The Big-Ass Book of Bling
Page 17
YOU’LL NEED
1 yard of 2-inch black grosgrain (ribbed) ribbon
1 yard of 1/2-inch gray satin ribbon
Scissors
Hot glue and glue gun
1 gem brooch
E-6000 glue
Wallet in need of a makeover
Krylon gray primer
Krylon Glitter Blast in Starry Night
Minwax Clear Aerosol Lacquer
Masking tape
1 black cord tassel
HERE’S HOW
1 Cut the black ribbon and gray ribbon each into four 8-inch pieces.
2 Hot-glue the ends of each ribbon to the center point of each ribbon.
3 Hot-glue the ribbons on top of each other in a crisscross formation to create a flat bow.
4 Hot-glue the gray bow on top of the black bow.
5 Glue the brooch on top of both bows with E-6000.
6 Tape over the zipper on your clutch and then spray it on both sides with gray primer, and let dry.
7 Spray the clutch with the Glitter Blast on each side and let dry.
8 Spray the clutch with Minwax Clear Aerosol Lacquer and let dry. This is the best-kept secret for keeping spray-painted objects from remaining tacky. It will also give you an amazing finish and keep your glitter intact.
9 Glue the bow and brooch centerpiece on the center of your clutch with a generous amount of E-6000 and let dry.
FEATHER EPAULETTES
When I started writing this book, I headed to the thrift store (as I always do when I start a new book), and I found this jacket. It had a nice shape and it was in terrific condition. It stayed on my dress form for nearly a month before I started playing with it. At first there were just chains, and over time I had added enough different items to it to make Lady Gaga swoon. This piece, worn with black tights and boots, would make a KILLER outfit. It’s also a great way to give new life to an old favorite.
YOU’LL NEED
Red vinyl or leather
Scissors
Sewing machine with black thread
Grommet maker and 12 gold grommets (these are sold at most sewing-supply stores)
E-6000 glue
2 feather hackle pads in red or black (www.createforless.com)
8 yards of fine to medium gold-tone chain
4 pin backs
12 gold-tone jump rings
HERE’S HOW
1 Cut a piece about 6 inches by 14 inches from your red vinyl or leather. Cut out flames using the pattern below.
2 On your sewing machine, stitch a pattern onto them in black thread to give them some interest. (If you don’t have a sewing machine or choose to skip this step, that’s okay, too.)
3 Punch grommets along the vinyl in the places indicated by the pattern.
4 Glue the entire vinyl flame piece to the top of the feather hackle pad with E-6000 and let dry.
5 Flip over and glue two pin backs to the underside with E-6000.
6 Pin the piece on your jacket shoulder and drape the chains from the front of the jacket to the back. Attach with jump rings in the grommet holes.
SHRUFFLE (SHRUG WITH RUFFLES)
I thought for a brief, wonderful moment that I had invented a new word . . . but then I found it on Google. It doesn’t have the same definition, but sadly, it’s out there. But I’ll still be happy knowing that this is a different definition for a very fun word. This “shruffle” is a supereasy way to create a couture look for very little money. Change the fabrics and the colors, and soon you’ll have a piece that has everyone asking you where you shop.
YOU’LL NEED
Old blouse that you can cut apart
Scissors
Fiskars pinking shears
2 yards of 1-inch ribbon to match your color palette
2 yards taffeta (your choice of colors)
2 yards organza
Sewing machine with thread to match your colors
31/2-inch-diameter drinking glass or circle stencil
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
HERE’S HOW
1 Cut the collar off your blouse with your regular scissors, keeping a low V-neck shape, and then cut your shirt just below the bustline (or at any length you are comfortable with).
2 Cut off your sleeves right at the seam so you have a short vest.
3 Measure around the bottom hem of your vest. Cut off that amount of ribbon plus a little extra, and stitch the ribbon around the bottom hem on the machine. If you need to, gather it a little bit under the bust for a better fit. You can do this by making little darts, or pleats—make sure to do it on both sides symmetrically so your garment lies even.
4 Cut about 120 organza circles and 120 taffeta circles about 31/2 inches in diameter using the pinking shears.
5 Put an organza circle on top of a taffeta circle, fold in half twice, and stitch down in the center to make a ruffle.
6 Once you’ve made about 50 of these, start hot-gluing them on your vest until it’s completely covered.
7 Add more if there are bald spots.
Hint:
Hot glue works well with fabric because it is porous.
JUST ENOUGH CUFF
Wrap your wrist in these blingy pieces to add the perfect punctuation mark to your outfit. I have a friend named Sara who can wear 30 bracelets at the same time, and they look amazing on her. She has extra-long arms, and for some reason she decided this was her look. It totally works. Bracelets and cuffs are those fashion staples that people have been wearing since the dawn of time, and I’m just going to continue the tradition.
