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• June 4, 2009
• I DIY

I DIY! I Love Factory Transforms and Old Handbag Into A Hat We Heart (For Less Than $10)

By Alexandra Andrade, Photos by Kit Chaney

We've said it once and we'll say it again, we totally lust after milliner label I Love Factory. Creators of ornate headgear, the Brooklyn-based designers hand-sew glitzy toppers certain to turn more than a few heads. Read on to see how the crew gives us a step-by-step DIY on how to turn any cheap, vintage purse into a cute, heart-shaped head piece. We can already hear Lady Gaga's oohs and ahhs.

 



Inspiration: DIY Fashion/budgeting/and our toy collection


Materials Needed:
1) Red leather obtained from a second-hand bag purchased at Goodwill ($2.50)

2) Black polyester lining taken from an old dress ($1.75--it was a very, very sad dress)

3) A hair comb (99 cents)

4) Needle large enough to puncture leather/thread (red and black)/scissors (already owned)

5) Card-stock paper and pencil (already owned)

6) Cotton balls (optional) (already owned)


Total Cost:  About $5.25


Total Time:  If you don't count procuring the materials needed, AKA some intense Goodwill/Salvation Army scouting, then under an hour!

How To DIY:

1) Scout your local Goodwill/Salvation Army/thrift store (or closet!) for some soft, worn leather. Purses are usually the best option, and are fairly inexpensive when bought second-hand and come in so many great colors. We decided to line the back of our hairpiece with actual lining for a cleaner finish. For fabric, we used the black lining of a tragic dress purchased at Goodwill. Sometimes you can even use the same lining that's in the bag. Ours, unfortunately, was unlined.

2) Cut your new (old) bag apart and remove the leather. If it is wrinkly and mis-shapen, all you need to do is hang it over the shower and run the hot water. This will steam it out some. Once steamed, it is a lot easier to stretch.

3) Draw the shape you wish to make into headgear on your card stock and cut it out. We chose a heart, but you can make anything you want! This is now your stencil.

4) Place the stencil on the WRONG side of the leather and trace. Do the same for the lining.

5) Cut the shapes out of both the lining and the leather.

6) Take your hair comb (or clip, or whatever you feel stays best in your hair) and sew it to the middle of the lining on the RIGHT side of the fabric. We used black thread since we had black lining.

7) Now place your two heart cut-outs WRONG SIDE TO WRONG SIDE. The clip you just sewed on should be visible on the back, and the right side of your red heart should be visible on the front. Begin stitching the two pieces together using small, evenly spaced stitches. We used red thread since our leather was red, and we liked the contrast of the red thread on the black lining. Once you make it 3/4 of the way around you can choose to stuff your heart with cotton! If you want to skip this step, just keep sewing until you finish and tie a good strong knot. Voila! A headpiece of your very own.

8) If you want a more dramatic look, stuff the heart with pieces of unraveled cotton balls. Using a chopstick is helpful! Once you've achieved your desired effect finish stitching up the side and tie a strong knot. Finished!

P.S. You can always get creative and add a sprig of feathers and tulle or an outline of lace. You can even sew some buttons or other notions on the leather prior to attaching it to the lining.