Dorm DIYs

"Not all those who wander are lost." -J. R. R. Tolkien 

Since my move-into-college date is quickly approaching (less than a MONTH!!) and my wisdom teeth were recently removed (finally an excuse to not go to work and watch movies and sew all day!) I have been very inspired, and have had quite a lot of time, to get some DIYs done for my dorm room!

Both my roommate and I have pretty neutral colors (I'm not sure what her's are, but my bedding is black and white, and I have one set of purple sheets) so many of my wall/miscellaneous decor will contain the chaotic color that my creativity craves.  So far, I have made a little hanging wall decor, and sewn a new pillowcase from some fabric that my friend got be for graduation! (You know you have AWESOME friends when they buy you fabric as gifts;))

DIY: Cut-out Oxford

I have an abundance of plain white large men's oxfords that my dad has kept, but hasn't worn in ages.  I've grown out of simply belting over-sized garments, so I decided to add some life to some of them!  This is the second one that I've refurbished (I haven't photographed the first one yet, but I will soon and share!) and I am really pleased with its turnout.  Since this is the second white oxford I've upcycled (and this one is clearly a lot older, shown by its oldness stains) I think I'll dye it... I just haven't decided what color or if I'm going to just dye it one color, or do sort of an ombre-look.  (I'll have to practice that a lot though- I'm thinking it'll be really difficult, so I might just stick to one color!)

Anyway, this is the find that inspired me this morning, while catching up on cool finds that I've missed out on lately on StyleSays (shirt originally from Lulu's):

Lulu's

I'm really digging the neon mint color as well, but I don't think I'll be able to find a cheap dye in that color!  We'll see what colors I'll be able to find at Joann's or Wal-Mart, and if I decide to attempt the ombre look, here are some pieces I'll be using as inspiration:

topshop

asos

shopbop

Before:

After:

I simply trimmed the front to give the shorter in the front, longer in the back look (which I thought was hideous when I first saw the trend, but have since fallen in love with it and admired its flattery on my frame!)

I then cut the fabric, along the line where the collar buttoned on, creating a diagonal about one-inch wide stripe.  I then just removed the buttons that kept down the collar and sewed them on again, though at a wider angle, outside of the cut-out rather than inside of it.

To add another little touch, I cutout a little trapezoid in the middle of the back, which is a bit awkward shown on camera, and looks kind of stupid in person too, but I can't do anything about it now... haha. On the bright side, though, it'll be easy to cover up if I wear my hair down...

So that's it!  The total cost of creation was $0, since I had the shirt and all of the sewing tools already, but if I decide to dye it, it'll cost me about $3.  3 bucks for a brand new, trendy shirt?  Yes please!

I'll keep you updating with the dying technique I decide to use!

Happy Easter or Passover to you and your families and enjoy the beautiful spring weather!