DIY in 5: Bling Bling Two-Finger Ring (from Scrapbooking Embellishments)

Since it’s Rings Week here at Chic Steals, I wanted to share with you a quick n easy way to add a bit of pizazz to a store-bought 2-finger ring (with a flat top) and some scrapbooking embellishments.  It’s DIY in 5 – minutes, that is. The easiest, quickest ways to take a piece from blah to fab and update it to current trends.

Lucky Magazine posted a photo of this gorgeous Zoe Chicco knuckle ring waaaaay back in 2008? or so, and I kept the clipping on my inspiration board.  As usual, they were way ahead of the trend, since it’s only been since 2009/2010 that we’ve been seeing 2- and 3-fingered rings adorning the fingers of fashionable girls the world over. At $495, I found this beautiful ring beyond my budget back in 2008, and it’s sadly unavailable now besides.  [BTW if you’re wanting this style but don’t want to DIY, Soixante Neuf sells a veeeery similar bejeweled ring so if you feel like spending $216 then the same style can be yours!] You can also probably find this double-finger ring covered in jewels from some lower-priced trendy retailer like Forever 21 or elsewhere if you look hard enough.  But of course, I wanted to make my own – similar to the original!

It wasn’t until recently (around the holidays last year) that Jolee’s Jewels dimensional scrapbooking stickers came out with a new line of colored stick-on jewels in their settings…something that’s pretty hard to source for jewelry or embellishment projects, sticky-back or no.  (Ever found set acrylic jewels (i.e., jewels in a silver or gold pronged or rim setting) in Jo-Ann’s or Michael’s?  No?  I found a small selection in M&J Trimming last time I was there, but it was very limited, and though yes, the BeDazzler will “set” gemstones onto fabric, the settings are really cheap-looking and the gemstones have to be super-small to fit into the Bedazzler nozzles.  So anyway, large set gemstones as embellishments have been near-impossible to find – until NOW!)

You Need:

*Jolee’s Jewels “All that Bling” Vintage Gems dimensional stickers (I used gems from the Royal and Light Blue and the Baby Blue and Silver packs); or other set jewels

*flat-top 2-finger connector ring (the one in the photo above is the Hearts Two Finger Ring from Payless)

*jewelry glue/glue for metals (my fave is GS Hypo Cement)

How-To:

1. If using the scrapbooking stickers, you may want to pull the sticky back off first and figure out how you want to place your jewels.  I found it was easy to position my jewels on the ring top while they were sticky – but super-difficult to pull them off one by one and add the glue.  Your choice!

2. Once you’ve decided on the placement, just spread some glue onto your ring base, and position the jewels on top.  Allow to dry for 24+ hours before wearing.

And that’s…amazingly…it!

Here are some picks for base rings if you’re looking to buy online…though you could probably find good bases at Claire’s (which is where the ring I actually used is from), Forever 21, or other retail brick-and-mortar stores that cater to the young and trendy crowd.  Here are some more picks from online:

Asos at ShopStyle
Arden B at ShopStyle
Urban Outfitters at ShopStyle
Arden B at ShopStyle

Or alternatively, you could glue the jewels onto a piece of metal (like an old piece of jewelry; a sheet of embossing metal; or a metal jewelry blank from Michael’s newly-added hammering and embossing section)…and then glue TWO separate flat-pad ring shanks onto the back of the embellished metal, right next to each other, to create the two-fingered ring.

Happy DIY’ing!

xoxox
Carly

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Inspired Alert! Elizabeth + James Knuckle Ring…and Forever 21 Sideways Cross Ring

Popularized by the lovely Rumi of FashionToast…among many, many others, this Robert Lee Morris for Elizabeth + James liquid-metal-look knuckle ring was a huge hit from last year, and continues to be a strong seller from the line.  There’s just something about its sleek, minimalist beauty that seems both timeless and fashion-forward, and I’ve been drooling over it for awhile now.

Robert Lee Morris for Elizabeth + James Long Knuckle Ring, $195, Saks.com Knuckle Ring in Gold, $30, Shockboutique.com

So I was glad to recently find both a version at ShockBoutique.com, AND one from Forever21 as well.  (Took you long enough, Forever 21!  Hint: Just rip off the filigree from the front of the ring if you’re looking for an exact dupe – it’s affixed with what feels like cheap hot glue and comes off easily.;-)

Forever 21 Regal Knuckle Ring, $5.80

(The Stretchy Knuckle Ring from Forever 21 is also a lookalike for the smaller Elizabeth + James knuckle ring, at about 1.5″ long, and with a stretchy band.)

Additionally, I also found another Elizabeth + Jamese knuckle ring lookalike from Etsy seller snefter.

snefter Flat Armor Finger Knuckle Ring, $15.99, Etsy.com

(It’s not quite as long as the E + J version above, but not quite as short as the small version.)

