Upcycling: High-Waisted Studded Shorts

This was a project from last month that I completed. I really, really love the outcome of them! They originally started as a high-waisted jeans that I purchased from the thrift store. From there, I cut off the legs to the desired length, folded up the bottom, and sewed so that the fold would not come undone (shorts coming unfolded is a huge pet peeve of mine). The last step was to stud them! I decided to only stud one side. Just a warning before tediously studding for hours, don't forget to put in a good movie! I was watching Disney channel re-runs which definitely put a damper on my two hours of straight studding!

Upcycling: Studs And Lace Collar

Upcycling is one of my many fashion related hobbies and given all of the free time I have had in the summer, I have really been able to get creative! This is one of the current articles of clothing I upcycled. It began as a collared, mint green button down shirt with sleeves. I got this from a local thrift store for only $3.00!

What I did:
I began my project my completely removing the sleeves and hemming the rough edges of where I cut to create a collared tank/shirt. I then used a coral lace I had recently gotten from a fabric store (I got it on sale for only $0.75 a yard! What a steal!) and cut it to fit around the collar and sewed it on! Lastly, I added two gold studs to the tips of the collar to add just a little extra cuteness, because you can never have too much cuteness. :) I really think the mint green and coral accent eachother quite nicely!

How simple is that! And what is even better than having a new, cute, one-of-a-kind shirt is that it only cost (including all supplies used) about $3.75!

Do you like to upcycle? What are some of your favorite things you have upcycled? Would you like a step-by-step tutorial on how to achieve this?
Let me know! I'd love to hear what you have to say!

Upcycling: "So Americana!" Jean Vest

Lately, I have been completely entranced by the "Americana" trend. Even the word itself is fun to say! I have seen a lot of Americana inpired jean jackets, shorts and vests at stores like Urban Outfitters and Topshop and can't help but to drool over how wonderful they are. While out thrifting, I stumbled upon a jean vest (for only $2.00!) that was just calling my name! After purchasing the vest a brilliant idea hit me-Why don't I just create my own Americana inspired jean vest! And thus my studded and revamped denim vest was born!

What I Did:
I really wanted to achieve the "worn out" ,"care-free" look for my vest. To do so, I sprayed bleach sporadically over the vest. I think it really added a nice touch. Next, I sewed red and white fabric I had previously purchased that was waiting to be used for a project onto the back pannel of the vest. So Americana! Lastly, to add an edgy vibe, I studded the top panel of the back of the vest and the top of the pocket in the front with various types of pyramid studs. That's it! A fairly simple project that created a new, totally Americana, one-of-a-kind vest! I'm 100% pleased with the outcome! It couldn't have been executed any better (if I do say so myself ). :)

Are you a fan of the Americana trend?