DIY: Sleeveless Studded Cross Sweatshirt and Color Blocked Pumps

Source: LavishAlice

This DIY is for a studded cross sweatshirt. I cut off the sleeves to give it more of an edge. Supplies needed are

1. Sweatshirt
2. Studs (Ebay or StudsandSpikes)
3. Tweezers
4. Scissors
5. Ruler
6. Cross Template

This project is pretty simple and self explanatory. Here are the steps.

1. Use the template to get a general idea of how the cross should be. Place the studs on the shirt without securing to make sure it will look exactly how you want it. I did a dimension of 4X5 for the smaller parts of the cross. I doubled the 5 to 10 for the longer part plus a couple more.
2. Begin bending back the prongs with the tweezers one by one in your desired dimensions. You can use a ruler to help keep your lines straight. This will take a few hours. You can watch your favorite movie or tv shows while doing this. You can also do a little here and there over a few days if you're lazy like I am.
3. Once the cross is complete, cut the sleeves off. You can make it sleeveless or you can have short sleeves. I sewed about an inch on each side to give it a more fitting look.

For the color blocked pumps I used acrylic paint. I bought white, royal blue and neon yellow. One 2 oz bottle of each color is enough. You will also need some acrylic sealer. I have the gloss one. Since I don't really wear heels that often, I used the pumps that I did the cap toe project with. Additional supplies used were paint bowl, paint brushes, painter's tape, cotton balls or rag, and nail polish remover.

Here are the steps.

1. Apply a healthy amount of nail polish remover or rubbing alcohol to the paint.
2. Scratch of the paint using your fingernail. This took amount 5 minutes for each shoe.
3. Make sure the shoes are free of dirt. Use the painter's tape and tape the areas that you don't want painted. I covered the sole of my shoes.
4. Stuff newspaper inside of the shoe to keep paint from dripping inside. You can also use an old t-shirt like I did.
5. Begin painting the shoes. I started with the white paint so the colors would show more brightly since I was painting over a black shoe. I applied 2 layers of white paint. Let dry about and hour or so between coats.
6. Apply the next color of your choice. Keep applying layers until it begins to have a smooth look versus a painted on look. I applied three layers of both the blue and neon.
7. Once everything is dry, remove the painter's tape carefully. Check for areas that may need to be touched up. If needed, apply paint to these areas and let dry.
8. Spray the shoes with the acrylic sealer. It takes 15 mins to dry between coats. I sprayed about 4 coats.
9. Walk around the house in your shoes to make sure that it's how you want them to be and to see if the paint cracks. The paint cracked in the front of mine and I panicked and almost wanted to cry but it didn't look as bad as I imagined in my head. I knew it would crack but I was hoping it would crack AFTER I wore them out.

Here's how I styled them both together.

flash problems

Outfit details:

Old Navy Men's Slim Fit Jeans, Moto Jacket from Burlington Coat Factory, Sweatshirt from Walmart