Always Do It Yourself

Sometimes it's easier and more convenient to buy pieces already made. Sometimes it's better when you add your own details and embellishments.Today I'm sharing with you guys a few DIYs that I've done this past weekend. The first is my turquoise blue blazer. I bought it when Goodwill had a 50% off sale. The blazer fit well but it had a small hole in the back. I really liked the color so I bought it knowing that I will come up with something to cover it up. What I came up with was lace. I used a lace curtain and cut it across the back of the blazer. I used fray stop to stop the ends from fraying and unraveling. I hand stitched the lace around the edges.

Next is another jacket I found at Goodwill. This jacket has many more holes but it gives it a worn in and edgy look. I added iron-on patches to the back of the jacket. I used gold stars and created a trail from top to bottom. I applied a music note patch on one of the sleeves. I also added stars to one of the front pockets as my armed forces insignia. I'm not sure what rank 3 stars are but I'm calling myself a captain. On the opposite pocket I made a patch with my last name. If you're not aware, I have a hyphenated last name and I used the second one. I got some alphabet stencils and used gold metallic paint. This was fun and easy.

Third is a army jacket that I was asked to help fix up last week. Keia was going on a trip to Miami and really wanted to bring the jacket. There were lots of rips all across the back and one huge hole at the bottom. At first, I wasn't sure if it could be repaired but I did some research and got some ideas. Mel also gave me a couple of suggestions. I glued black fabric on the inside of the jacket to cover up the holes. I then applied gold metallic paint around the edges of the holes to make it stand out. I also cut a few extra holes in round and crazy shapes to even it out a bit. I added a gold star patch to the outer edges of both front pockets and created 3 rows of gold studs across both shoulder areas. I thought I had more time than I did and because of that, took my time with the project. On Thursday after work around 6:30 pm, she texted me asking for the jacket and I wasn't done! She said it wasn't a big deal but I told her that I'd finish it for the evening. I really wanted to make sure she was able to take it with her on her trip. I wanted to add more to back of the jacket but  it was fine as it was. I think it turned out great. I gave it to her around 9:30 pm that night. Keia said she liked what I had done and that she received many compliments. Cool!

Before

After

For the last DIYs, I sewed my own patterned pockets onto solid color v-neck tees. I measured the original pocket on the shirt and cut the fabric pieces out based on the measurements. I machine stitched around the edges of the fabric. Lastly, I applied fabric glue to the pocket and pressed onto the shirt. This was done to 3 different shirts. I was going to add a pocket to my cream sweatshirt but changed my mind at the last minute and instead applied it to one of the pockets on a pair of cut-offs.

And that's it! What do you think about my DIYs?

Outfit Details:

Blazer - Thrifted Similar 

Sweatshirt - Old Navy Similar

True Religion Jeans - Nordstrom Rack Similar

Boots - Dillards Similar

Arrow Chain - Forever 21 Similar

Linking up with Bon Bon Rose Girls, DCin Style, My Greatest Hits