DIY DIPTYQUE INSPIRED TUMBLER CANDLES

Ok so I'll be the first to admit that to me, Diptyque candles are the ultimate. No other candle smells as good, and once used they make a perfect jewelry/make up brush holder. What more could a girl want? But a recent foray into frugality (more frugal than usual that is) has left my diptyque candle fund severely depleted (girl's gotta eat right?), so I decided to have a go at making my own. Whilst not a lot could compete with the real thing, I did my best to get some scented candle action in my life. To me the difference between diptyque and other candles is the quality of scent, so if you're going to splash out on anything spend your money on some good quality essential oils to add to the wax mix.

You need:

- A glass tumbler

- Wax beads

- A wick

- Tape

- A knitting needle or pen

- Essential oils (I used rose and vanilla - feel free to get creative and mix your own scents!)

How to: 

1. Fill the tumbler with wax beads.

2. Put the beads in a pyrex jug in a pot of water and bring to boil.

3. Add your essential oil. For each candle I added around 10 drops of oil.

  4. Using some wax, fix the wick to the bottom of the glass.

 

5. Tape the wick to the knitting needle/pen balanced on the glass so that the wick doesn't collapse when the wax is poured in. Then pour the wax into the tumbler (careful, it's very hot!!) and let it set overnight.

6. If your wax dries with a dip in the middle (which can happen when it shrinks), heat a little more wax and fill so the surface of the candle is flat. Finally, cut the end of the wick to around an inch long.

Enjoy!

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DIY POM POM ANKLET WEDGES

I recently made a pair of multi-colored pom pom anklets and paired them with these amazing Tony Bianco electric blue suede wedges - talk about festive footwear! The anklets are removable and can be worn with any shoes you like, and can lend a harajuku/mexican fiesta air to an otherwise classic outfit. Although for these pics I decided to pair them with my cobalt J Brand skinny jeans - because sometimes more is more, right?

Click here to see the tutorial over at Harper's BAZAAR 

Click here to see the tutorial over at Harper's BAZAAR

BEFORE & AFTER: THE ASYMMETRIC HEM MINI SKIRT

I noticed a little while ago that a subtle new skirt shape was popping up amongst many of my favourite brands - the asymmetric hem. Rather than a big cut out, this asymmetric shape has just a small triangle of fabric peeking over the edge of the hem - but it's this tiny detail that gets me. Today I'm going to share with you another before & after project - turning a (frankly tent-like) thrifted skirt into my own version of the asymmetric mini.

You may not be able to see it clearly in this photo but the original skirt had a waistline that was a little less than double my own, and that was a key element which allowed me to make the split hem.

A number of different asymmetric hem skirts inspired this project - including these two below - the Ellery 'Wei Wei' wrap skirt and a Kahlo navy leather number. I was also lightly channeling the amazing skirt shapes in the Proenzer Schouler AW12 show (recap here).

You need:
 - An oversized skirt with a zip in the back (rather than the side). Look for one at least 1.5 times the size of your waist. I was super happy to find this Stella-esque printed number in my local thrift store for less than a dollar.
- Scissors
- A needle and thread (and sewing machine if you want to change the length of the hem like I did)

 How to: 
 1. First I cut the skirt to mini length and hemmed it.

2. I put the skirt on (I have done it on the hanger here so you can see clearly) and wrapped it like a kilt or the way you would a towel, doubling the excess fabric over at the front.

3. I then pinned the folded edge to the front of the skirt, but first put it on a diagonal angle so that the hem dropped down to create the asymmetric shape.

4. Finally, I ironed and then stitched the top edge of the folded section to the front of the skirt, leaving the side edge free to allow for movement. I made sure to create a clean line along the waistband.

Wearing: DIY mini, Country Road Singlet, 'Karissa' Tony Bianco heels

DIY NEON YELLOW CAP TOE HEELS

Neon cap toe heels have been on my mind for a while, ever since I posted this.  I decided to have a go at making a pair as the second project in my ongoing collaboration with Tony Bianco.

You need:

A pair of rounded or pointed pumps (these are Tony Bianco 'Karr', which are a great everyday heel)

Masking tape

A paintbrush

White and neon yellow acrylic paints

How to: 
1. Tape off a cap toe at the front of the heels with masking tape.

2. Make sure to press hard on the edges of masking tape.

3. First do a coat of white paint. Let dry for a few hours.

4. Then do a couple of coats of yellow paint.

To remove the brush strokes which were quite pronounced on my suede heels, wait until the paint is semi dry, and then wet your fingers with water and smooth any lines. I found this made a huge different to the look of the cap toe.

5. To reduce the chances of the paint cracking when you take off the masking tape (this can happen when doing multiple layers of paint) and giving you a shaky line (nothing worse), rather than waiting until the paint is completely dry, I removed the tape when the paint was still a little moist and then put aside to dry overnight.

Et Voila! Such a simple update and bang on (neon) trend. Outfit pics to come - the weather has been horrendous in HK but as soon as the sun is shining I'll be getting a few pics in these babies.

Thanks Geri + Sophie for inspiring me to have a crack at the cap toe! Simple as can be.

