How to DIY in Exeter

If you have ever wanted to update your wardrobe to include the latest trends without having to buy an entirely new outfit, then DIY is for you. To make it entirely clear we are not talking hammers, nails and overalls but the far more exciting concepts of glitter, dye and the chance to have a fabulous wardrobe.
First of all it is important to say that I am no DIY guru; over the next year you can anticipate many a DIY disaster (watch out for the girl wearing very wonky skirts and trailing glitter around campus). The aim is to show you fresh looks that anyone could recreate on a lazy Sunday afternoon even with the inevitable Lemmy hangover. With a few studs here or a couple of shoulder pads there, an old jacket or t-shirt could be reinvented into a great new look with minimal cost and effort.

Here are some top tips to get you started:
1. Know where to go.
Exeter has a surprising number of useful and quirky DIY-friendly shops. One of the best is Percy’s Fabric and Haberdashery on Sidwell Street. As well as stocking loads of beautiful fabrics they have an extensive range of tassels, trims, glitter, buttons and threads. A browse in here is enough to inspire many a DIY project. For that extra bit of DIY bling Bunyip Beads and Buttons in the McCoy’s Arcade on Fore Street is filled to the brim with all types of beads, strings and clasps.

2. Some necessities.
You do not need to own a sewing machine or even be able to thread a needle to make some DIY masterpieces. There are, however, a couple of items that could help you along the way; some good sharp scissors, fabric glue, a needle and thread and a bit of imagination will generally do the trick.

3. Ideas.
Cut up, re-make, re-do, dye it, tie dye it, dip dye it, bleach it, embroider it, re-sew it, bead it, scallop it, fringe it or weave it. Add glitter, sparkles, sequins, tassels, trims, panels, layers, colours, stripes, spots, bows, ribbons, leather, fur, zips or chiffon.

It doesn’t take much to get started on your first DIY project. Grab that extra pair of denim shorts you thought would bring out your edgy side and dip dye them pink and purple for the most original outfit on campus. Or why not turn your hand to some of the easy DIY experiments we will be trying out over the next year?

Here’s a simple one to get you started:

Glitter Heeled Boots
As inspired by:

Topshop

Perfect for adding some sparkle to your wardrobe and reworking a pair of old boots without breaking the bank, this easy tutorial takes no more than 10 minutes and shouldn’t cost any more than a fiver.

Toolkit for the perfect sparkly boots:
• Some plain old boots with a heel
• Glitter (I got mine from The Works for 59p)
• Fabric Glue (Percy’s Fabric and Haberdashery sells some for £2.99)

1. Spread the glue evenly on the heel, ensuring it doesn’t spread onto the rest of the shoe (where there is glue there will be glitter, as I found out with my new jeans!). 

2. Pour the glitter all over the glued area. Don’t be stingy with this part as the more glitter there is, the more will stick. I found it was best to have some cardboard/paper underneath my line of fire to catch the excess. Leave to dry for a couple of hours so you don’t end up walking glitter everywhere!

3. Et Voila! A very quick and very easy way to give new life to an old pair of boots.