We've all been there, that shirt you've worn a million times just seems tired...but it's still a great shirt! Or maybe you picked something up from a clothing swap that seemed great at the time, but now at home, doesn't seem to totally gel with your personal style. No need to relegate these items to back of the closet purgatory (and certainly no need to throw them out!), with a little time, and a few supplies, you can upcycle any item in your wardrobe to have a little more character and a little more fun.
UPCYCLE #1: BUTTON UP
I found this button up top at a clothing swap, I saw the fun patter and BCBG tag and saw a slam dunk, but after a few wears realized it was a little more Southern Gothic than my colorful poppy style of dress. But the top was still a great shirt! I decided to get creative and use a jar of mismatched/leftover/orphaned spare buttons and covered the collar in them. It added some awesome texture, a pop of color and a unique touch to an otherwise basic button up shirt.
This DIY can take 20 minutes - 3 Hours, depending on how densely covered the collar is!
Supplies Needed:
- 1 Shirt
- TBD, Lots of buttons! You can either use spare buttons from past purchases, or even get a more monochrome look by picking up a bag of buttons from Fabscrap!
- 1 Needle
- TBD, Matching Thread
- 1 Pair of Scissors
All it takes of hand sewing buttons into place with a needle and thread. I would recommend double threading the needle, for extra hold when washing. Similarly, I would start with smaller buttons on the tips of the collar first and work your way back, as it makes for easier coverage of the collar that way!
UPCYCLE #2: STICKERIZE IT
I had been full of 90s nostalgia for technicolor Lisa Frank ever since seeing Urban Outfitter's mini doc on the brand a few years ago...but there were no Lisa Frank products on the market for someone my adult size! I decided to reap the sticker books of my youth and make these funky Lisa Frank shoes! What was once a pair of scuffed up, clunky, camel colored edges became an awesome pair of 90s dream shoes! You can elevate any pair of smooth surface shoes with stickers and add some everyday camp to the streets!
This DIY can take 20 minutes to an hour, it's quite simple, but make sure you leave some time to dry!
Supplies Needed:
- 1 Pair of Hard, Smooth Surface Shoes (Pleather, Leather, Plastic). Unfortunately velvety, stretchy or textured shoes are not good for upcycling in this situation as it's more difficult for the stickers to adhere.
- Dozens of stickers!
- 1 bottle of Modge Podge (matte)
- 1 paintbrush
*Optional* A hot glue gun and stick of glue (for reinforcing any creases).
- Disinfectant
First, clean off the shoes with a disinfectant, removing any remaining street residue.
Then start applying stickers however you like, press and hold into place if they have trouble sticking!
Once the stickers have all been placed, it's time to coat in Modge Podge! Using the paint brush, cover the entire shoe in Modge Podge, effectively waterproofing and sealing the stickers. Careful not to do too thick of a coat, as that can lead to cracking!
After the Modge Podge has dried, I recommend reinforcing stickers along any creasing points with a thin layer of hot glue, to make sure the stickers don't tear with while wearing your shoes!
Finally, after the hot glue hardens, the shoes are ready to wear! Don't forget your technicolor toe nails too!
UPCYCLE #3: GET SAUCY
It's 2019 and more often than you'd like to admit, you're probably ordering takeout (or maybe you just subsist on pizza and Taco Bell like me!). This means you've got a drawer or a refrigerator shelf chock full of sauce packets! Don't let these bad boys go to waste, if you're a sauce enthusiast but they are still taking up space, don't throw them away, turn them into statement pieces that can add small bits of character and color to your daily ensemble!
This DIY take 20-30 minutes.
Supplies Needed:
- Sauce packets
- Soap
- Scissors/Box cutter
- Fluff/cotton balls
- Hot glue (or resin!)
- Small jump rings
- Earring hooks (or whatever accessory base you prefer, ie, pin backs, hair clips, etc)
- Needle
First, carefully using scissors or a box cutter, make a clean cut through the back top of the packet along the seam, squirt out all the sauce and clean out the packet fully with soap so there is no remaining food residue.
Then, fill the packet with your fluff/cotton balls, this will keep it looking full and bouncy!
Once the packet is filled to your desired amount, close it back up with hot glue, or cover the entire back in resin. Hot glue works quickly, is light, but may take a few coats. Resin takes longer to dry, and adds weight to your finished product, but it lasts!
After the back is dry. use a needle to punch a small hole through the top of the packet, slip the ring through this, attach the earring hook, and you have a sauce packet, quirky, one of a kind earring!
Fill out your entire accessory drawer by attaching these with hot glue to pin backs, or hair clips as well!
I hope with these easy DIYs you are able to make use of some items lying around the house, and add some flair to your closet at the same time! If you make any of these DIYs yourself, tag me in your photos with #handmeupclub I'd love to see your upcycles!