Last weekend I was browsing a second-hand shop and found a cute and simple little black dress. I thought this basic frock was the perfect canvas to do something creative with. Thus, the studded black dress DIY was born.
Once my experimenting was through, I thought the results were cute enough to share! This is an easy project that can result in a fun look to wear within minutes (really, it’s that simple).
All you need is a dress (find a discounted one at your local thrift store if you’re worried about accidentally ruining it), a pair of scissors, and some studded trim (I got mine in the garment district but it can be ordered on Etsy or other online stores).
The total time to make this was about 2 hours for me, but I was stopping to snap photos and second-guess myself along the way! It’s more like a 1-hour DIY.
Step 1.
To create the bare shoulder look, cut semi-circle shapes out of the shoulders. Start smaller and try it on. You can always increase size, but once you cut the holes too large, there’s no going back.
Here’s a trick for getting the right size from the start: Put the dress on and mark the edges of your desired shape with pins or chalk. Also, if you are dealing with a slinky knit fabric, prepare for some stretch.
To reduce the chance of fraying, you can turn the edge under and stitch it in place.
Step 2.
Now we’ll trim the sleeves. Put the dress back on and mark the sleeve length with a pin or chalk. Again, to prevent fraying, cut an inch or so longer and then turn up the sleeve hem. You can hand or machine stitch this in place.
Step 3.
Now, the fun part! Grab your trim and lay it flush to the edge of the shoulder cutout. Use a whip stitch or a straight stitch to attach the trim to the edge of the fabric.
Once your trim is attached, you’re done! Now try it on. 🙂
I won’t lie, part of my inspiration for this dress was that NYFW makes me want to fill my closet with fun clothes… but that’s not always budget-friendly for a struggling writer!
Sometimes the best thing to do is grab something cheap and do a little slicing-and-dicing to make it unique.
Have fun and let me see what you DIY this week!
Frugally yours…
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