Jewelry is going on the offensive this season with razor-sharp spikes, hard edges, and chains. Make your own on-trend choker* with wire, chain, and beads, weaving them all together to create something reminiscent of Cleopatra…but with a modern-day edge. Here’s how:
Spike pyramid earrings: H&M
Spike Beaded Choker Necklace: DIY (tutorial coming tomorrow!)
Drape-side sweater: Volcom
Style&Co. Vest, Faux-Fur Trim Hooded Puffer: c/o GigaSavvy via Macy’s
Houdini handcuff bracelets: JewelMint
Snowflake obsidian bracelet: from Arizona
Chain-and-rhinestone bracelet: Forever 21
Slap watch in black
Long-sleeved Heattech Top: UNIQLO
Poly pants with side stripe: DIY
Platform velvet booties: Forever 21
I decided to mix sporty with edgy and double up on my DIY’s for this outfit. (more…)
Spring is just around the corner – and I can’t wait to update my wardrobe with all the fun trends on they way. Get a head start with some DIY ideas for these major Spring 2013 trends:
#7: Delicate White Lace
Pristine, white, and sweet: cutwork and lace evoked innocence at Emilio Pucci and Giambattista Valli (above). Try lacy lingerie peeking out of a boxy top, or fully embrace the trend with a pretty lace dress.
…or, DIY this trend with my Lace Maxi-Skirt made from a Curtain
#6: Peekaboo Pieces
Spring is one of the best times to show a little skin, and BCBG Max Azria (above) and Cushnie et Ochs thought the same. Update your wardrobe with some strategically-placed cutouts to let the sun in.
…or, DIY this trend with A Pair and a Spare’s Carven Inspired Cut Out Mini Dress
#5: Black Mesh
Mesh was super-sexy at Celine (above) and Calvin Klein, and just a little of it goes a long way. Try adding a small insert into a key piece in your wardrobe, or wear a mesh top over a tank for a sporty feel.
…or, DIY this trend with my Alexander Wang Mesh Insert Sweater
#4: Leather
Seen on the runways at Derek Lam (above) and Jason Wu, leather is still going strong through Spring. For a lighter feel, try a leather piece in a color besides black, or just add leather (or pleather) accents to your clothes.
…or, DIY this trend with Love Aesthetics’ Minimal White Leather Top
#3: Black and White Contrast
With the 60’s-influence seen in Collection after Collection, big blocks of black and white dominated. Go totally mod with these neutrals like at Chanel and Proenza Schouler.
…or, DIY this trend with my Chanel-Style Black-and-White Cape
#2: Flower Prints
Every Spring, flowers pop up on clothing all over the runways, celebrating the season of renewal and rebirth as we emerge from frozen throes. See: Mary Katrantzou and Thakoon, for starters.
…or, DIY this trend with …love, Maegan’s Floral Print Jeans
#1: Thick Stripes
It was like a day at the circus (or, revisiting Twiggy and Edie Sedgwick) at Marc Jacobs (above) and Michael Kors. Fully embrace the trend with a pair of vertically-striped pants…or just keep it understated with a simple top.
…or, DIY this trend with Refinery29’s Make a DIY Breton Striped Shirt with Spray Paint
What trends are you excited for this coming season?
xo
Carly
All photos from their respective authors, or from Style.com.
I’m a sucker for big, sparkly things – and those Prada rose cabochon earrings from S/S 2012 caught my eye immediately. (And if you were the same and thought of DIY’ing the trend, you’ve probably already seen tutorials by Honestly…WTF, Gloriously Chic, and P.S. I Made This.)
But for my version I wanted to make large, oversized retro-style studs, with a homemade cabochon in the center. Itching to make your own non-dangly version too? Here’s how:
You Need: (more…)
While I was in Japan last April/May, despite the unhappy circumstances of my visit I did manage to go to some craft stores to see the latest trends and products. One thing I came across were these beautiful vintage-style iron-on decals by Eruberu Co, Ltd. They’re a company that manufactures a number of craft-related supplies, and these decals were just so lovely and whimsical I couldn’t help buying a few to play with. Victorian-style kitties, bunnies, little girls, roses, and birds, oh my!
So I brought them home to Oregon to my trusty old iron and ironing board, and decided to whip up some quick little keychain charms using some scrap leather I had lying around. And if you can wield an iron, you can easily make these pretty little keychain rings and cell phone charms too! Here’s how: (more…)
Every year on New Year’s Eve I republish a list of all my DIY’s that I shared on this blog during the past year. This time around, I decided to do a Best Of list as well, to share some of my favorite content from this past year with you:
How Do You Maintain Your Life While Facing Stress? 5 Ways to Deal When It Seems You Just Can’t was a great post that offered tips for dealing with complete meltdowns and crazy stress (I’m sure we all experienced a little of that during the holiday season!)
