DIY Project: USA-themed Skirt

It's the 4th of July and what better way to celebrate one's independence than making a personalized piece of clothing? Well, it's summertime and America time, so DIY is really popular. I saw a lot of YouTube videos about DIY jean shorts with paint, bandanas, studs, etc. but knew I wanted to do something different and special. So, I got a white jean mini-skirt from Old Navy that I already owned and went to JoAnn Fabrics to shop.

With the help of my mother and sister, we found a patriotic ribbon [on sale for the low price of $3.99] as a trim (you know how much I love those!) and some small studs [on sale for $2.97] to recreate the stars on one side of my skirt. 

My sister (who knows how to use the machine) set it up for me and I got to my project. Like my other shorts, I merely sewed the trim along the bottom of the skirt. It was so much easier on the skirt because I didn't have two beginnings and two ends to worry about; it was one continuous job. It immediately took my very simple white skirt into a very dramatically patriotic piece of clothing. 

After doing that, which (oh my goodness!) is so much faster with a machine, I went on to worry about the studs. I originally believed I bought the kind you pierce through the fabric and then press down with a hard tool (butter knife, end of a screwdriver, etc.), but later discovered I actually purchased the kind that needs a hot iron.

After placing them as wanted along the frontside of my skirt (there were 48 studs, so my sister and I agreed the best look would be recreating the stars on our flag), we placed a thin white fabric over the studs and began ironing. The instructions said 60-90 seconds, but we kept it on there for longer to be safe. Most of the studs stayed, but the ones that were being stubborn were glued in place with crazy glue. It worked like a charm and my skirt was perfect and ready in under 30 minutes!

Happy Independence Day, USA! May it be celebrated with fashion, red lips, and tons of accessories!