Brace yourself with lace!  Valentino’s F/W 2011 Collection displayed smokey hues of lace mixed with chunky knits, which our friends at WhoWhatWear and I thought needed to be DIY’ed ASAP.   Loose yourself in a lovely-cozy-cool- creation that’s perfect for the cold weather and any winter wonderland.

Don’t you wish every day could be a FRYE-day?  Known for their high-quality materials and hand-craftsmanship, The Frye Company has been around since the mid 1800’s (holy heritage!)  Frye crafts what are quite possibly the world’s most iconic boots, along with a bevy of luxe leather must-haves.  Fun fact: It takes more than 190 steps to make one pair of bench boots.  P.S.- CLICK HERE to see how Frye boots are made, and check out pics from our live DIY EVENT at their NYC Flagship store.  We DIY’ed our hearts and soles out this week.  Now read on to learn how to make your own luxe leather necklace!

To create: Use scissors to cut a piece of leather or leather-like material in a rectangle that’s approx. 12” x 4”.  Cut the bottom, giving it a wave-like shape. Punch holes spaced 1-inch apart using a leather hole punch.  Get creative and weave in cord, metallic beads, or other hardware accents.  P.S - we used actual eyelets from the Frye warehouse. To finish off, knot the cord and you are ready to sport this must have fall accessory. 

Declare your love for cool tools and be a cut above the rest!  Girls on-the-go with modern, multifaceted style need to be prepared for anything that comes their way.  Enter life’s must-have accessory; the Swiss Army knife.  For centuries, these legendary tools have battled rogue threads on our cocktail dresses, smoothed chips in perfectly manicured nails and so much more.  Our pocketknife pal stays put in our purse and is as essential as lipgloss!  Aside from the obvious “fix-it” functions, we’re big fans of using this handheld toolbox to DIY. Read on to learn how you can create a coveted “kiltie” embellishment for heels in need of an overhaul.  

To create, trace and cut a template (almost like a stretched trapezoid) on paper.  P.S.- The size will depend on your shoe size.  Be sure to measure the template to the shoe before cutting and also leave a few extra inches toward the upper portion to tuck into the shoe.  Use your Swiss Army knife (on a cutting board with a flat surface) and cut two pieces of fabric.  Any type of suede or leather-like material works.  Use mini snips to cut two-inch slits. Continue to use snips to create an inverted “V” fringe.  Pierce two tiny slits with your knife half-way down.  Feed cord through the holes, leaving space for your ankle to fit in. Lastly, add a bead detail to the ends and tie a cute bow.   Get creative with your colors of materials, cords, and shoes-  mix and match your heart away…

Your  Swiss Army pocket knife pal is super sharp… your DIY style should be too!

Don’t let superheros have all the fun.  It’s time you made yourself into a caped crusader.  I recently took my own advice when I spent the day with Elizabeth Holmes, who is quite the DIY queen herself, of The Wall Street Journal.  I dreamt up a must-have DIY cape which infused my favorite tartan plaid and the signature silhouette i love.  More behind the scenes snaPS with WSJ here!

To create, reach for your favorite cotton flannel or wool material.  You will need approx. 2 yards, depending on the size you desire.  First, fold material in half, horizontally.  Place a hat at the top of the fold (half way down).  This will serve as a neck-hole guide.  Continue to cut out a 4”inch panel.  Don’t throw away the scraps! Use the fabric scraps to create a strip which you can use as your belt.  P.S.- add fun brooches, and group in a  cluster, for a stunning finishing touch.  P.S.- Watch the DIY Video HERE.

Delicately over-sized and deliciously refined, sums up the wonderful world of Lanvin.  For Fall ‘11 Alber Ebaz dreamt up stunning crystal and sequin embellishments on everything from jewelry to gloves, to shoes, belts and more! Loose the diamonds, and loose yourself in some Lanvin inspiration for this sequin belt DIY.  

