Tuesday, July 31, 2012

DIY: Studded Denim Vest

Hi all! So I'm back with another DIY, I love doing these and I really hope you find it helpful too. I feel like Debbie Travis but for fashion :) Exactly my kind of thing, but instead of showing you how to stencil a snazzy leafy border on your bathroom walls, I want to show you how you can turn a fairly plain/boring item in your wardrobe into a unique, customized, conversation piece at the party, street-cred earning, pride and joy of your closet type thing. For today, I am going to show you how to jazz up a denim vest, which I bought from Tribal  Rhythm for $25 (a vintage store in a basement on Queen St). 

Materials needed: 
- Scissors
- Laundry facility
- Studs (from sewing supply store, I paid $8 for 24, but you can get them cheaper on ebay I hear)
- Denim vest ($25)

Here is what the vest looked like when in its original state:



Step 1:  FRAY Ends: Cut along the border you want frayed, in this case I am only fraying the sleeves - cut a thin strip


this is what the ends look like after cutting

Step 2: Throw the item in the wash to get the frayed look


Ta da!

Step 3: Time to put the studs in- there were many shapes and sizes, but I decided to go with the bigger square studs (also bigger studs are easier to put in)


Close up: notice spikes on the back, which are inserted directly into material and then folded over
 Step 4: Insert Studs; you just push the studs in and fold the spikes over in the back (warning do not get a fresh manicure when doing this, it will get ruined)




fuzzy pic of what the stud looks like in the back

Step 5: Pick a stud pattern you like and continue studding. (I googled this pattern) Here is one side done!



And the other side- Ta da! (Keep in mind it will not be a perfectly lined pattern, but I kinda like the messy look anyway which works for this item)



I didn't realize just how easy studding would be, and if placed strategically, they can really add interest into your clothes. 

Before:                                                                                          After:

So what did you think? Do you like the before or after?  I will definitely be wearing this in future outfit posts! keep any eye out ;) And good luck studding!

5 comments:

  1. Love! I'm so into DIYs right now -- I just did this (studs and all) with a new pair of jeans-turned-into-shorts recently!

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  2. Thanks Maria! Ooh would love to see a pic of your project!

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  3. Love this - I've been wondering where to get studs from!

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