DIY Project: feline instinct

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During the last few seasons there has been an animal invasion on feet of world's blogger population. It all started when Mr. Marc Jacobs gave all his mice collection to Miss Salad. And then Charlotte Olympia came up with her cat slippers to claim her share of grown-up Lolitas' market. 

The DIYer sector reacted so fast and made incredible DIYs inspired by these two icons. PS I made this made a perfect copy of Olympia's shoes, and my dear Momita made a beautiful pair of mice ballerinas. But, as I told you in my last IGers post, the interpretation of cat shoes made by Tiny Toadstool totally amazed me. I've never done a DIY designed by another blogger and I don't want this to set a precedent, but today I'm showing you my version of this super cute booties.

Image via Tiny Toadstool

My DIY process is a little bit different than Tinytoadstool's. Instead of using doll plastic eyes, I made them in leather. And I also made the nose in silvered leather.

I love crossed-eyed characters, this is why I put the pupils randomly ;)

Hope you guys like it!

xxx

Ikea and the Do It Yourself movement

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There are two kinds of people in this world. One the one hand we have those who love Ikea and reach their happiness maximum during the assembling process (I belong to this group). On the other hand we have the Ikea complainers, those who can't stop grumbling things like "it's cold, the packages are heavy, the queue is too long, these illustrated instructions are for Swedish people, I don't like deer meatballs..." This is a message for those from the second group: what are your claims in life? Seriously, you guys shouldn't spread your gloom.

Joking apart, this year's Ikea catalogue has left me open-mouthed. Its scanning app for smartphones brings some cool DIY ideas to customize your furniture. Isn't that great? Here are some of their designs. 

I would definitely go for the first style. Which one is your favorite? Have you ever done a DIY with furniture? Os something related to decoration?

xx

DIY Project: leather collage

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So my DIYs are definitely back!
Yes, I know there's a week left for the official end of summer, but I'm one of that kind of people who doesn't get rid of sandals until November. Living in the sunny Barcelona has many advantages! And yes, I know that many of you guys are now putting away your summer clothes, and might not be in the mood for sandals. However, this DIY can be done on any kind of shoes, such as booties or court shoes. In fact, my first intention was to make this leather collage project on a pair of pumps, but I couldn't find the right ones. These sandals seemed just perfect.

And here's the tutorial, you'll just need a leather or suede remnant, scissors and textile glue. Let's get down to work!

Textile glue works awesomely well on leather, but you have to be really careful. Once it's dry, it's almost impossible to remove it without breaking the garment. 

At first, my idea was to fully cover the shoes with leather leaves. When I started DIYing this I didn't actually have an idea of what I wanted, but this is what came out. I had serious doubts about covering all the heel with these zig zag shapes, or the whole platform with smaller leaves. 

I hope you guys got inspired! You might don't like the colors, the shapes or whatever: I do recognize this design is a little bit weird. However, I believe this technique can be so useful for all of you. We can play with a lot of different designs, colors or apply it to any kind of shoes. I'll definitely use this technique again, I loved the result!!

What do you guys think? Have you ever worked with leather?

Guide for the use of studs and spikes

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I thought it was necessary to make a post in order to clear up certain questions some of you guys have asked me. Customizing clothes with studs and spikes is probably one of the most extended DIYs, so you might already know some of the things I'm about to explain. However, I think this information can be useful for many people.

ABOUT STUDS

PROS
_They are really easy to apply. Just hammer them into the fabric and poke the prongs inwards.
_We don't need to make a hole on the fabric, because the prongs set into the warp of the fabric. Thanks to this, the fabric won't rip after washing or after wearing the garment.
_There are a lot of shapes and sizes available

CONS
_ Prongs might be scratchy. I recommend sewing a piece of fabric on the reverse or sticking some fusing with the iron.

ABOUT SCREWED SPIKES

PROS
_ They work very well on leather
_ A lot of shapes and sizes available

CONS
_ Price: They're a little bit more expensive than studs
_ It is necessary to make a hole in the fabric that will probably enlarge after washing. As a consequence, the spike might fall off.
_ It is not advisable to put them on thin or worn out fabrics, such as very washed denim.
_ The screw might be scratchy

SOME TIPS
_ Try to put the spikes in those places where the fabric is thicker, such as the seams, the waist, the collar of a blouse...
_ If you want to put the spikes in any other place, cut a little piece of leather or thick fabric and put it in between the spike and the screw.

Shorts: DIY

PROFESSIONAL CLINCH SPIKES

PROS

_ Without a doubt, this method brings the best results
_ It's not too expensive, much cheaper than screwed spikes.
_ Professional clinch allows bigger and heavier pieces.

CONS

_ You (obviously) need a clinching machine, which is about 100 €. However, you can get this done in some haberdashery or stud stores.

WHERE TO BUY
eBay: A follower from Twitter recommended me this seller. Shippings are free and the prices are very unexpensive.
StudsandSpikes.com: This is a super famous and reliable online store for spikes and studs (as its name says)
Gasel2000: I love this store in Barcelona (carrer Hospital 42), they also have an online store (www.gasel2000.com). Here there's always have everything I need.
Klein's: All kinds of haberdashery and also some studs - 5 Noel Street London W1F 8GD.

Do you guys have any other tip for studs and spikes? Do you know any other reliable place to buy studs?

New challenges

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All good things come an end, but then they make room for something better. I just arrived from my short vacation period with my energies totally renewed. And this new season I'm facing some new challenges. In fact, keeping goals is what keeps awake, isn't it? There's something new I would like to try in this blog, we'll se how it works. Here's a summary of the summer I'm leaving behind.

Those who follow me on Instagram (@sylvia_daretodiy) might already know this, I've spent a few days in Santander (Spain), my hometown. For me it is obviously one of the best places in the world.

Fancy a little bit of seal life?

The freakiest iPhone case ever! You can buy it on DealExtreme, Ebay etc.

I became an addicted to frozen yogurt with all the toppings available

Mandatory trip to Sitges: summer is not the same if you don't start it with some sushi by the sea

An unforgettable farewell party. Wondering what the dress code was?  To wear a fancy dress of yourself, that self you don't usually show off. So funny!

I always hated mainstream prints such as leopard or camouflage. Military style can be so cool sometimes, but Rambo print will never be elegant. If you are not going to spend a great day with your friends in a fierce paintball fight, wearing military print makes no sense. That's my personal opinion. 

Photosynthesis with my BFF

Wearing my beloved DIY bikini

Everyone needs an inspirational pic like this one in december

Summer's definitely over, but I'm so excited for what's about to come. And we are almost 500 fans on Facebook, I can't believe it! Is there any other better reason to come back from holidays with a smile?

What about you guys? How was this summer? Are you facing new challenges this season?