Many people like to thrift, wash and wear. The best part about bargain shopping is transforming a piece of clothing into something unique and personal. Sure, a plain button-down blouse is a great staple, but making it into a one-of-a-kind piece is more fun. Natalie Portman and Alexa Chung have sported studded collars in the past year, proving that the studded effect is tough yet feminine. So when I stumbled upon a silk blouse in a local thrift store, I headed straight for M&J Trimmings in Midtown to purchase studded nail heads.
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Materials:
1. A collared shirt bought at a thrift store
2. Nail head studs with prongs (available at notions stores)
3. Scissors or butter knife
Directions:
1. Lay the shirt out on a flat surface. Make sure the collar is folded properly and is even on both sides.
2. Take the first nail head and push the prongs through the collar in the desired position. Puncturing the fabric should be fairly easy as long as the fabric is not too thick.
3. Turn the collar over so the pronged side is facing upward. Take the closed scissors or butter knife and bend the prongs inward. Do not fold the prongs down by hand — they are much sharper and harder than they look.
4. Continue placing the nail heads along the collar.
5. Repeat on the other side of the collar.
Tip: To save money and avoid wasting nail heads, stop adding studs around the shoulder line (where the top of the collar meets the shoulder seam).