Also find their YSL Arty Oval Ring lookalike KILLER Chunky Gold Finger Ring, and their Forever 21 sideways cross lookalike Sideways Cross Connector Double Finger Knuckle Ring in their store as well.  Oh, snefter – you crafty caster, you!  Now, the rings they offer for sale are not exact copies down to the millimeter, but they’re pretty goshdarn close.  It’s obvious that the original pieces were not used in the creation of the molds this person uses in their jewelry, but still…they’re amazing doppelgangers!!

And speaking of that Forever 21 sideways cross ring that just EXPLODED in popularity last year (some people were paying $95+ for it on Ebay!)…

Find ASOS.com’s Double Finger ‘Cross’ Ring (above left) here and ShockBoutique’s Two-Finger Cross Ring (above right) here.  And I just re-stocked my silver sideways cross rings in my Etsy shop, too.

My version of the ubiquitous sideways cross ring.

Any designer rings you’re looking for me to sniff out an affordable version of?  Or a DIY?  Let me know in the comments!
xoxox
Carly

All ring photos copyright of their respective owners; FashionToast photo from this post here.

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It’s Rings Week Here at Chic Steals!

Arbitrarily I have decided to make this week all about rings here on my site. One-fingered, two-fingered, sterling, precious metal, gemstones, faux, real, what-have-you – it’s all about finger-adornment!

If you have any questions about rings: how to organize them, how to clean them, and (best of all, IMHO) how to make them…either leave your questions in the comments or shoot them to me via the Formspring.me Ask me anything box in my right sidebar. —–>  I’ll be getting to them all week long, so send them my way!

So first things first, here are some books to learn from and be inspired by:

1000 Rings: Inspiring Adornments for the Hand

I love this book!  This is the perfect coffee table/inspiration book for anyone who loves rings.

 

30-Minute Rings: 60 Quick & Creative Projects for Jewelers

This is another one of my faves: beautiful photography and inspiring projects featuring a variety of techniques.

Make Your Own Rings: Easy ring projects to do at home

Another technique and tutorial book; this one also includes tutorials for rings made of Precious Metal Clay (PMC; similar to Art Clay Silver), which is a material people familiar with PolyClay can learn to use quite easily.

The Rings Book (Jewellery Handbooks)

Jinks McGrath, a well-known name in metalsmithing, has written this book which details ring-making for bench jewelers. Though this is certainly not for the hobbyist or beginner, the principles and techniques covered in this book are for fine jewelry and will familiarize anyone with how to properly create a durable piece of jewelry and work of art.


The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition)

Sorry, but we’re talking long-haired elves in tights.  I figured a list about rings would not be complete without the One Ring, hmmmm?  (Plus, the extended editions add almost an hour of cut footage to the movies -hence, more elves in tights.  All the more reason!;-P)


And to get further in the mood, here are a two DIY Ring Tutorials I’ve shared here on the blog:

Spiked Crystal Ring

DIY Rhinestone Panja

Only…TWO??!!

Well, I’ll just have to remedy that!

xoxox
Carly

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Don’t Buy, DIY! Miu Miu Rhinestone-Embellished Flats Tutorial

I noticed these beautiful embellished ballet flats in my favorite Japanese magazine, Vivi, back in Winter of 2010.  They’re Miu Miu, available in lovely pastel colors, and boast a pretty hefty pricetag ($745!).

I figured I could make my own lookalikes from a pair of shoes I already had.  And it cost less than $15!  Here’s how…

You Need: (more…)

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Shopping and Shipping is a Chic Steal at Romwe.com

Retro Pleated Light Pink Dress / Retro Falbala Chiffon Shirt / Retro Baby Blue Tapered Pants / Black Leopard Tights

I’ve just discovered Romwe.com, and I’m in love!  Affordable and on-trend, this e-tailer operates out of China, and ships worldwide FREE.  Breezy feminine tops, fitted skirts, draped cardigans, lovely satchels, tulle dresses, and vintage-inspired jewelry complete the offerings from this store.  I’m hankering after the Fluorescent Green Roman Sandals to add a pop of color to my summer wardrobe, the Apricot Anomalous Sweep Cardigan for versatile layering, the Apricot Design Sheer Shirt – I’m in heaven over those rows of ruffles!! – and the Uniform Short Vest (as an amazing Alexander Wang lookalike piece).

Check it out and drool…

Apricot Anomalous Sweep Cardigan / Black Front Ruched Skirt / Pearl and Flower Layer Ring / Grapheme Hooded Long Pattern Coat

Uniform Yellow Short Vest / Crocodile-Embossed Pu College Retro Bag / Bowknot Orange Short Pants

Retro Palace Horse Long Necklace / Apricot Design Sheer Shirt / Electric Band Fluorescence Green Roman Sandals

 

Lace Montage Layer Sheer Dress / Middle Length Pleated Camel Skirt / Cross Strap Wedge Black Sandals

Visit the site to click around a little and fall into the beautiful fantasy…

 

Romwe.com

xoxox
Carly

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