10 Of My Favourite Accessory DIYs

Every now and then it can be great to sit down and try your hand at something new, whether that's creating something out of base materials or taking an item you already own and adding a bit of personality to the piece. Accessories are a brilliant place to start if you're new to fashion DIYs (or just fancy a quick project) and I've put together 10 favourites to get your creative juices flowing!

DIY Ombre Flats

Perfect for both summer and winter, flats are an all year round staple. But have you ever seen a pair as pretty as these? Click the link above for an easy and almost mess free DIY!

Hanging Chains Headband
Sometimes long hair needs a little jazzing up and this chain headband is brilliant for adding texture and interest to your locks.

Glitter Sole Shoes
Forget red soles, we want glitter soles! These are sure to turn heads (and use up that glitter hanging around at the back of your cupboard).

DIY Silver Leaf Temporary Tattoos
Metallic temporary tattoos are so popular right now, try this cool DIY before the weather cools down so much that we have to start covering up!

DIY Appliqué Headpiece
Make a classy statement with this easy headpiece project.

Glitter Stick-On Clutch

Got a plain clutch that needs jazzing up? Look no further than stick on glitter sheets!

Abstract Painted Hem Dress

With a little nod to Jason Pollock and a lot of splattery fun, you can have a unique designer-looking dress for a fraction of the price.

Fruit Slice Umbrellas

Winter in the UK is always a wet affair, but how cute would a fruity umbrella look on a grey day? These are easier to make than you think!

Appliquéd Jumper

Give an old jumper a quick and fuss free makeover with this DIY.

Turn a Jumper into a Cardigan

Got a jumper that's too small? Transform it into an autumn cardigan with this brilliant tutorial.

Everybody Nose It

After seeing these photos of Khloe Kardashian sporting a nose ring and chain on her Instagram, we couldn't help but wonder where we'd seen the look before. Nose jewellery has been sported by celebs from trendy Rihanna to less the likely Scarlett Johansson and Jessica Biel, and we don't think this trend is going away anytime soon.
Kendall Jenner was seen in a huge nose ring at the Coachella music festival earlier this year and I can't help but wonder if this is where Khloe took her inspiration for the above look.

In May, model Imogen Anthony posted Instagram photos of her posing with an incredibly dangly nose ring and chain. She followed up this week wearing a large silver choker and matching nose ring with metallic tattoos to the face to create a boho wild child look. 

Not only are Indian style nose rings an increasing trend between celebs, but fancy septum rings and clips are the new must-have accessory for the fashion forward. 

Both Rihanna and Lady Gaga were spotted with chunky septum rings this summer. While Gaga's is real, varieties of clip on rings similar to RiRi's are popular for those with enough confidence to pull them off!

As early as 2006 septum piercings started to appear on the radar- Scarlett Johansson was papped in her chunky nose ring while out and about, and in May last year the Met Ball saw Jessica Biel don a subtle silver ring. Model Cailin Russo is a regular wearer of nose jewellery and embraces the look with a fresh face, showing you don't have to be super quirky or an A-lister to pull the accessory off.

 
While it may be pretty cool to wear for a day, we're not sure yet if I'm sold on the trend. A clip on would certainly be the best bet to try out this look before taking the plunge with a sharp needle, but I think we might give it a miss for now until we work up the courage to wear one in public! 

Best & Worst Accessories from the 2014 MTV VMA Red Carpet

We kick off our best VMA accessories list with Beyonce and Nicki Minaj-  Beyonce wore huge black and silver statement earrings by designer Lorraine Schwartz that embellished her dress beautifully without being OTT, while Nicki toned herself down a little in a snakeskin print dress accessorised with a huge peachy coloured quartz ring.

Demi Lovato opted for gold accessories with her red dress while Rita Ora (shown here hugging Chris Brown) went for silver- Demi's triangle lobe earring and gold ear cuffs keep the look embellished but simple while showing her jewellery off with an undercut. 

Rita's look however was a little more lavish- her manicure reportedly cost $56,000 and includes black diamond polish, hand crafted spiders and ruby bows! With a ring for nearly every finger, she didn't go lightly on the Lorraine Schwartz hand jewellery either, which contrasts beautiful against her silky Donna Karen Atelier dress.

Teen Wolf's Holland Roden cracked out a cracking clutch for the occasion in metallic reflective silver with top embellishments. 

Model Natalie Gal's wrists and hands were stacked to the brim with bangles and rings in both gold and silver which almost stole the limelight from her very loud dress. This is a lovely modern take on the boho-esque stacked jewellery trend.

Our two awards for worst accessories of the night go to Katy Perry and Amber Rose. As if Katy Perry's denim Versace dress wasn't quite hideous enough, the tacky looking thick silver chain choker has been added to make the outfit that little bit more shocking, and the silver nose ring isn't doing her any favours. To top it off, Riff Raff's orange hair, patterned sunglasses and studded demin jacket is giving us a headache. Don't even get us started on his ring! 

Keeping with the silver chain vibe, Amber Rose seems to have forgotten her dress and skipped straight to the accessories. Thankfully she remembered her underwear because if there's a way to show much more skin on a red carpet, then we don't know about it! Half necklace, half dress, but not quite either!

What did you think were the best and worst accessories of the 2014 VMAs?

