DIY Fashion
DIY BCBG Max Azria Inspired Fox Clutch

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Before you start reading this post, I want you to press play on this video. I basically had this in my head for the couple of hours it took me to make this project. It’s a viral track introduced to me by none other than Riz Khan!

Now that’s out of the way let’s take a look at this awesome bag by BCBG which I found while getting fitted for the Emirates Woman Awards 2013.

Here is my version:

 

All you need to create this is: A sewing machine (or you can hand sew this), an envelope clutch to use as a pattern, sewing scissors, black felt, tailors chalk, white embroidery thread, black thread and an embroidery needle.

Begin by using the envelope clutch to trace your pattern:

I traced twice the shape of the body of the clutch to reinforce the felt:

From here pin the rectangular flap over the longer piece of felt and sew together:

From here, fold the clutch in half and sew the side seams. The great thing about felt is that you don’t need to hem or secure raw edges.

Now the fun part! Making the ears:

Cut them:

Mark and back stitch them:

Trace the fox face and back stitch as above:

Hand stitch the fox ears on:

Thanks so much to the amazing Mica Nelson for these pictures in Northbridge.

Watch: Marc Jacobs, Shorts from Polkadot Vintage Market Perth and top from Good Sammies in Subiaco.

 

DIY 5 Minute No Sew Bow Tie

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So as you can see there are some changes happening to Cheapnchic.net. We will soon be re-branding and launching as a business! How exciting! So I have started (now that I have the time and am not full time at the radio) really doing the blog the way I always wanted. Shooting my DIYs at lovely locations, styling the shoots and also watermarking and labelling all the images.

It took me hours today! HOURS! But the great news is, the DIY itself, only takes about 5 minutes. I devised this for the event I hosted with GAP. I think it looks amazing with vintage fabrics you may find in thrift stores. Try and re-fashion a vintage tie this way!

You will need: Glue gun, elastic, fabric scissors and cute patterned fabric.

Cut a rectangle of fabric 24cm x 12cm in width. Fold it in half and glue the ends together:

From here glue the ends in again to meet half way:

From here cut another strip of fabric 12cm x 6cm. Glue the ends of the strips facing towards eachother (as above) and then once more again to form a band that’s 2cm in width:

Pinch the wider rectangle through the centre and glue in between the pinches:

Flip the tie on it’s wrong side and thread a piece of elastic through and glue between the grooves:

Quickly glue over each edge of the thin band in the centre of the bow and cut off the edges neatly:

My fabulous new intern Mica Nelson and I went to the Fringe World festival in Perth and were able to get some amazing images at the circus-themed stage of me in the bow tie!

Jacket: H&M, Shorts: Kuala Lumpur, Lipstick: MAC Lady Danger.

I think the bow tie turned out splendidly and the shoot was fab. Thankyou Mica!

Please let me know what you think of my new-look images too!

 

DIY Prada SS14 Inspired Art Bag

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This has got to be one of the most exciting chapters for Cheapnchic.net. I can’t say much more besides that some cool things are happening with the blog in the Australian market.

In 2014, one of my resolutions besides delivering even better projects to you was to watermark all my images properly and start doing videos. I also wanted to put more fashion into the posts, so from now on, where possible, I will model the craft projects “street style” and credit the labels I wear. So here is the first blog with watermarked pictures.

These bags are fresh off the Spring Summer 2014 runway at Prada:

I wanted to jump on this project because I know how soon the DIY sector will respond. In fact within days of me having photographed this, American craft kit company, Darby Smart started promoting their version. If you’re in North America and can’t paint, here is a fool proof way to emulate this bag, just buy the box online and modge podge the portrait.

Here is my hand-painted take however:

Here’s what you will need: Old vintage bag, acrylic paints, image of what you’d like to paint, palette, brushes, jar of water, cloth to wipe brushes, masking tape, pencil, scrap paper to line your work surface and PVA glue.

I got unbelievably lucky with my bag! It’s a vintage Bally. Just 9 bucks and it’s box shaped and full leather:

Begin by lining your surface and then taping the bag with masking tape to stop the rest of the bag getting painted.