To create, measure and cut a piece of double satin ribbon (length will depend on waist size).  Be sure to leave approx. 6 inches on both ends so you have room to tie around your waist.  Arrange sequin patches onto the ribbon. P.S.- it’s okay if they overlap.  Once you are happy with the placement, use fabric glue to apply to the back of the patch and adhere onto felt.  Hold in place for a few seconds to set. Trim around the felt for a clean and finished edge.  Be sure to allow the embellishment to completely dry before attaching onto the ribbon, use a generous amount of the fabric glue. P.S.- A glue gun also works well.  Let belt dry completely before sporting.

P.S.- Check out more images of this project over at Who What Wear!

Department store cosmetic countertops should be called the land of decadent organization.  Perfectly placed products look colorful and clean, which make us crave them even more.  It’s time to roll out the red carpet for the new beauty starlet that’s on everyone’s lips, Maybelline New York’s Baby Lips Lip Balm.  Never have we ever found a pout pleaser that has color, moisture, the cute-factor, and j’amazing packaging all in one.  Baby Lips Lip Balm has inspired our DIY Beauty box!  Due to it’s fun and fresh look, we want to display it, at eye level- everyday!  The purple (aka “Peach Kiss”) case inspired the base for the beauty box of the same hue.

To create, use a block of floral foam (avail in lots of fun colors), and stud it up! Use a marker to plan out your beauty box placement.  Use desired products to pierce the foam directly by applying a bit of pressure, and created a spot carved out specially for it.  Make sure your Lip balms, mascaras, and other products have just enough depth to stand up straight and stay put.  Push test tubes, all the way down, into foam so the top lip is flush with the foam’s surface. Insert makeup brushes.  For a finished look, place grommets on top of the tubes opening.  Turn a tube into a bud vase for that final touch!

You now have yourself the perfect lip pleaser and a countertop cosmetic solution.  P.S.- Long live the Maybelline New York Beauty Box!

P.S.- Don’t ya wanna be trés fancy? Ok, then make a tray that’s fancy!  For centuries, the serving tray’s functional purpose was the focus.  However, our main concern is making sure the only thing you’re serving up is style.  Keep the company of luxe home accessories and live beautifully! 

To create- lay chain or other jewelry face down onto copy machine in your desired pattern.  Be sure to keep the lid OPEN, this will create a black background when you hit “Color Copy”.  Depending on size of the frame, you may need 1-2 sheets of copied paper.  After the ink is totally dry, use double stick tape to connect paper together, which make it look like a seamless and continued pattern.  Place papers under glass, and secure into the frame.  Use Gorilla Glue (toughest stuff on the planet) to adhere handles, (which are actually drawer pulls that you pick up at the hardware store) to the sides of the frame.  Hold in place, and let dry for 24 hours before picking up.

Designer. Icon. Legend.  Just a few labels for Oscar de la Renta, the man behind the label.  Mr. de la Renta, a staple in the fashion industry, has always taken a sophisticated, graceful and extraordinarily daring approach to designing.  OdlR believes, “What’s most important to these women is individuality.  I have to create things she’ll want to wear, no matter who she is.”  And the man does just that.  Recently, Oscar’s SS12 show made waves in the digital world as well as on the runway.  Social Society’s leading lady aka Oscar PR Girl introduced #OdlrLive on Tumblr, proving that innovation oozes from his runway world, into the digital world, for the world.  Take a note from Oscar and embrace your own individuality, creativity and style.  What better way to do that, than to get inspired by a recent piece from his SS12 collection. P.S.- it’s tassel time!

To create, round up a black tank top, tassels, needle and thread, and a pair of scissors.  Snip of the string loop at the top of your tassels and place onto the shirt to lay out your pattern.  P.S.- use a piece of chalk to mark if you need a guide.  Pierce the needle and thread through the top of the tassel head, and stitch onto the top layer of your shirt.  Stitch 3 or 4 times to secure, double knot and trim on the inside.  Continue to space out and sew onto shirt.

You can’t and shouldn’t escape the magical world of Oscar PR Girl.  Follow her, Friend her, tweet her, adore her, P.S.- I do!