Stud it Up, Converse Style

Recently while cleaning out the basement (a truly frightening event) I came across an old pair of classic black Converse High-Tops. If I remember correctly, this pair of shoes was acquired at the height of my grunge-rebellious phase of eighth grade- and they were looking a little sad. Half way to the Goodwill bag a thought hit me- 'I wonder if I can turn these sad tennies into hip high tops?' and so, by combining my two favorite craft-cessories- bleach AND metal studs- I gave these babies a new life!

Here are some great studded high tops that have been popping up in stores all over recently:

check these out at freepeople.com .

and these are from Target !

Supplies:
-An old pair of high top sneakers (any color really, but black works best for this style)
-Bleach (and protective gloves for dealing with bleach)
-Optional toothbrush/ paintbrush you don't mind destroying
-Metal studs (try searching etsy for cheap supplies in bulk)

Step One:
Make sure your sneakers are clean. Place them in a bin in a well ventilated area or outside. Pour the bleach into a smaller container (such as the bleach container lid).
Using the bleach, 'splatter paint' your shoes. I poured some bleach over top, used a toothbrush to spray little dots, and used my hands to make abstract lines. Get creative- and think artistically- too much bleach will turn your shoes all one color, and too little will go unnoticed. Channel your inner Jackson Pollock! Warning: the bleach will probably destroy your toothbrush/ paintbrush so don't use one you're particularly attached to.

Step Two:
If you're using black sneakers then right about now they're looking pretty red. Startling, right? No need for more bleach- just let them sit until they've obtained the perfect level of faded wonderfulness. I let mine sit for about 30 minutes and achieved a nice salmon pink. As soon as you're happy with the color- chuck em in the washer with a little bit of detergent and wash them on the gentlest cycle.

Step Three:
Let your shoes dry.. this will probably take overnight unless you want to go at them with a hair dryer. Then add studs! I used brass square studs that have four little prongs each. Once you press the prongs into the fabric you then curl the prongs under on the other side. Take your time lining up and placing your studs. I used pliers to make sure my studs were really secure (I don't want those prongs coming loose and poking my ankles).

And that's it! Go be the grunge princess you've always dreamed of!

Having some fun at the Smithsonian Museum of American History and rockin' my upgraded Sneaks!

Ombre Bleach Shorts DIY

In my previous post about DIY Ombre Dye Shorts I mentioned that you could also use the technique with bleach! I tried it on a couple pairs of shorts- here are my instructions & do's and don'ts!

Supplies
-1 pair of denim shorts or cutoffs (the thicker the denim the better)
-plastic tub
-bleach
-vinegar
-a yard stick or pants hanger
-gloves
-Make sure you are doing this outside or in a well ventilated area!

Step One: Take your pair of shorts and run them under water. Don't soak them just make sure they are damp all over. I tried two different pairs of shorts (both found cheap at forever 21).
***I learned that THICKER denim with LESS ELASTIC works the best. The stretchier the shorts- the more elastic and less denim that's in them. Bleach will disintegrate the elastic and you'll be left with some really thin shorts.

Step Two: Fill a bucket with bleach. Prepare a tub of vinegar and water for when you're done bleaching (probably not on carpet like I did).

There are two methods to bleaching your denim 

-Method one: The Perfect Ombre-  hang shorts above bleach with hem submerged (either by hanger or string belt loops on a yard stick to balance on a bucket) Make sure hem is submerged evenly (A hair clip in the middle of the hanger helps shorts hang evenly and not droop in the middle). Now let sit for 20-30 minutes. The bleach will creep up the denim (easily because you pre-wet the denim). This gives a more even ombre effect and turns out in a straight(ish) line.

**This method is recommended for strong denim jeans because they sit in the bleach for so long. I originally tried with a thinner, more elastic pair and though they look awesome- they are super super thin now.

-Method Two: The Splash Dye- hang shorts above bleach with hem submerged (either by hanger or string belt loops on a yard stick to balance on a bucket) Make sure hem is submerged evenly. Let sit for five to ten minutes so that the hem is bleached. Then put on your gloves, pick up scoops of bleach and scrunch it onto the denim. You can pour, dribble, flick, splash- whatever you want on the shorts (be careful of your clothes, skin, and eyes!) This makes for an interesting tie-dye look. My personal fav!

before (I cut off the folded hem too):

 after:

Step Three: Once you have finished dying your shorts place them in a bucket of vinegar & water to stop the bleaching process. Then wash your shorts by themselves!

I should really just be a spokesperson for bleach- I'm obsessed.

 (yes I am wearing my skull cutout tank)

helpful hint for avid bleachers: if you accidentally leave on silver jewelry while bleaching (like I always do) no worries- you haven't ruined it! Take off that dark oxidation by placing the jewelry in non-gel toothpaste. Let it sit for a bit and and then use a toothbrush to remove the oxidation! Toothpaste is amazing!!!

Ombre Clothes Dying DIY

We all love the Ombre hairstyle the exploded overnight… gracing celebrities from Drew Barrymore to Rachel Bilson. There's something wonderfully funky and elegant about the change of color- so why limit it to just hair?!

Ombre dying methods work on clothes too! The graceful fade from one color to another has been seen all over the runway and in our favorite stores- check out these adorable pink shorts from Topshop.com and the subtle mint and denim ones from Freepeople.com:

You don’t have to spend big bucks to have funky one of a kind dyed clothes though- just follow these simple steps for an ombre-tastic article of clothing!

Supplies:
-Fabric Dye (I used RIT liquid & powder, though I prefer liquid)
-a garment you wish to dye (I did denim shorts & a cotton tank top)
-a large plastic bowl or container
-a hanger or rod to hang the garment above the dye

Step One: Choose an article of clothing (or a few). I grabbed a $10  mint colored cotton tank from H&M and a pair of $5 light denim shorts from Forever21.

Step Two: Prepare the dye. I swear by RIT dye. The colors are beautiful and the product is cheap. You can’t go wrong! I chose Teal for the tank and Petal Pink for the shorts. I find the liquid bottles of dye easier to use because you don’t have to worry about getting powder everywhere and if you don’t use it all you can save it for later! Just follow the directions on the bottle/ package for sink dying- prepare in a large punch bowl or plastic bin.

ALTERNATIVE: try using bleach instead of dye on denim for an acid wash meets ombre result!

It turns out like this awesome pair from Singer22.com (although you don’t have to make it so extreme)
check out my tutorial for bleached shorts here.

Step Three: Run your garment under water so that is damp and place your article of clothing on a hanger and hang above the bowl of dye. Hang the garment so only the very bottom of the piece is actually submerged in the dye (use your own judgment here- if you want the dye to be very strong half way up the garment then place half of it in the bowl- but the dye will creep up and go higher than what is submerged). 

Step Four: Wait a while. No seriously, it takes a bit. RIT dye will set in 30-60 minutes but what we’re aiming for is the garment absorbing as much of the dye as possible so that the color creeps up the shirt/shorts/whatever. So don’t touch it or stir it-  just let it do its thing. I left mine sitting throughout Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt 2 and that did the trick!

Step Five: Take the garment out of the dye and rinse in the sink until the water runs clear- make sure not to get any dye on the top part of the garment.

Step Six: Wash garments separately WITH a little bit of detergent. Dry however the garment requires and….

 VOILA! Awesome ombre clothes- perfect for spring and summer! Now you can turn it around and ombre the top in another color or add embellishments- the skies the limit.