With fast fashion quickly becoming one of the world’s leading contributors to climate change, lots of people are turning towards more sustainable solutions, like handmade fashion items. From thrift shopping to designing your own pieces, there’s lots of ways to lower our carbon footprint with our fashion choices.
Not only is it better for our planet, but it’s a ton of fun to design and craft your own handmade fashion items and accessories. If you consider yourself to be the crafty type, read on for 15 great ideas of cool things to make at home. Most of these can be done to upgrade an old favorite, or you can buy a cheap staple from a budget store to transform into a unique creation.
14 Handmade Fashion Items to Brighten Up Your Wardrobe!
Belt
DIY belts are easy to make from scarves, rope or other soft materials. For a more advanced project, try your hand at a leather belt. If you make your own, you’ll have the perfect fit!
Cuff bracelets
These are a lot easier to make than one would think. You just need a few grommets to secure the cuffs and then you’ll be good to go!
The sky’s the limit with jean jackets. Buy some patches at a flea market, add a little glitter, find some bleach or use tie dye to make a jacket that’s completely one-of-a-kind!
Distressed Jeans
Grandma always used to joke that your jeans looked like you put holes in them. Now you can really DIY to make your own relaxed, distressed look. Grab a sharp razor (be careful!) for slight pulls or use a pair of scissors at the knee to make a small cut that will grow as you wear them out.
Got a spare black or white t-shirt lying around? You can use a pair of scissors to cut out the neckline and create a more open and abstract pattern. Fold the shirt in half so you can ensure the cut outs will be identical on both sides. As a bonus, you can grab a funky belt to wrap around and complete the look.
Artsy Sneakers
Grab a pair of pure white kicks and take a sharpie to color a patterned design around them. You could also try some outdoor paint or use spray paint for a cleaner look.
Take a black or dark blue pair of jeans and buy a skinny white felt tip marker to make the long-stick polka dot pattern and voilà, what was old becomes new.
One of the easiest and most affordable ways to make a headband is by cutting up and braiding an old t-shirt. It’s a simple 4 step weave as you can see below and fits like a glove.
Nothing refreshes old denim that’s starting to fade like a little bleach and new identity as an acid wash staple to your wardrobe. All you need is a bit of bleach and imagination – splatter it around sporadically for a look like the above.
Bleach half of your shorts (or the whole thing if you’re feeling bold) and make it funky with a sharpie. You can draw geometric prints to create an Aztec look, or if you’d rather add lace, cut a hole in the side so a little lace can peek out from underneath the denim.
Another way to glam up your shareware is with a few eyelits (gold or silver look best but diamond also works). Hot glue them to the edges of your shoes for a trendy style that’s perfect for New Year’s Eve or a music festival.
Off the shoulder dress
Take your boyfriend’s gigantic work button down shirt that he no longer wears and transform it into a cute off the shoulder dress that’s perfect for the summer and a great flirty day dress for your next date.
So many crystal shops sell the precious gems by the dozen or individually. Get your favorite one and hot glue it to a simple ring for a DIY jewelry staple.