DIY Watercolor Kitten Tee with DecoArt Ink Effects was a super-fun project with amazing, watercolor-style results. Speaking of cats, the DIY Cute Cat Beret project was a way to use a 99-cent Goodwill pirate’s hat (found just after Halloween) and make it into a darling little beret and jump on the cat-themed bandwagon.
DIY Holiday Chocolate Bark: 4 Recipes to Gift Last-Minute can be made any time of the year, thank goodness! That Tropical Coconut-Pineapple Macadamia Nut Bark was akin to ambrosia…and the Godiva-Inspired Caramel Cashew Bark is already a staple in my candy-making repertoire! Also for the holidays, I made some DIY Glittery Ornament Napkins and some DIY Easy Pinned Sequin Ornaments.
In December I launched a bimonthly podcast about bringing creativity and craftiness to your daily life, called Creatively Chic. You can listen to both episodes that have launched here.
I also partnered with Echoed.com to create a Stories area on my site (now located in the upper left-hand corner) where anyone can upload their DIYs! Post your tutorial or your finished project to share with everyone – and create a link back to your site! Vote, share, and comment on those stories to get a ton of inspiration and meet some other DIY’ers in the community!
Some of my favorite books (and accompanying reviews) from this year: Steal Like an Artist, DIY Couture, New Dress a Day, and Mod Podge Rocks!
I got an iPhone for my birthday and joined Instagram! Slowly becoming an addiction. I also was featured as the first DIY Fashionista on Cut Out + Keep’s new series! What an honor.
I designed some repeating Universe Prints on Spoonflower.com and ordered fabric swatches to test the prints. I still have to sew them into something beautiful!
3 Reaons Why Your DIYs Are FAILS: The Spore Sweater Resurrected offers some tips for how to get past mistakes and failures when making your own things. Plus there I shared my resurrected Spore PomPon Sweater…a project 8 months in the fixing!!
I shared tons of DIY inspiration, including From the Archives, DIY Inspiration from Street Style Photos, DIY Ideas from New York Fashion Week S/S 2013, DIY Fashion Week Street Style, DIY Inspiration from J. Crew August 2012 Catalog, and DIY Ideas from Fashion Weeks Around the World for Autumn/Winter 2012, among many others.
DIY: Sequin Trompe L’Oeil Peter Pan Collar T-Shirt is a great way to jazz up a plain tee really quickly.
In 2012 we also traveled to Tucson, AZ, Timberline Lodge, OR, and Tokyo, Japan (part 1 of Japan photos here). I was also able to go to the Japan Hobby Show 2012 while I was in Japan too, which was so inspiring.
5 Easy DIY’s Even a Beginner Can Master can get you started in making your own things, with easy, fun projects that are simple to start, simple to collect the tools and materials, and a snap to finish.
My son Lil Tot had so much fun making the Kiddie Craft: DIY Milk Carton Bird Feeder from Parents Magazine. It’s a great little project to do with any little one in your life! (Or even for your own yard;-)
Now that Spring is on the way you may want to update your wardrobe with flowers, and this DIY Floral Applique Cardigan for Spring would be perfect.
If you have a spare curtain laying around (or find one at the thrift store), a DIY Lace Maxi-Skirt…Made From A Curtain! is a simple and quick project.
DIY Mixed Media Bib Necklace with Tulip Beads in a Bottle was another project I did playing around with a new material. Tulip Beads in a Bottle is so fun!
So here is a comprehensive list of all my tutorials from 2012 (29 in all):
Clothing
Sequin Trompe L’Oeil Peter Pan Collar T-Shirt
Lace Maxi-Skirt from a Curtain
Upcycled Colorblock Chiffon Top
Accessories
Preppy Initial Back-to-School Keychain Bag Charm
Dolce & Gabbana Flowered Sunglasses
Jil Sander Gathered Removable Peplum
Jewelry
Rhinestone-Wrapped Neon Tasselled Earrings
Jumble Chain Choker Necklace with {styled} by Tori Spelling
Handbags
Stenciled Convertible Tote/Backpack
Shoes
Luxury Jones Belt-Wrapped Cowboy Boots
Beauty
Nails Inc. London Magnetic Manicure
Home Decor
Glittery Christmas Ornament Napkins
Recipes
Holiday Chocolate Bark: 4 Recipes
My DIY’s from 2011 (46 Tutorials)
(some of them may be missing photos b/c of my move to WordPress awhile ago – if you see any posts missing photos, please let me know! {Leave a comment on the post} Thanks so much!)
2012 has been a great year for me…hope it has been just as wonderful for all of you!
So, as I raise my glass of sparkling grape juice, I wish all of you a very Happy New Year! May 2013 bring even more wonderful things for everyone~
xoxox
Carly
Carly J. Cais I am a DIY’er, designer, sewist, maker, and marketer. Chic Creative Life is where I share what I do, and help others bring their unique style into their own lives.
