Jun 19, 2011 | DIY
How many of us have been drooling over the chic-ness of the metallic Minx manicure since it debuted a few years back?
Being someone who loves metals, I’ve been dying to get my hands on one – well, get one on my hands, really – for ages. But the $40+ pricetag (for a set of nails that barely lasts 2 weeks) has been a big deterrent.
Now, Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips have been out awhile in drugstores here in the U.S. – but though there are glitters there are no true metals offered in the line.:-( So I was on the hunt for something similar – that could mimic that Minx look for less.
Enter Nail Rocks Nail Wraps (for a mere $11.55 from ASOS.com). (And with Free Shipping to the U.S. too – how about that?) With a little fiddling (and a home hairdryer) that gorgeous liquid metal manicure can be yours for a fraction of the cost. Here’s how to use them:
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Jun 14, 2011 | DIY
Again, schoolwork and life has just body-slammed me into submission the last couple weeks, so this latest LOTW is again combining 3 weeks into one.
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Who’s with me, right??!
You guys have been great with sending me your projects and tutorials, so I’ve been able to check out all your creativity and now share it en masse. Thanks so much!
Honestly, WTF‘s DIY Pompon Necklace infuses a bright pop of colored fun into any outfit. Perfect for summer!
Megan Nielsen did a tute on how to make scallop-hem shorts from a pair of old shorts. Check it here and try it on something you already have in your closet!
Violent Lips is a new line of temporary Lip Tattoos. What’s your verdict: Chic or cheap?
The Style Projects has a number of quick n easy DIY projects on her blog (like a Sweat-skirt, Big Curly Hair, No-Sew Scarf, and Backless Zippered White Tee), but I think I like her DIY Bee-Buttoned Cuff the best. It looks just like something from Lanvin’s S/S 11 collection!
Manolo Blahnik Limited-Edition Shoe Earring DIY by Fabric Strips and Ruby Lips is so inventive! (And perfect if you happen to have Barbie stuff leftover from your childhood.;-) Also check out her other projects like her Placemat Tablet Case and Chanel-style Earrings.
Teresa does it made crochet shorts from an old thrifted crochet sweater. Pure genius (and it looks so RTW)! Also check: DIY Zipper Jeans, Victoria’s Secret Buckle Sweater, and Crochet Bag. Can’t miss!
Urban Outfitters constantly rips off other independent artists’ designs. Or is it just coincidence? Read the discussion here and here on the Village Voice Blog.
It will be Father’s Day this Sunday – so if you’re feeling crafty, Michael’s has a ton of projects to make for dear ol’ Dad. Try a decorated wood photo frame, a ceramic mug covered in drawings, an artful ceramic plate, or a can-hugger…maybe these are projects more appropo for the kiddos, but still fun and creative. 
And if your Dad or hubby is into fashion at all, these Giles and Brother cufflinks are pretty awesome (and manly) and only $60.
And if you’re thinking of stealing something out of Dad’s closet – nab yourself a tie, and make this Upcycled Statement Necklace from a Tie, courtesy of Green Eggs and Ham. A lovely – and slightly steampunk! – reiteration of the menswear accessory.
Wardrobe Recycle (a Greek blog – use Google translate if you don’t read Greek) shared her upcycle of a t-shirt to a Princess-Sleeve Shirt, which is actually based on this (in English) video by Fashion Enemy. I love how feminine and pretty her new shirt is!!
If your project was featured above, feel free to grab a button and share the DIY!
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And since I’m not doing my DIY Roundups anymore, if you have a DIY project, tutorial, or creation that you’d like to see featured on Chic Steals, please email me at carlyjcais at chic-steals dot com – and I’ll try to squeeze it in to one of my Links of the Week posts!
xoxox
Carly
-all photos copyright their respective authors; photo array by me-
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Jun 7, 2011 | DIY
Hot And Heavy, Baby! Spring 2011 by TheAcademic ♥s Andrej Pejic! featuring flared jeans
Kaftans (or Caftans) seem to be on everyone’s mind lately as a summer staple. Polyvore even put together an array of latest looks featuring caftans – and I’m loving the breezy, lunch-on-the-Riviera feel to them. From Elizabeth Taylor to the Olson twins, caftans have always been a mainstay of A-listers, but now they’re most definitely on-trend for the rest of us.