(image sources)

DIY Shoe/Collar Clips

These clips are a brilliant and simple way to rework a necklace you no longer wear- use them to embellish heels, plain flats or sandals, attach them to a shirt as statement collar clips, or even use them in your hair to jazz up a bun!

You'll need

1 necklace with large gemstones that you don't wear anymore (any will work but the cheaper the better as it will be easier to pull apart)

2 hair grips

A pair of pliers

Sandpaper

Glue (we switched to Araldite (a stronger resin glue) halfway through)

Instructions

1. Use the pliers to remove any links, chains or unwanted embellishments on the necklace.
2. Carefully pull the necklace apart so you have individual gemstones or small clusters if working with smaller crystals.
3. Arrange your design (remember you need two!). We went for a long angular shape but you could try circles or stacking to achieve something unique. Make sure the design is long enough to cover the hair grip.
4. Rub your chosen gems on coarse sandpaper if they have any sharp edges or pieces of metal sticking from the sides to give them a smooth shape.
5. Apply glue to the sides of the gems to stick them together and secure your design. Make sure to use a strong glue so the clips can withstand any knocks they may take, and follow the instructions on the packet to ensure it hardens perfectly.
6. Once the glue has dried and your new gemstone design is solid, apply a line of glue to the back and press the hair grip down firmly. We cut a cotton bud (Q tip) and slid a part of the stick it into the grip to keep each prong apart.
7. Once all the glue has dried, remove the cotton bud stick and you're ready to roll! Try out your new customised clips on everything from your shoes to your handbag to your hair to give your outfit some personality!

Let us know how you get on with this DIY, tweet us a picture so we can see!

How to Choose the Right Accessories for Your Face Shape

There are some accessories and beauty buys that can be used by pretty much anyone, as they don’t look any different from person to person. Examples of this include hair ties and pins, as well as certain shades of eyeliner and mascara, but of course there are many more that I haven’t mentioned.

On the other hand, there are products that will provide different looks depending on who is using them, meaning that there could be accessories that look better on you than someone else, as well as the other way around. It can sometimes feel a bit tricky trying to find the perfect accessory to suit your face shape, so I thought it might be helpful to share a few tips to help you on your way...

Picking Glasses & Sunglasses

Whether you need glasses to read or simply wear sunglasses for comfort and style, the whole process of choosing them can be a little bit overwhelming. There are so many frames to try on that it can be difficult knowing where to start.

As a starting point, it’s worth noting that Tesco Opticians can provide prescription glasses to suit your face shape - the staff are able to point out certain styles that could complement your features. If you can’t make it into a store, you can try out their ‘Frames on Me’ tool online that will let you try some frames on virtually instead!

Choosing Headbands

It might seem like a simple process going into a shop and picking up a couple of headbands that are on special offer, but it is worth considering how they will actually look and feel. We all know that are features are unique to us, so it is really the best solution to make the most of them.

When it comes to headbands, think whether it will look right proportionately, and how it will affect your hairline and the amount of forehead you have on show. Not only that but the size and weight of some styles (especially those with embellishments) might make them uncomfortable to wear after a couple of hours.

Selecting Hats

If you're one of the many people who have said the words, “hats don’t suit me”, it might be time to re-evaluate your thoughts! Whilst not all hats may suit you, there is likely to be one out there that will leave you feeling proud of your appearance. Like other accessories, they come in different shapes, colours and sizes, so it is just down to finding the winning combination for you.

Spend some time in a large department store trying on a number of different styles to narrow the options down, and then try and build up your confidence to wear one out. Hats are very “in” right now so it could be the perfect time!

I hope these tips will help you to own your accessories in the future, but I’d also love to hear your own tips and bits of advice for picking them. What do you find most difficult to buy for your face shape? Please leave me a comment and let me know!

This is a guest post

Rings of the Day- Moonstone & Topaz

It was about two weeks ago that I first tried out this topaz and moonstone ring combo and I've worn it a lot since. I've always liked moonstones as they're so magical to look at, but I've had trouble finding one that wasn't either teeny tiny or so large (and expensive) that it engulfed my hand.
Moonstones (sometimes known as selenite) form part of the feldspar mineral group and are most commonly found in Sri Lanka and India. Not all moonstones are created equal, some are a glowy milky colour while others are more translucently blue and have flashes of blue and spectrum colours when moved under light- known as adularescence.

This 20mm Moonstone and Silver Oval Ring* (£25.99 from TheJewelleryPeople.com) sits on a thick smooth modern silver band, and is adjustable to fit a range of finger sizes which is really handy. Pinched to fit my small-ish middle finger, the band overlaps which I think adds to the design, but with a bit of strength I'm sure you could force the open end underneath the other if you wanted to.
I think the flatness and width of the design contrasts really nicely against the blue topaz ring with its faceted stone and detailing on the thin band. The shade compliments the ethereal flashes of colour in the moonstone while the uniform translucence means it doesn't compete for attention on the finger.
I've been wearing these mainly with a cream coloured wool/alpaca cardigan from Matalan, which apparently has a bit of a dressing gown style but its the warmest thing I own and we all definitely need a bit of warmth at the moment!

TheJewelleryPeople sell some really beautiful modern silver jewellery from charms, to fossil and bone pendants, to gem set earrings. They also have a range of gold, silver and diamond body jewellery which would make a really nice change to the usual surgical steel or titanium and crystal. With First Class delivery starting from just £2.90, it's definitely worth checking out the website if you're looking for something new and beautiful to accessorise your outfits!