Every fashionista knows that feeling you get after you add a new piece to your wardrobe, right? That anxious feeling drives you nuts because you can’t wait to wake up and wear it the next day. In the life of a starving college student, money is tight sometimes and shopping tends to be a luxury. I’ve found a way to still get that excited feeling without spending so much! These are my 3 tricks to spice things up without dropping so much money:
Â
1. Get out the scissors!
We all have old T-shirts tucked away in our closets that we don’t like anymore, or maybe they fit a little weird now. Take the scissors to them!
For example, cut off the bottom half and wear it over your bathing suit to the beach.
Cut the sleeves off and cut the neckline lower. Add a bandeau underneath it and a type of over garment. You have an entirely new look made of things you already owned! Also try this with jeans to make shorts.
For the timid: Don’t be scared! If you mess up the cutting, oh well. It wasn’t getting any use in the back of your closet anyway!
2. Add things!
Add materials to the surface of your old clothes. Studs have been my favorite lately. Studsandspikes.com sells a wide selection of pyramid studs. These are easy to apply, they attach just like a staple. Punch the piece through the fabric and bend the flaps to secure. Use your scissors to cut up an old pair of jeans and add these around the pockets! Now you have a completely new item of clothing for only a few dollars.
 3. Dye!
This one is for the bravest crafter out there! Dying with bleach is a fun way to change up a garment. One of my favorite video bloggers did a great dip-dye tutorial for a denim button up. Check it out! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0tfxHW_O6g
Remember you can do this with anything. T-shirts, button ups, pants, you name it! Heads up, if you’re going to use a colored dye, make sure the garment has a high percentage of cotton (80% or more) or the dye won’t hold very well!
While making a few new pieces, you can now create entirely new outfits. My biggest tip for these projects is to consider nothing a mistake, have fun and embrace it!