Bleached Out

Hello DIYers, 

We are so glad to have you back, and with the crisp air of fall coming in we are even happier to focus our creative skills on the latest fall fashions.  However, let's be real here we live in California and the first day of fall happened to be 88 DEGREES(sighhhh)!!  We are dying here (literally dyeing if you saw last weeks post)!! So don't put away those denim hot shorts yet because we have one last DIY that will have you in a summer mindset all season long, and as re-vampers of the closet we are okay with extending the summer season for a few days longer- looks like the weather has more control over what we decide to wear!! 

So here's a little inspiration from where our idea stemmed from including amazing fellow bloggers like this one!!  So grab that old pair of hot shorts and some bleach because your about to get your DIY on!!

                                             (Pictures courtesy of Free People, Raleigh Seldon via Moss & Rock, and Pinterest)

What You Will Need:

Bleach (not the color safe type)

A Bucket

Protective Gloves 

Paint Stirrer/Any type of stick

Denim Shorts

White Vinegar 

Here is a picture of the old shorts we used

So Here is What You Do

1. Prep the shorts.  Put your stick through the belt loops to elevate the shorts in the bucket because you only want half of your shorts in the bleach.  Make sure the shorts are securely hanging

2. Pour the bleach to fill the bucket up at least half way.  Remember, however much you fill this up is where the bleach will hit on the shorts.  We recommend using one container of bleach and then pouring water in the bucket as well to raise the water level to get the look we wanted.(Note: the size of your bucket will effect how much bleach and water you need so keep that in mind)

CAUTION: Wear your gloves when dealing with bleach.  It can be a hazard to your skin!!

Note: We added a front clip to line up the waist band so bleach line would be even.  We found that without the clip the front would sink down into the bleach so the front and back would have a uneven line.

3.  Let the shorts sit in the bleach for about 30 minutes, no longer, because the bleach will eat away at the fabric if it is in there for too long.

4.  While those are soaking prep a sink area for when your shorts are done.  We used our bathroom sink.  Fill the sink up with half water and half distilled white vinegar.  This stops the bleaching process so it is a must.  

5. After the shorts have soaked for 30 minutes place them in the sink with the vinegar water combination.  Have ONLY the BLEACHED area in the mixture.  The bottom of the shorts will be white at this point.  The shorts should soak for 10 minutes.

6. Once soaked in vinegar, throw them in the washer by THEMSELVES on a delicate cycle, and then in the dryer on low heat.

The finished product should look like this:

We loved the way these came out and you could totally wear them as so.  HOWEVER, as a DIY blog that wouldn't be any fun and honestly, they look like they were missing a little extra edge.  So bust out those left over studs from our first blog posting and get to studding away.  If you don't remember how or are new to this blog site check out our first post "Studs the Limit".

Here Is our Final Product!!!

Bleached Out in Action

Another perfect DIY creation in less than $10.00 aren't you just so happy you DIYed <3

xoxo, Nichole

To DYE For!

Hello there darling DIY-ers!

 

So Happy I Could DIY is back with our 2nd tutorial to help make your last-season spring and summer denim "to DYE for".

 

You probably saw tie-dye make a come back this summer, especially in the form of cut-off shorts and crop tops. Thanks to some inspiration from Paige denim and amazing blogs like this one, we've found an easy way keep your light-colored pants closet-worthy and introduce dye into your fall wardrobe. Pull out your best pastel skinnies, channel your inner-Picasso, and let's get started!

Here's what you'll need:

• A pair of white or light colored pants (most tutorials use white denim, I went with a pair of light pink corduroy skinny jeans from Target... a steal at only $22!)
• 3 different RIT dyes in complementary colors/shades (one lighter, one medium , and one darker). Boxes of concentrated dye powder are around $3 at Michael's while the larger bottles of liquid dye are around $4, either will work it just depends on the availbility and colors you prefer!  I ended up using Petal Pink, Pearl Grey, and Wine Bordo.
• A package of latex gloves...or anything that can keep your manicure safe! (Tulip craft gloves- $4ish at Michael's).
• 3 buckets/bowls/pitchers to create your dye baths in (I used old plastic drink pitchers for easy set-up/clean-up... you don't need anything too large, just enough to hold 1-2 gallons of dye!)
• at least 3 sponge bushes in whatever size you prefer, as long as each dye gets its own brush! ($.05-$.99 at Michael's... so stock up!)
• trash bags and painters tape, or something similar to create a workspace that won't give your parents/roommates a heart attack.
• white distilled vinegar (enough to completely soak the pants in)