Btw - do you follow me on bloglovin? Google friend connect is undergoing changes so it's a great time to sign up to another feed and start discovering more blogs! xx

DIY BUTTON EARRINGS

Sometimes the best projects are the most simple ones. This week's project for Harper's BAZAAR is a pair of button earrings you can make in under 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Check out the tutorial here.

DIY SPIKED HEELS

As soon as I saw the spiked heels in the recent MSGM AW12 collection (mentioned in my round up here) I knew I would have to have a go at making a version myself. I used a pair of blood red heels courtesy of Tony Bianco and spikes from Studs and Spikes - I love the way the colour accentuates the spikes.

You need
- 6 cone spikes 
- A pair of leather/ suede heels (these are Tony Bianco 'Karr')
- Dart Awl hole making tool (makes life way easier!)
- A screwdriver

How to
1. Look at the seam at the back of your heels and mark with pencil where you want the spikes to sit. You want the spikes to sit apart so that there isn't too much strain on the seam.
2. Using your hole making tool, push through the seam and wiggle to create a hole.
3. Push the screw through the hole, using a screwdriver to twist if it is difficult to get through.
4. Attach your spikes to the screw by twisting.
5. Use the screwdriver to tightly screw the studs on. Make sure the screws are flush with the leather so your the back of your heels don't get irritated.

Voila, all done! Simple right?

I think these dangerous looking heels look great paired with a more ladylike outfit like a lace skirt. Hope you like!

Keep your eyes peeled for more studding projects coming soon - let's just say I'm completely addicted. 

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DIY PRINTED TRIM MINI SKIRT

Being addicted to all things tribal, printed and mini I recently collaborated with College Fashion in making this embellished mini skirt that channels the bang-on-trend Aztec/tribal vibe that I love so much (check this out if you don't believe me!). At the risk of sounding like a broken record, for this project I took a little inspiration from one of my favourite Sass & Bide collections, a few pieces from which you can see below. Same same, but different.

I had a somewhat blah black thrifted skirt in my closet that I thought would be the perfect base for this project - and knew that with a little imagination I could make it something I would want to wear all the time come summer.

You need: 
- A skirt - check out your local thrift or dollar stores.
- Around 2 metres of embroidered trim
- A needle and thread (or sewing machine)
- Scissors

How to: 

1. To create the basic mini skirt, I shortened the longer skirt to mini length. To do this, measure the appropriate length by using a skirt you already wear as a guide for cutting.

2. Hem the skirt by rolling the fabric over and sewing down.

3. Cut two pieces of trim to match the length all the way around of the hem and waistband. If you want you can use a lighter to lightly singe the trim so it doesn't fray.

4. Hand sew (or use a sewing machine) to attach the printed trim to the waistband and the hem - sewing both edges to secure. Update: For the top piece I located the edges of the embroidered trim on either side of the back zip, and for the bottom piece I overlapped the trim and sewed  it down on the left hand side.

And there you have it, all done! A perfectly chic, on-trend and inexpensive mini skirt which will take you into spring without so much as a backwards glance.

Wearing: DIY Mini skirt | H&M t-shirt | Karen Walker Sunglasses | Mango Boots | Locally Designed Rings | DIY Bell Bracelets

On another note, I'm speaking next week on my favourite subject of reworked clothing and before & after  projects at a conference for Redress. Looking forward to it.

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DIY DELICATE BELL BRACELETS

Sometimes I feel like wearing something small and pretty on my wrists, and it's times like these I wear delicate gold bracelets. Today over at the Style Network I show you how to make a set of bell bracelets - which you can also wear as anklets if you so desire. 

 CLICK HERE TO SEE THE TUTORIAL OVER AT HARPER'S BAZAAR 

In case your wondering about the skirt - it's a recent DIY that you'll be seeing next week. Stay tuned!

DIY STUDDED DENIM CUT OFFS

Today I'm going to share with you a guest post from the lovely Julia of Free People. You may remember I posted about embellished denim cut offs a while ago, and so we decided to bring you a project you're all aching for - a tutorial for studded denim cut offs. Julia take it away!

I have been wanting to do this DIY for quite some time now, but with the current denim dressing feature on our website and studded trend I told you about yesterday, the stars all aligned and it finally came together this week! I’ve seen many ways to stud a pair of cutoffs or jeans, but the two images above, found on tumblr, really stood out to me. I love the subtlety of the triangle of studs on the cutoffs, and the torn back pocket folding over to reveal studs on the inside. The best part about this project is how easy and fun it is to do!

What you need: A pair of jeans or cutoffs (I used the fp denim cutoffs) and some studs of whatever shape or size you choose. You can find a variety of studs  on etsy  (or ofcourse studs and spikes).

I decided to use these little silver pyramid studs, and laid them out first on the shorts to make sure that’s where I wanted them.

I was able to poke the prongs of the stud right through the shorts very easily – then just press them down flat to hold the stud in place!

If you want to, you could also sew a piece of fabric over the studs, just to make them more comfortable against your skin.

I wish someone had warned me about how addicting studding can be… I now have the urge to stud all my clothing! 

Thanks Julia! I know that Free People have some studded  bits and pieces too if you are looking for inspiratio for your own studded project. And be sure to check out Free People's blog and keep an eye out for future DIY collabs.