daisy button restyle

Lately I've been toying with the idea of updating a lot of my clothes with quick easy little DIY projects. It's so much cheaper than buying new things but it still gives your wardrobe a breath of fresh air! And some minor tweaks can make a plain old garment look really special. There are some things (like big daisy buttons on a coat!) that would make me click "add to cart" in a heartbeat, when it's such an easy thing to just do at home myself!

So for my first project I bought some plastic daisy cabochons to attach to the buttons on my winter coat. It originally came with big round pink and gold shiny buttons which I didn't like, but I knew eventually I'd find the right ones to replace them. (Here's what the coat originally looked like.) These are actually cabochons, not buttons. They have completely flat backs, and no holes to attach them to fabric.



First I found some plain flat buttons to replace the big round ones that the coat came with. I sewed them into place using embroidery thread, and then used masking tape to tape off around each button, just to make sure I didn't get any glue on the fabric!

E6000 glue is my favorite for projects like this. It's incredibly strong and works on practically every surface. You just apply some to each object, let it cure for about 5-10 minutes, and then press the two objects together. I used clothes pins to hold the buttons and cabochons in place and then let the glue dry for 24 hours. One thing to double check is that the new buttons will fit through the existing buttonholes. Mine are a little snug so I'll probably have to open up the holes a bit.



The cabochons came in packs of 4 with varying sizes so I decided to use some of my leftovers on an old cardigan! I love how it turned out! This is such a simple, ridiculously easy project but it makes such a huge difference!

what's old is new again

Last week I found a really pretty suitcase at a vintage shop in New Hope, but one side of the bag was completely faded. It was only $20 though (and these tend to be so much more online, especially with shipping!) so I snatched it up anyway.

I got some fabric markers in the same colors of the suitcase, and just touched up all of the colors! It was like paint-by-number.. a little bit time consuming but really easy! I think re-doing the black outline is what made the most difference but even the vibrancy of the green and blue is incredibly noticeable.



This was such an easy project and it gave the bag a major facelift! :) I've been using the suitcase on my trip and so far the colors are holding up great. It even came into contact with some rain and the colors didn't run! I'm definitely going to keep this in mind from now on when I see really faded items, now that I know it's such an easy fix!

easy peasy folding tray makeover

Since I'm going to be working out of my car trunk during the road trip, I decided to get a folding tray to expand my workspace a little. I figured this would be perfect since it folds up flat and will store easily in the car! I got mine on amazon here. They come in sets of 2, so I gave the second one to my mom to use as a tv tray. (sidenote -- can we talk about the awesome Mod Podge label design?!)



It's not terrible looking to begin with, but definitely not my style at all. So I took it outside and gave the whole thing a couple coats of peach spray paint (I used Valspar brushed rose) and then let it dry. Then I cut a piece of fabric to fit the top (a fat quarter was more than enough) and adhered it with Mod Podge hard coat and a foam brush.

Despite trying really hard to make sure there weren't any air pockets when I attached the fabric, they still started showing up when the first coat of Mod Podge dried. I poked the bubbles with a push pin, and then rubbed on the area to release the air, then did a couple more coats of Mod Podge and you can't even see the bubbles anymore!

I can't wait to take this on the road with me now! :)

look what I (sort of) made #5: bridesmaid gown restyle

Last month I found a vintage bridesmaid gown for $25. It had a high neckline, banded sleeves and the most noisy, stiff taffeta lining I've ever seen. But it also had an embroidered bodice to die for! So I got it and hoped my sewing skills were good enough to turn it into something lovely and more casual.

Last night I put my talents to the test. I took off the collar and created a new neckline with binding tape. I took off the banding on the sleeves and shortened them to just under the scalloped crochet detail for a fluttery effect. I cut out the old taffeta lining, sewed in a new white cotton one and hemmed the sheer overlay. And by golly, it worked!

I am SO happy with how this came out!! I didn't even want to go to sleep last night because it meant having to change out of my new favorite dress into pajamas ;D

Dress - vintage (from Love Saves the Day) | Shoes - ebay | Belt - vintage