Refashion Your Wardrobe

Re-purposed top
Originally uploaded by sassycrafter

I'm offering yet another new class this spring through the UF Leisure Course Program. This one's a low- or no-sew class, so it's great for anyone who want to freshen up her wardrobe using a few crafty tricks.

Refashion Your Wardrobe
Wednesday, March 31 -- 6-9pm
Tired of what’s in your closet? In this class, we’ll take a basic top from your existing wardrobe and transform it using fabric paint, trim, embroidery, beadwork, and other effects (example: http://bit.ly/4zIEbt). The final product will make you look like you stepped out of the pages of a designer fashion catalog! The class is taught by Kim Taylor, aka “The Sassy Crafter” (http://sassycrafter.blogspot.com). Students must bring a top (long or short-sleeved, preferably a knit pullover style) and $10 lab fee payable in cash to the instructor to cover the cost of materials.

Registration opens on January 11, and you can register online through the UF Leisure Course site.

And on a related note, this top appears in the Jan/Feb issue of "Belle Armoire" magazine. Yay! That means that I met one of my crafty goals for the year, which was to have my work published in a national magazine. Okay, so technically the issue appears in 2010 but they mailed me my courtesy copy this week, so I feel like that's close enough.

5-minute Anthroplogie inspired necklace

It's no secret that I love pretty much everything that Anthropologie comes up with. Earlier this fall, I got a promotional email that featured a beautiful necklace that caught my eye.

I decided that I could probably get the same look by repurposing a necklace that has been collecting dust in my jewelry box. So this morning before work that's exactly what I did. Yes, I'm an impulsive crafter. But hey, I was still on time for work and I had the perfect necklace to complete my outfit.

If you want to get the same look, here's what to do. Sorry I don't have step-by-step photos like I usually include in my tutorials, but I didn't want to be late to work!

1) Start with a three-strand, graduated, choker-style necklace.

2) Use jewelry pliers to remove the original clasp parts from both ends of the necklace.

3) Add a jump ring to each end of the necklace.

4) Thread a piece of vintage blanket binding through one of the jump rings, fold the ends under, and secure with Fabri-Tac glue. Repeat with the other end.

5) Pick a piece of vintage sewing trim that complements the look of your necklace and tie it onto one of the jump rings. Then loop it around the blanket binding several times and tie it off on the other jump ring.

6) Since I like assymetrical looks, I tied an additional length of trim to one of the jump rings and then pinned a vintage brooch just above the jump ring.

So, here's a shot of the original inspiration piece. Not bad, eh? Especially for just five minutes and $0 invested. I love repurposing.



(Please forgive the grayness in my own photo. I snapped it with my iPhone, which doesn't always take the best pictures. Plus, it was really overcast today.)