CHANEL-INSPIRED CUFFS
I was at a cocktail party once at the home of a very wealthy woman, in a high-rise in New York City. I can’t even remember how I got invited, but there I was, in this beautiful mansion in the sky. During the evening the hostess came up to me and said, “So you’re a fashion designer? I’d like to show you something.” She took me into her bedroom and showed me her closet, and I almost fell right out of that 30-story building. There was literally a mile of Chanel suits and dresses, and drawers full of Chanel jewelry. It was like a museum, and I have never seen anything like it in my entire life. From vintage garments to pieces with the tags still on them—she had it all. These cuffs are inspired by that evening.
YOU’LL NEED
(Large) 21/2-inch silver-tone cuff
(Small) 2-inch flat silver-tone metal cuff
Krylon white primer
Krylon Crème spray paint
2 yards of Mardi Gras pearls (the strands that are attached with string and can’t move)
11/2 yards of crystal chain
Wirecutters
E-6000 glue
Toothpicks
Large flat-back crystal gem (for the smaller cuff)
HERE’S HOW
TO MAKE THE LARGE CUFF
1 Spray the large cuff with white primer and let dry.
2 Spray with the Krylon Crème and let dry.
3 Cut lengths of pearls and chain that measure the width of your cuff.
4 With dabs of E-6000 on a toothpick, carefully glue a row of pearls straight across the metal cuff right in the center and let dry.
5 Now add a row of crystal chain.
6 Continue until the entire cuff is covered.
FOR THE SMALLER CUFF
1 Glue your flat-back crystal to the center of the cuff and let dry.
2 Wrap pearls around the stone and cut to length. With dabs of E-6000 on a toothpick, carefully glue the pearls around your stone.
3 Cut crystal chain to fit alongside the pearls and glue onto the cuff.
4 Continue to alternate a row of pearls and then a row of crystals until your bracelet is covered.
CELEBRATION CUFF
I enjoy giving gifts that people have to wear the minute they open them. Trust me, if you give a birthday girl a tiara, it immediately goes on her head, and then the party can really get started! These celebration cuffs are also a hit. It’s like a birthday card that you can wear. Now, ho
w fun is that!
YOU’LL NEED
1 piece of fabric (4 inches by 9 inches)
1 piece of clear heavy vinyl (4 inches by 9 inches)
Scissors
Sewing machine with zigzag stitch
Printed or handwritten quotes or sentiments (the funnier the better!)
Curling ribbon
Confetti
Paper punches (I used my Fiskars flower punch)
Fiskars inking shears
Metal snap set or Velcro dots
Suggestion:
Small photos could be fun for this cuff!
HERE’S HOW
1 Cut the fabric and vinyl into 4-inch by 9-inch pieces. Put the vinyl on top of the fabric and zigzag-stitch around three sides of the rectangle.
2 Print or write out your quotes or sentiments.
3 Cut up your curling ribbon, gather your confetti, punch out some colorful flowers, and fill the cuff with all of it through the opening.
4 Stitch the opening closed.
5 Cut around the edges with pinking shears.
6 Add snaps or Velcro dots for the closure.
COVERED BUTTONS BRACELET
Here’s a question: Does a button bracelet have to look like it was made out of buttons? The answer is NO! Introducing the half pearl. I covered up all the holes in my big chunky black buttons and now this button bracelet doesn’t look like it’s made with buttons. Kind of like magic, wouldn’t you say?
YOU’LL NEED
20 large flat black buttons
Drill with 1/16-inch drill bit
Piece of scrap wood
40 half pearls big enough to cover the holes in the center of the buttons
E-6000 glue
8 inches of chunky gold-tone chain
Needle-nose pliers (and wirecutters if the pliers don’t have them)
22 gold-tone jump rings
1 gold-tone lobster claw
HERE’S HOW
1 Drill a hole in the outer ridge of all 20 buttons. Make sure to drill on a piece of scrap wood so you don’t ruin your counters.
2 Glue a half pearl on both sides of each button with E-6000.
3 Attach the buttons to the chunky gold chain with the jump rings using your needle-nose pliers.
4 Attach jump rings to the ends of the chain and a lobster claw for the closure.
STEVIE NICKS LEATHER AND LACE
The softness of lace mixed with the toughness of leather. I think it’s a perfect combination. Maybe even a little Stevie Nicks. More often than not, I have little pieces of beautiful lace just hanging around my craft room, and I never quite know what to do with them. This was a nice way to use some of the bits and pieces that might have otherwise gone to waste.
YOU’LL NEED
Small piece of beautiful lace
E-6000 glue
Piece of heavy leather
Leather hole punch
11/2 yards of blue leather lace
Snap set (1/2-inch)
X-ACTO knife
Hint:
Use another piece of scrap leather under the leather you are punching so you don’t ruin the blade at the end of the leather punch by pushing it into the metal plate below.
HERE’S HOW
1 Cut your leather in a perfect rectangle 3 by 9 inches so that you have a 1-inch overlap on your wrist. I like a wide cuff, but you might like it a bit thinner. Up to you.