From left to right: French Connection Diamond Embellished Caftan, ASOS Pleat Front Chiffon Cover Up
, Helene Berman Oversized Flower Short Kimono Kaftan; all ASOS.com.
How to get the look without breaking the bank:
Besides sourcing one from a lower-priced store, like TheOutnet.com, ASOS.com, or even Forever 21, a great alternative would by thrifting something sheer, oversized, and fabulous – and just repurposing it as a caftan. (Adding trims or details as you desire.) You could also sew your own in your favorite fabric with a pattern from Burdastyle.
BurdaStyle’s 07/2010 Caftan Pattern
This 07/2010 pattern an extremely simple one, easily made more modest or revealing as you may choose, and for me, the fun part would not only be choosing the fabric – but also finding my favorite trim to adorn the neckline and sleeve-openings! You could make it as glamorous or as casual, as sheer or as opaque, as bright or as neutral a poolside cover-up as you wanted! Speaking of cover-ups, there’s also another item that’s been playing on my mind:
Sienna Bikini, $55; Saskia Attachable Skirt, $40; Rebecca Manning.
(I know it’s not a caftan per se since it doesn’t cover the shoulders…but it’s too pretty not to mention!) This gorgeous convertible bikini cover-up is from Rebecca Manning on FashionStake [a website that allows emerging designers to sell directly to the public by allowing them to secure orders before going to the manufacturers, paying for a full run of items, and then being stuck with excess inventory and no cash at the end of the season – which is a fantastic solution to the incredible waste in the fashion industry by over-manufacturing, and the high start-up costs to the independent designer. Plus because the order is placed by the customer first it allows the designer to offer the item at a high discount compared to what it would retail for if it were manufactured first and then sitting on a retail shelf, waiting to be sold. I LOVE the innovation of this site!!)
Anyway, not only is the above bikini top flattering and chic, but the “caftan” part simply attaches to the front. Choose your favorite color for the bikini and print for the caftan skirt part. Ingenious!
Also: how timely! TheOutnet.com is currently giving away a $920 Missoni Kaftan!
(giveaway period closes in 14 hours!!)
How do you feel about caftans? Loving them? Or too “Golden Girls” for your taste?
xoxox
Carly
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Jun 2, 2011 | DIY, Fashion
As of late, I’ve been noticing more and more fashionable items that are customizable to the wearer’s liking. Though there’s always been Etsy for a one-on-one conversation with an individual seller (“Hey, can you make me one in this color and with a pocket?”), there are now more companies than ever offering options for their customers (beyond just sizing). And some of those items are also on the luxury-end of the scale: clothing or accessories you can customize to the tune of a couple hundred dollars or more. (That Fendi DIY NeedlePoint Baguette ($995) or Fendi Paint-Your-Own Baguette ($585) from last year spring to mind…;-)
Here’s a couple more I’ve noticed lately:
Sneaker Customization Kit
Paint your sneakers any way you want and add a dose of artistic boldness to your feet. Includes sneaker wipes (to clean them of dirt or oils prior to painting), 5 paints specifically formulated for sneaker leather and to withstand flexing, a paintbrush and an extra pot for mixing colors. (Sneakers not included;-) And of course you’re not limited to jazzing up those high-top basketball sneaks either…or even limited to sneakers! (Say you have a white leather bag you’d like to add some custom art to? No problem!)
$45, UncommonGoods.com
Prada Choose-Your Initials Sunglasses
You can choose your own 2 initials – or even your favorite symbols (like hearts or skulls) – to add a little bit of personalization to the arms of your Prada sunglasses.
$365, SunglassHut.com
Customizable Cuffs
From Owen & Savary, cuffs in their Bespoke line allow you to choose your favorite leathers and colors for a unisex piece all your own.
From $285 -, OwenSavary.com
Design Your Own Jewelry
Though I’ve written about it before, Sheyna.com is a site where you can customize your jewelry into literally hundreds of combinations, choosing gold or silver, gemstone briolettes, chains, etc. – to make your own, one-of-a-kind DIY necklace, earrings, or rings. Become a jewelry designer with just simple drag-and-drop!
