We all know that DIY projects can be difficult and confusing at times even for the most experienced DIYers. There is nothing worse than spending hours and hours making something to later find out a mistake has been made along the way and your piece of work looks like it came from a garbage can somewhere! It happens to the best of us. Here are some things I have learned along the way to make sure this problem does not happen to you.
1. Throw away all the patterns and make it your own.
Everyone has their own preferred style that makes them fashionably themselves, so when trying to create something, think of details you personally like and go with the flow. Your creativity will pour through and you will start having a blast making something that is 100% your own. Lets be honest, most of these amazing DIY projects we see all over the internet were discovered by mistakes made that later turned into something beautiful. I personally love anything that is hand-made (hand embroidered, hand stitched, and a little rough around the edges), so whenever I am making something I tend to go that route, which is perfect because that means I do not have to sew perfectly!
2. Use inexpensive fabric or damaged clothing.
This is especially important when you are first starting out. There is nothing worse than deciding to re-make one of your favourite dresses, a mistake is made and it no longer wearable. Practice makes perfect, so get together all of your ripped, stretched out, or faded t-shirts and practice on that. Later, when you decide to makeover your favourite dress you know exactly what you are doing and are confident as well. Use whatever you can find lying around. I personally love vintage fabrics, which tend to be very expensive so I use old bed sheets, pillow cases or even table clothes.
3. DIY is not about sewing but creativity.
Many people think that they can’t create beautiful pieces of clothing because they are not a great sewer, but that is a myth! I think the most beautiful things are created from people who do not exactly know what they are doing but go along with it anyway. Sewing machines can be really scary, and down right confusing at times. You do not want to feel controlled while creating something that is personally yours. So if the sewing machine is getting you down just don’t use it! Sewing by hand may take a longer period of time, as well as sore fingers, but it can definitely be done. Another option is to make items that do not require sewing at all, just some trusty scissors. Do whatever makes you feel more comfortable and more importantly what you enjoy most.
4. Look for inspiration everywhere.
Inspiration is all around and different for everyone so keep your eyes opened and go with it. My favourite way to get inspired is to go shopping at expensive stores, see whats out there, then go home and create something inspired by certain items I had seen. I especially love doing this in Toronto because the fashion sense is a little more out there and funky. I come home and search through second-hand stores (our bin days would be perfect for this) for the same sort of style or even textile, and make something similar with a hint of my personal style. When these styles start becoming popular in stores around London for an expensive price, you can be proud of all the extra spending money you have, and how ahead of the times you are 🙂
5. Get feed back and help from others.
Sometimes you just get stuck on something and can’t really tell if your piece looks amazing or if it looks something you would wear on Halloween. Feed back from others is a life saver! Artists do this all the time, if you stare at something for too long, you sometimes do not see the obvious mistakes you have made. My personal problem is once I start I can’t stop, meaning my DIY clothing ends up looking like a mess of just about everything I can find, so I appreciate when someone says “I think you have added enough”. Those items usually end up being my favourite. Friends and family often come up with really great ideas that you can’t believe you didn’t think of yourself. Ask others for help, it usually ends up being a fun experience anyway!
Picture from : http://kambreydanielle.tumblr.com/
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