Prime the base of where you will paint with white acrylic paint. This will take several coats. Use a flat and broad brush for this. Make sure it’s completely dry and as smooth as possible before taking the next step:

From here sketch out the design you’d like to paint:

I always block out the base colours of each element before getting into the details:

I was able to finish this project in a few hours because the sun is so hot in Perth at the moment and means I can move on to each new element. When the base colours are blocked, then start layering the details:

Finally you will end up with your finished design:

The last step is to varnish and seal by coating the whole back in white PVA glue which dries clear. Use a smooth and broad brush:

This is how I wear it!

Bag: DIY from Cheapnchic.net, Shoes: H&M, Jeans: GAP, T-Shirt: Sportsgirl, Blazer: BYSI.

Hope you liked this post and please do leave me some comments!

DIY Charlotte Olympia Inspired Bed Slippers and a Valentine’s Day Prize from Tejuri.com

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We’ve teamed up here at Cheapnchic.net headquarters with the lovely people from Tejuri.com. Tejuri.com is the biggest online mall in the Gulf region and is the only e-commerce platform endorsed by the Department of Economic Development – Dubai (DED). To celebrate Valentine’s Day they have given me AED 500 to spend at their online curated gift section to give away to YOU.  Just in time for the holiday of love! More on how you can win in a second.

The DIY today is inspired by the amazing Charlotte Olympia pumps that came out in Fall 2012. The DIY sector responded vigorously to these “kissable” designs with lots of copycat posts. I wanted to put an original spin on things and thought they could make amazing slippers. Slippers you can wear on Valentine’s Day when you cosy up with the one you love.

Here are Charlotte’s designer version:

And here is my slippers version:

Here’s what you’ll need:

Fabric glue, sewing scissors, felt (in cream and red), pins, tailors chalk, cheap slippers, red embroidery thread and needle.

Begin my cutting the bows off the slippers or any other embellishments your slippers may come with:

Now grab your felt and fold it in half and draw the shape of half a pair of lips with your tailors chalk, pinning the felt together.

When you pull the felt open you should have a pair of lips like this:

Cut a tiny split in the lips and then you’ll have the gap for the “teeth”. Now pin the lips you’ve made to another pair of lips and trace and cut around for the second shoe.

Cutting a small piece of cream felt, glue this with fabric glue to the back of the lips:

Now glue these lips, back sides down onto the front of the slippers:

Talking the embroidery thread, stitch around the edges of the lips in blanket stitch.

And there you have it!

Now they’re ready to keep your toes kissable!

To win AED 500 to spend on more great gifts from Tejuri.com’s curated gift section, you just need

1) Be a UAE or Gulf resident.

2) Like Tejuri.com on Facebook

3) Share this blog post on your Facebook account with the statement: “OMG check this DIY out, it’s so cool.”

4) Like Cheapnchic.net on Facebook

5) Like Cheapnchic.net on Instagram

When you’ve done all of this, simple write your name and email in the below comments section. The contest closes on Valentine’s Day, February 14th.

 

DIY Australia Day Floral Headband *WIN IT*

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It’s been a while since we’ve done a give away and now that I am in Perth, I thought why not celebrate my return to the country with an Australian DIY that can also be made by anyone overseas.

Now some people would glue the flowers to the headband but because it’s Australia and Australian Oz Day festivities get quite boozy, I suggest stitching the flowers on and reinforcing them with glue later. That way, minimising the opportunity for them to be hit off and embarrassingly being thrown around by some crazy guy with a beer gut.

This floral headband is very easy to make. You will need:

Thread in blue, white, green and red, needles, red thin ribbon, plastic headband with holes or lattice work, fake flowers in red, blue and white (I was really lucky to find plastic banksias which are an Australian native flower) and small wire pieces with beads and glue gun and sticks.

Start by removing some foliage from the flowers to cover the base of the headband nicely. I used the needle and thread to fasten these to the headband.

From here thread in the corresponding coloured thread for your first flower. Thread the needle through the plastic base of the flower and wind into the holes in the headband:

From here you continue with your main flowers. Use the wire with beads to rap completely around the headband to reinforce what you’ve attached so far:

Now grab the glue gun and fill with smaller flowers and reinforce the existing sewn on flowers:

That’s all! You’ll have something like this:

If you live in Perth and would like to win this for Australia Day. All you have to do it place the link to this post on the wall of 5 of your Facebook friends with the caption:

“Check out this amazing website with cool DIY projects and free tutorials”

Once you have done that, simply write your email below in the comments section.

Most of all HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY FOR JANUARY 26TH.

Competition closes 24th of January.