It's DYE time! Let's get started:

 

1. Create your "dye station" and lay the pants completely flat, front-side up.

2. Make your dye baths! Fill each pitcher with boiling water; how much water you use depends on how strong you want the dyes to be. Follow the instructions on the dye packets, of course, but hold-back if you're unsure... adding water later is easy but taking it out when you have too much is not! When adding dye to the water, do so in increments and test the dye baths on scrap fabric to play with colors. Mix in splashes of other dyes to create unqiue hues! I added a dash of Wine Bordo to my Petal Pink so the lighter dye wouldn't blend in with my pant color and added a little Denim Blue to the Pearl Grey to give a slight purple effect.

3. Once you have tested your dyes and done a few practice strokes on the scrap fabric, you can get to work on your pants! Start with the lightest color first. Dunk your brush into the dye bath so it is soaking, dripping wet and paint short strokes anywhere you like! I used a combination of paint strokes and pushing the sponge into the pants and allowing the dye to spread in its own way.

 

 

 

4. Repeat step 3 with the medium dye, and then again with the darkest shade, allowing the 3 different colors to overlap and blend together to create that subtle watercolor effect.

 

 

 

5. Air dry the pants in the sun until the dye is completely dry, then lay back down on the other side and dye the back! Make sure to connect any crotch or side seam splotches from the front side to give continuity to your pants and make them more flattering! When done, air dry again.



 

6. Once both sides have air dried, soak the entire pair of pants in white distilled vinegar for 15 minutes. This will "set" the dye to prevent future bleeding and fading.



 

7. Almost done! Just throw the pants into the washing machine *ALONE* and then air dry once more.

 

Finally your done!  All that's left is adding your own flair to these bold statement pants.  Dress them up in wedges for a casual night on the town or use a simple flat sandal to milk the last remaining bits of summer.

 

You are now the proud owner of a one-of-a-kind, hand-dyed pair of jeans without paying the hefty designer pricetag!  Why darling, you just look to DYE for! xoxo Hanah

Studs The Limit!!

Studs The Limit!

Bet you're so happy to DIY....

Photo taken from Pinterest.com

Welcome fashionistas, calling all crafters, a new blog team is in town and we are about to rock your world!

  

Remember that old collared shirt of yours, the one hanging in your closet just begging to be worn?  It's just hanging there lifeless and drab ... that's where we come in!  We are here to shine light on those very pieces in your wardrobe, you know the ones you claim are out of style.  Lucky for you we have a no item left behind policy so take back your closet and OWN what you've got! 

Here's a little something we came up with, involving a little bit of time and a whole lot of studs!  (Inspired by the pictures above, courtesy of Pinterest, and how we are loving studs for the fall 2012 season).

Here is what you will need for this rebellious DIY:

An old shirt with a sturdy collar (we found thinner collars to be harder to work with)

 We chose this ...

Use any style studs with prongs in the back because they tend to hold better.  We found these brassy/gold pyramid studs in Downtown L.A. for $6.50 for a pack of 100 (what a steal!).

Little sidenote: the bigger the stud the less work you have to do!

Here is what you do:

First, lay out your shirt on a clean flat surface. Then gather all your studs and begin to lay out your pattern on the collar.  This is essential because you want to make sure you have a design in mind before you punch the stud through on the collar and avoid any unnecessary holes.  

We loved the balanced pyramid type effect on both points of the collar.

Once you are happy with your pattern let the studding begin!  We started at the point of the collar and worked our way out, lining the edge.  

Be sure to push the prong through completely and fold each prong in tightly to secure closure.

Another little bit of advice: using the back of a fork helps with folding the prongs inward so you don't have to use your hands (trust me this will be your life saver).

WARNING:

If the back of your collar is ruching like the picture below, you have pushed in your studs too tight and will ruin the appearance of the collar.

It should look like this below!

Once your collar is finished do one last check to make sure each stud prong is in place and folded down and you are finished! 

That once drab shirt that you got tired of has a new revamped look and it only cost you $6.50 and some DIY time.

After finishing the collar we thought the back could use a little love too ... after all STUDS THE LIMIT! 

The perfect amount of edge to enter into fall!

We just had so much fun doing this we couldn't stop!  Here's another take on revamping an old collared shirt with studs.  Incorporating a stud design on the pocket is a perfect statement piece (who needs a necklace?)

Bet you're so happy you just DIYed!!

xoxo, Nichole