I had two broken things. My husband’s old white business shirt. Frayed, thread-bare and ready for the rag bin. An old necklace, long ago tugged on by a baby and left in heap of forgotten yellow beads. Two broken things and an idea.
I have always loved false collars. There’s something a little rebellious, a little geeky and a little nostalgic about them. What a lovely alchemy to bring broken things back to life.
DIY Beaded Collar
You will need:
- An old men’s shirt (the shirt needs to be old, not the man)
- Scissors
- Beads
- Needle and thread
- A little bit of time (maybe watch something good on the telly while you stitch)
How to make it:
- Cut the collar away from the shirt, making sure that you stay close to the edge to avoid stray fraying. I found it easiest to cut first and then trim.
- Arrange the beads in a way that looks lovely. It helps to try the collar on first, just so that you can see where the beads will actually sit. You can either free-wheel, or trace a light pattern with a lead pencil first.
- Get stitching.
- Wear your new creation and look all kinds of awesome.
How to wear it
A beaded collar looks particular cute peeking out from a black turtleneck sweater or a dress with a high round neckline. Or you can use it dress up an existing collar – just tuck the existing one under the neckline. A stand alone collar can look very sweet on barer skin with a t-shirt. Just keep in mind it’s quite the statement piece, so keep your earrings minimal.
If you want some inspiration for both creating a beaded collar and wearing one, check out my Pinterest board: Fashion: How to wear a false collar.
This is really sweet Robyna and could look amazing with a cute black dress. I love the colours of the beads. What a lovely project, thanks for sharing xx
Thanks Edie – it was fun to do.
You are so clever! I love the idea of wearing it with a dress with a high neckline. I will be keeping a beady eye on the Everyday Style pics to see how you style it 🙂
Sammie @ The Annoyed Thyroid recently posted…The Ultimate Rabbit Hole #76
Thanks Sammie – I’m looking forward to seeing what I can do with it.
This is so cute! It would be great with a button up high neck cardigan.
Oh it would be – will have to look-see if I have one 🙂
That is such a smart DIY to get some extra wear from two otherwise unused pieces. I like the design you made with the beads, must have taken you ages as it’s so intricate!
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It wasn’t too bad as a lot of it was already together from the necklace.
So clever – and you get that nice collared look without the hassle of ironing the attached shirt!! (are you taking orders??)
Beth at AlmostPosh.com recently posted…Pureology “Pure Volume” Style + Care Infusion Review
I only had one necklace 🙂 Yay for no ironing!
Robyna recently posted…The universe doesn’t owe me a thing (and that’s okay)
Very creative! I would never of thought to put this together. I am a big collar fan.
Karin @ Calm to Conniption recently posted…The Ultimate Rabbit Hole #76: Baby Mamas On Tour!
Thanks Karin – it’s a pretty cute kind of accessory.