Featuring Fabri-tac!

 

Thrift Store Makeover

By Tami at Clearsnap

Hello! Hostess Tami here with a thrift store makeover just in time for back to school. 

Clothes, shoes, lunch boxes, backpacks, pencils, pens, notebooks, folders, crayons, markers and MORE! The list goes on and on!

Back to school shopping can really put a crimp in your budget. Why not take a spin around your local thrift shop and see what you might find? There are all kinds of bargains to be had, and lots of new or gently worn name brand clothing just hanging out for you to discover. With a little time and a few alterations, you'll create something uniquely their own for your kiddos. No chance of someone else showing up on the first day of school in the SAME outfit! 

My niece was in town for a visit, and we were doing a little back to school clothes shopping for her. We decided to hit the thrift shops first. We found some new and almost new tops and dresses for just a few bucks. So while she browsed for more ready-made items I was on the lookout for items I could alter.

I found just what I was looking for too, a long sleeved white t-shirt in a nice heavy-weight, and a hot pink cardigan with black buttons! SCORE! 

My plan was to use the new Sprays! by Stephanie Barnard to tint embellishments for the cardigan. I thought it would be fun to make rosettes - swirl flowers - and combine them into a removable "corsage" to dress up the plain cardigan.

I made a handful of flowers in bright colors in several different sizes and lots of leaves too. The flowers were then arranged into a "corsage" shape and adhered to a backing cut from the t-shirt. The "corsage" was then pinned onto the cardigan using a few safety pins. The use of safety pins allows the piece to be removed for laundering. I also used a few leftover flowers to embellish a headband to match. Here is the finished outfit; modeled by my niece Talia...

I made a short video showing how I made the flowers. (using Fabri-tac) Closeup photos of the "corsage" and headband are included as well... 

Click here to see video

So add a thrift store or two to your list of stores for your back to school shopping and see what  great items YOU can find to alter. You'll create something special your child will be proud to wear AND save yourself some $$$. 

HINTS:

• Line Color Catcher with paper towels to absorb excess Spray!. Change out towels as needed to avoid having excess colors from previous sprays transferring to new pieces.
• Heat set pieces treated with Sprays! by ironing or placing them in a lingerie bag in the dryer set to low. Be sure to clean iron and dryer afterward to make sure there is no ink residue left.
• Test colorfastness if you intend to permanently adhere pieces to your garment. (The ink did not rinse out of my rosettes after I heat set them, but the colorfastness of the ink will depend on the fiber content of the fabric you use.)
• I used different color Sprays! on some of the flowers. When rolling, roll with the color you want to show most to the inside.
• Depending on the thickness of your fabric and how much you apply, the Spray! colors may bleed through to the other side. I liked the speckled pattern it created when that happened, but keep it in mind when selecting your colors.
• Press down on top of flower to slightly flatten and open petals.

SUPPLIES:

Clearsnap Products:

• Stephanie Barnard Sprays!: Banana, Guava, Grape, Blueberry, Tangerine and Spearmint
• Color Catcher

Other Products:

• Beacon Adhesives: Fabri-Tac
• White T-Shirt
• Safety Pins

Tools:

• Scissors 

You can use these technique to add flowers to all kinds of wearables: purses, totes, shoes,hats, jackets, jeans and MORE!