From $2.88- , Sheyna.com
Make Your Own Havaianas
Havaianas, the name synonymous with summer and flip-flops, has just launched a new feature where you can choose the sole color, strap color, and crystals and pins on the straps – plus see the combinations that celebrities have made and get inspired!
From $25 – , Havaianas.com
Seen any other customizable stuff online? Please share with everyone in the comments!
xoxox
Carly
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May 26, 2011 | DIY
I’ve been so busy lately I’ve been neglecting to share things that I’ve made. Here are a couple items that I’ve finished up and am enjoying:
Galaxy-Print Scrunchie
Make following this tutorial from some leftover self-designed galaxy-print fabric scraps. I’m making a top with the fabric and since the tiny amount I bought was so goshdarn expesnive, I didn’t want to let any part of it go to waste. The fabric is silk, backed in black mesh chiffon. I should have made it twice as wide, but I only had so many scraps leftover. It tends to slip out of my hair since it’s silk, so I wear it around a hair-tie.
Tribal Necklace
Made with faux bamboo-stick beads and faux coral beads from Michael’s. I love the spiky organic-ness to it.
Bohemian Leaf Head-band (Head-dress?)
I’m not really a boho gal, but I couldn’t resist crafting this. Take any flat-ish jewely finding that has a hole in either end, and string them together with jumprings to make an adornment for your brow. The leaf findings I used only had one hole, so I drilled another one in the end of each piece. Which took a $%##% long time, too.
Feather Earrings
Made in the style of Owlita. (Theirs are much nicer, though!) I just wired together some feathers and added a handmade ear-wire to them. I love how they mingle in with my hair.
Have you made any projects recently that you’re dying to show off? Do tell!
xoxox
Carly
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May 25, 2011 | DIY
This week is starting off certainly better than last – I’m on another round of heavy-duty antibiotics so hopefully I’ll beat back this infection in my jaw this time – I just finished up a huge number of projects that have been looming over my head for weeks – and the weather’s turned nice and summery here in Portland. (Finally!)
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So onto what’s been going on in the DIY blogosphere this week…
Lindsay from Delighted Momma made these boho-chic recycled bangles with some hemp cords and old bangles. What a lovely summery twist on an old staple – and can you imagine how gorgeous they would be stacked, wound with a variety of colored hemp cords? (Find every color of hemp cord you may ever want here.)
I’m so glad to have found Fashion Attack, an amazing DIY-er who’s made a number of fashion-forward video tutorials, including those fringed YSL shoes, a fur handbag out of a pillowcase, and an over-the-knee boot. So inspiring!
Lisa Salzer, the designer of Lulu Frost, stopped by StyleList to make a video on how to make a DIY sparkly necklace inspired by her latest collection, using rhinestone chain and long bone hairpipe beads. I just love it when a designer shares her secrets!;-)
Curbly‘s video for making a handbag out of a recycled book makes me want to whip out a box cutter and a lovely old tome. Olympia Le-Tan embroidered clutch, here I come!
Dismount Creative fashioned a faux enamel pendant necklaces…using nailpolish! What a brilliant idea – and a great way to add some colors to metal stampings and blanks and incorporate them into your jewelry.
Refinery29‘s Slideshow of 9 Ways to Tie a Summer Scarf will hopefully help me infuse my normally sloppy summer style with a little bit of chic.
A Matter of Style‘s Neon Candy Bag Tutorial – made from clear plastic folders from the stationery store – now gives me something to do with all those colorful folders I’ve accumulated from the Dollar Store! And I love her branded “M” on the closure – so amazing.:-)
If you’ve ever wanted to try your hand at the art of draping, follow Sew Petite Gal‘s lead and make a simple, one-shouldered DIY draped Grecian gown. Perfect for summer pool parties and evening soirees!
If your project was featured above, feel free to grab a button and share the DIY!
<a href=”https://chiccreativelife.com/category/links-of-the-week”><img src=”https://chiccreativelife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/diylotwfeaturedbutton-1.png” /></a>
And since I’m not doing my DIY Roundups anymore, if you have a DIY project, tutorial, or creation that you’d like to see featured on Chic Steals, please email me at carlyjcais at chic-steals dot com – and I’ll try to squeeze it in to one of my Links of the Week posts!
xoxox
Carly
-all photos copyright their respective authors; photo array by me-
~If you liked this post, please share it!~
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