place while it dried. Ghetto I know, but it works!

6. Thread the cord through the loops to create a criss-crossing pattern.

7. Use a lighter on the cord ends to keep them from fraying.

8. Knot the ends together or thread them through the cord stopper.

And know you have an uber sweet lace-up back leather jacket! It's perfect for the spring weather here in Edmonton, and trust me, it will go with every outfit. Please don't hesitate to let me know how it goes!

LOVE
Rachelle
Follow me on Twitter! @RachelleMLee @makeyoulovelee
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DIY Grid Shirt - Western Canada Fashion Week

Hey Lovelees!

The last week has been so exciting, as I showed some of my DIY pieces during Western Canada Fashion Week! I participated in the Stylist Competition, but I also helped a student group from the University of Alberta called ECO-Style. ECO-Style's show consisted of DIY'ed clothes created by the whole group. I decided to have a tutorial for one of the pieces I did for the show: the grid shirt. Click here to see it on the runway!

It's mod but in a delicate way, and it's super easy!

Materials:

- white/cream blouse or shirt
- black fine permanent fabric marker
- ruler

Optional:
- black beads
- needle and thread

Instructions:

1. Lay your blouse out on a flat surface. Put some scrap paper inside, so that the marker doesn't bleed onto the other side of the shirt.

2. Lay your ruler on the shirt, and use the marker to draw horizontal lines across the shirt. I left about 3 inches between each line. Drawing the lines may be tricky, but just take your time, and carefully make short strokes along the ruler.

3. Draw vertical lines across the horizontal ones, with 3 inches between each line again. Don't worry about making perfect 90 degree angles, it looks better if it's imperfect!

Optional step: Once the marker has dried, sew a bead onto each intersection of the grid.

And now you have a classic white shirt with a mod twist. This patterned shirt seriously goes with everything!

Rachelle
@RachelleMLee @makeyoulovelee
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*updated by Connie Apr 8 2013*
look what I found at Zara in Hong Kong after I saw the post from Rachelle!!

DIY Zipper Pants

Hello my lovelees!

We all have an old pair of pants that are in need of a little extra TLC. Just add some zippers and you've got a new, edgy addition to your wardrobe. I used a geometric pattern to create the illusion of panels, and it turned out looking pretty darn cool. So go on, shop your closet and try this out!

Materials:

- a pair of pants or jeans
- 2 5-inch zippers
- 2 7-inch zippers
- 2 8-inch zippers

- needle and thread/sewing machine
- scissors
- ruler
- marker
- pins

Instructions:

1. Use a seam ripper to remove 5 inches from the inside seams of one leg.

2. Pin one 5-inch zipper to this opening

3. Measure a 7 inch straight diagonal line from the inside seam to the outer seam. Make sure that this line continues from the top of the zipper in Step 2.

3. Mark this line and cut out.

4. Pin one 7-inch zipper to this diagonal opening.

5. About 5 inches above this line, measure and mark another diagonal line that is 8 inches. The two diagonal lines should be parallel to each other. Cut out.

6. Pin one 8-inch zipper to this opening.

7. Repeat Steps 1-7 on the other pants leg.

8. Sew on the zippers carefully. It's easier to sew them one while the zipper is open. I also suggest occasionally closing and opening the zippers while you're sewing to make sure you didn't accidentally sew too close to the metal teeth.

And there you have it: an old pair of pants that now feel new and trendy!

Happy DIYing!

Rachelle
Follow me on Twitter @RachelleMLee @MakeYouLoveLee
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