2 Starting 1/4 inch from the edge of the leather, mark every 1/2 inch to the end on both sides as shown below.
3 Punch holes with the hole punch.
4 Using a neat layer of E-6000, glue your lace to the center of your leather cuff and let dry. You might want to put a book on top of it to make sure it dries flat. If you do, put some wax paper between the book and the lace just in case some glue seeps out.
5 Thread your lace through the holes all the way around the cuff.
6 Glue down the excess on the back of the cuff with a dab of E-6000.
7 Place snaps on each end of the cuff.
WIRE AND CHAIN
The website www.createforless.com got me hooked on wire and chain. They literally have every kind of craft wire and chain in every different metal tone you could ever want. EVER! I hope my excitement for these two very basic items rubs off on you and that you go nuts like I did. Mix these materials together and watch what happens!
CRYSTAL CHAIN-LINK NECKLACES
This is perhaps the most conservative piece in this entire book. It’s something you could give to your mom or even your grandmother on Mother’s Day. In fact, when I’m done writing this, I think I’ll send them each one. Trust me on this, it’s a lot easier to make than it looks!
Hint:
You can get stretchy crystal bead bracelets almost anywhere. I got mine at the dollar store and cut them apart. Buy them in tons of different colors and mix them together on the same necklace.
YOU’LL NEED
54 inches of 18-gauge gold wire per necklace
25 to 35 crystal beads per necklace
Needle-nose pliers (and wirecutters if the pliers don’t have them)
Fat marker pen
1 gold-tone lobster claw closure
HERE’S HOW
1 Cut off 54 inches of gold wire and wrap it around your fat Sharpie marker to make something that looks like a spring.
2 Slip it off the marker and cut straight through the spring to create large links. (Basically you’ve created really big jump rings, which you can also use for other projects!)
3 Slip a crystal bead on a link and close. If the bead doesn’t slip entirely on the ring, tuck the other end of the link into the hole in the bead and it will stay.
4 Continue adding crystal links to form your chain until you’ve reached your desired length.
5 Add four to five links without crystals at each end and a lobster claw for the closure.
BALL AND CHAIN
I couldn’t resist calling this one “ball and chain” because, well, it uses ball chain and chain. Plus, if I’m right, it got your attention. Hit the dollar store for plain, flat metal cuffs and go nuts on them with all kinds of bling! All you need is a little E-6000 glue and some imagination.
YOU’LL NEED
Plain, flat 2-inch metal cuff
22 inches of large-link gold tone chain
29 inches of silver-tone ball chain (at any hardware store)
Needle-nose pliers (and wirecutters if the pliers don’t have them)
E-6000 glue
Toothpicks
Optional: Transparent tape
HERE’S HOW
1 Measure the length of your cuff. Across the board, most cuffs I’ve purchased are about 7 inches from one end to the other.
2 Cut three 7-inch (or the length of your cuff) pieces of the large gold-tone chain.
3 Cut four 7-inch (or the length of your cuff) pieces of the silver-tone ball chain.
4 Starting in the center of the cuff, with dabs of E-6000 on a toothpick, glue gold-tone chains toward one end of the cuff and let dry. If you need them to stick to the sides of the cuff, just tape them down with some transparent tape until it’s dry.
5 On the other side, glue the ball chain with E-6000 and let dry.
6 Continue until you’ve covered the entire cuff.
LEATHER AND CHAIN
This design is simple and unisex. If you don’t want to use chain, you might try twine or even leather lacing. I like the mixture here and think that a man could wear this just as easily as a woman. Hang a charm or two from it and you have an entirely different project.
YOU’LL NEED
Strip of leather (at least 16 inches long and 3/4 inch wide)
Leather hole punch
Piece of scrap leather
1 yard of fine silver- or gold-tone chain
2 jump rings to match your chain
1 large lobster claw closure per choker or bracelet
HERE’S HOW
1 Measure around your neck and cut a leather strip 3/4 inch wide an
d the length you want. Make sure it’s comfortable.
2 On the back of the leather, starting 1/4 inch from the edge, mark every 1/2 inch all along the center of the leather.
3 Punch holes where you marked all along the strip of leather with a leather punch. Put a scrap piece of leather underneath your strip to keep your punch sharp and prevent it from hitting the metal every time you punch a hole.
4 Cut 2 yards of chain if it’s not already cut and connect the end of your chain to the end hole with a jump ring, then thread the chain through each hole around the edge to the other end.
5 Attach jump rings to the ends of the chains and a lobster claw for the closure.
FOR THE BRACELETS
1 Repeat steps 1 through 5, but use a shorter length for your wrist, or a longer piece if you’d like it to wrap around your wrist several times.
BEAD ON A WIRE
Hit the dollar store or the hardware store for different wires that you can use in your jewelry making and go crazy with it. Once you get the hang of this project, you’ll be using all kinds of different combinations.