A thrifty haul treasure tease

Bored of waiting for baby to arrive (expected 24^th) I grabbed my brolly and decided to go on a thrifty shopping expedition for new stock for Make Me Pretty Shop.

All-in-all I was really pleased with my haul – 3 dresses, 2 skirts and 4 sets of beads, so here's a sneak peak at my thrifty treasures coming soon:

Now, shopping for vintage, for resale anyway, is not as easy as some might think.

There are many things to consider, firstly – genuine i.e. garments 20+ years old, or a retro purchase imitative of a style or fashion from the recent past?

I’m no vintage snob. I love to blend real, retro, and High Street fashion. Style is personal, often limited by budget, and as long as you look good who cares?

It's the quality of vintage where things get a little complex, with varying levels from high-end Haute Couture to low-budget to midrange department store brands.

Make Me Pretty Shop is for those who respect style, respect vintage and love to have fun with fashion, so while we only stock genuine, you’re unlikely to find high-end and therefore high-priced vintage.

Plus, I was popping Southside of Leamington Spa to raid charity shops, which although offer a plethora of vintage goodies, Haute Couture they are not.

My fav find has to be this Hamells of London 1980s preppy monochrome dress - double breasted with a layered ra-ra skirt – who doesn’t love a frilly bottom?

 

Cute and versatile, this dress would look great with tights and boots for winter, or with jelly shoes and copious amounts of plastic jewellery for summer.

I’ll confess I'm tempted to keep it, but given the ever-growing bump and unlikely fact I'll fit into it anytime soon, this thrifty treasure is up for grabs!

Enjoy x

TUTORIAL: How to make fabric-covered button earrings

Friends, followers and fans, lend me your ears and I’ll cover them in fabric – fabric-covered button earrings that is! Or you can make your own in 8 easy steps.

Make Me Pretty Shop has a crush on fabric-covered button earrings. They’re cute as a button – sorry couldn’t resist – and great for accessorising a vintage-look.

Making fabric-covered button earrings is so simple, all you need is a few crafting tools, some great retro fabric and a little patience. 

Here’s your shopping list:

• Button covering tool
• Great retro fabric
• Pair of scissors
• Metal buttons
• Cutting tool / cord nipper
• Jewellery glue i.e. E6000
• Flat stud findings and scroll backs

STEPS 1-4

1. Gather your crafting equipment and find a clear surface
2. Use the cutting tool to snip off the metal loops on buttons
3. Cut out your fabric bigger than the buttons you’re covering
4. Place fabric upside-down in the covering tool and tuck in

STEPS 5-8

5. Place back of button into the tool onto the fabric

6. Place plastic part of the covering tool on top and press down hard

7. Pop covered button out of the tool and dab on glue

8. Place finding onto glue and leave for 10-20 mins

Voila! One pair of cute retro fabric-covered button earrings!

Why not experiment with different button sizes from the dainty 11mm to a chunkier 22mm if you’re looking to make a statement. 

And why stop there? Fabric-covered buttons can be used for a variety of purposes, from styling or updating handmade or vintage outfits to jewellery, card making and so much more!

I hope you found this tutorial useful and it inspires you to make your own fabric-covered button earrings. If you do please post a picture of your finished crafts on our Facebook page!

If, however, you don’t want to invest in the tools or you simply don’t have the patience, why not bag a pair of readymade ones from Make Me Pretty Shop and tell everyone you made them!

PROMOTION - we're giving away a free pair of our 11mm fabric button earrings with every order in January 2014.

Enjoy x