Opal Crown: UPCYCLE STLYE

Am I the only one who finds it challenging to find the perfect pair of denim jeans? I prefer to wear longer shorts, which can be hard to find in stores. Summer in California can be brutal, so shorts are a must! I went through my closet and found a pair of old jeans that I no longer wear. (If you can't find any jeans to turn into shorts, you can always take a trip to the thrift store. They have so many great options.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Jeans
Scissors
Ruler
Chalk or marker
Iron

DIRECTIONS:

1.
) TRY ON.

Begin by putting on the jeans and determining how short you want them. Put your finger on the highest point you want them to be and make a mark there with a marker. (Because I want to fold the ends, I will mark the line lower than I want the shorts to be.)

2.) MEASURE.

Take off your jeans and lay them on a flat surface. Draw a line along the line you previously made. (A ruler comes in handy for keeping the line straight.)

3.) START CUTTING.

Carefully cut along the line you just drew.

4.) FOLD.

Fold the jeans in half to cut the other side so they're the same length.

5.) CREATE A CUFF:

Roll the edge up 1-2 inches to create a cuff. Fold it once more. Repeat on the other side.

6.) IRON.

Finish by ironing the shorts, especially focusing on the cuffs.)

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Canvas tote bags are easy to upcycle. Hand painting a design is a fun way of spicing up any plain fabric bag. I've already painted a bag before, so to switch it up a bit, I embroidered this one. Since I'm still new at embroidery, I picked a simple design to start off with. I found a minimal line art image of a woman on Pinterest. I loved the simplicity of it. I knew it was going to be easy for me to recreate. I honestly wasn't expecting the tote bag to turn out this cute. I love it and can't wait to share with you guys how easy it was to make.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Tote bag
Fabric paint
Paintbrushes
Embroidery thread & needle
Embroidery hoop
Masking tape

DIRECTIONS:

1.) Create a border using masking tape.

2.) Paint three organic shapes in different sizes.

3.) Choose an image and print it. Lightly trace your design onto the tote bag or draw one instead.

4.) Use the running stitch pattern to embroider your design.

5.) Remove the masking tape, and you are all done!

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One of my first zero-waste swaps was this canvas tote bag. I purchased it years ago and still use it to this day. I wanted to give it a fresh new look using fabric paint. I was going for a modern/minimalistic landscape design, similar to a painting I saw on Pinterest a while back. I loved how easy it was to transform this bag, it quickly became one of my favorites, and I can't wait to share with you guys how simple it was to make.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Tote Bag
Fabric Paint
Paintbrushes
Masking Tape
Pencil

DIRECTIONS:

1.) Place a piece of cardboard inside the tote bag so the paint won't transfer to the other side.

2.) Create a border using masking tape.

3.) With a pencil, draw 3 overlapping mountains and the sun in the center.

4.) With a cream color, paint the background of the tote bag.

5.) Next, paint each mountain a different color. For the first mountain, I decided to mix red and orange with a tiny bit of black to obtain a color similar to terracotta.

6.) For the second mountain, I mixed orange, red, and white paint to achieve a coral color.

7. For the last mountain, I lightened the coral paint with more white.

8.) For the sun, I painted it using mustard yellow.

9.) Remove the masking tape once the paint has dried. (You can stop here, or you can turn the tote bag over to paint the other side.)

10.) For the back of the tote bag, I basically did the exact same thing, except I drew a crescent moon instead of a sun.

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Making a tie front top is a lot easier than you'd think and can be made in under 5 minutes. Seriously it's that easy to create, all you need is an old top, some fabric glue, and a pair of scissors. In no time you'll transform an ordinary top into something more stylish and modern.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Old Top
Fabric Glue
Scissors

DIRECTIONS:

1.) Start by folding the t-shirt in half.

2.) Cut straight across the front side of the shirt. Continue to cut until you reach the top of the neckline and then cut it in a v-shape.

3.) Carefully cut the rest of the collar, as shown in the picture below.

4.) Glue along the edges of the top, fold over, and press.

5.) To finish off the top, tie a knot on the front side, and it's done!

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If there's something I enjoy doing, is customizing my clothes. Even though my sewing skills aren't the best, that never stops me from transforming any piece of garment I choose to work on. That's why I like to tie-dye because you can change the way your clothes look with minimal effort. All you need for this project is fabric dye, a 100% cotton t-shirt, a pair of gloves, and a couple of rubber bands. I loved how each piece of clothing turned out unique. I couldn't wait to share with you guys how easy it was to make.

MATERIALS USED:

Plain tee 100% cotton
Tie-dye Kit
Rubber bands
Plastic bag

DIRECTIONS:

Style#1

1.) Dampen the garment to allow the dye to blend better.

2.) For this particular shirt, I will be using the "swirl" method, but you can do any style you'd prefer.

Pinch the center of the shirt and gently twist the shirt over multiple times until you form a swirl.

3.) Use rubber bands to hold the fabric in place.

4.) Prepare the dye according to the instructions and begin to tie-dye.

*Make sure to use gloves for this part, as it can get really messy*

5.) Flip the shirt over and add more dye.

6.) Place the shirt in a bag and wait according to the instructions of the tie-dye kit.

(I waited 8 hours)

7.) Once the dye has set, remove the rubber bands and rinse in hot water until the water runs clear.

8.) Wash and dry the shirt.

Style #2

1.) For the tank top, scrunch the bottom of the shirt and continue to do so until you reach the top.

2.) Use rubber bands to hold the top in place.

3.) Cover the entire top with the tie-dye.

4.) Placed it in a plastic bag for 8-10 hours and wash it afterward.

DIY BLEACH TIE DYE
DIY LACE BRALETTE
DIY SCRUNCHIE
DIY SCARF SCRUNCHIE

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Tie-dye is making a huge comeback, I've seen everyone on social media rocking this style, and for the past couple of days, I've too, been wanting to try this trend by DIYing some pieces for myself. I loved how awesome each garment turned out, that I must admit I got a little carried away and tie-dyed everything I could find in my closet. Literally, everything I could find, even my socks! Learn how easy it is to bleach tie-dye your garments down below.

MATERIALS USED: