I don't know if you have noticed but the high street is going rhinestone crazy at the moment! I can't get enough of it and thought I would try to be creative and customise some clothes I already have. I recently got this vintage chanel tshirt for an absolute bargain on EBAY and I wanted to snazz it up a bit, bring it to the 21st century... I could have added some studs but rhinestones and gemstones are so big right now, I thought I would give it a try. I ordered a mixed bag of rhinestones from a shop on ebay.
What do you need?
- 1 x needle and thread (similar colour to your clothing is best)
-1 x pair of scissors to cut the thread
-1 x pack of rhinestones/gems
-Something to customise, could be a tshirt/shirt or even a hat!
1). First of all you need to decide what kind of pattern you want to make with the rhinestones. I have seen a lot of tshirts and vests with rhinestones on collar tips and also shoulders but with my chanel tshirt I wanted to try something a bit different. I wanted to put the rhinestones around the round neck to make it look similar to a necklace.
2). First of all I poured out all of my rhinestones and picked my favourites. I then made a pattern on my t-shirt that I was happy with and took a picture. A picture will help when you come to sewing on the gems so you can remember which order they go in. I found that the pattern changed slightly during the process but I wanted the rhinestones to be symmetrical. If you want to put them in a random order I am sure they would still look great-it's all down to personal taste.
3). Simply begin to sew on the rhinestones with your needle and thread. It can get quite frustrating at time as there are quite a lot of rhinestones but persevere and you will be happy with the result. I would recommend double or triple sewing the rhinestones to strengthen the bond.
4). Don't forget to have a break. I had no choice in the matter as my kitten fell asleep on my t-shirt half way through-she must be a lover of fashion as well.
5). Enjoy your finished product! Wear it and show off your hard work... It will all pay off when someone asks 'I love the rhinestones-Where did you get your top from?' and you can say 'I sewed them on myself'. Simple but effective!!
