Refashioning: Paint it Black: A $1600 Louis Vuitton Handbag for $80!

I admit it. I love high end fashion. But I’m also way cheaper than anyone else I know. So...when that is your fate, you either need to get fearlessly creative, or act like a victim and get massively in-debt.

I opt for the former.

Here’s how you can too!

About a year ago, I started searching the internet for second-hand investment bags from Chanel, LV, Hermès, etc.

I found this Louis Vuitton Vernis Houston handbag on eBay for $80. Brand new, this bag sells for a cool $1600!

Now, listen. I did my homework on this one. There were several of the same bag selling for around the same price—some under, some over. But I had a specific criteria that I searched for: a decent interior, no major rips or scuffs, intact handles, and working zippers. I had to search for a few months,  sell a few of my own items on eBay to get the money, and finally found one that fit the bill.

I know, $80 is a lot for a self-proclaimed cheapskate to spend on one bag, but. . .considering that it retails for $1600, my thought was: I can dye that sucker, and when I get tired of it, I can flip it for at least more than I paid for it. Plus, how many ladies throw away $100+ at the local mall for a subpar Michael Kors bag. I don’t think $80 was a bad spend.

If this sounds crazy, remember that I am the woman who dyed a pair of Chanel shoes a few years ago (and then everyone started doing it). Those shoes look as great today as they did back then, so I was up for this challenge.

If you click the words “Chanel shoes” above, it will take you to my post that shows you how to dye your shoes so that they look excellent and not like a hack job. From that post, and when I dyed a Coach bag silver, I learned that Tarrago dye is really good for this kind of project, so I bought another set in “shiny” black. It costs around $10 on eBay.

Inside is a leather conditioner/prepper, leather dye, small brush, and applicator sponge.

I’m just going to tell you right now, that if you attempt this project—even if you buy the supposedly “patent leather”/shiny version of Tarrago dye....it doesn’t work on this bag! This bag is way too shiny.

I spent a while prepping the bag and then painting the bottom. A few hours later after it was dry, the bottom looked super messy, with tons of brushstrokes and uneven dull spots all over it. That is probably because Tarrago is actually leather paint. Same thing with Angelus. If your leather is super shiny, don’t buy either of those. You need an actual dye, not a paint. Instead, do this....

I happened to have an old bottle of Fiebings black leather dye. It’s only like...$5 or something on Amazon, eBay, or your local shoe repair shop.

So...I’m sorry there are pictures missing in this post, but...this is a really messy process, and it’s hard to take pictures while doing it!

Anyways, do this: Using a cotton ball and nail polish remover, rub all over the bag, the hardware, and the handles. Do this a few times to make sure you remove any residue and “break the seal” over the leather and patent leather. 

Then, using a cotton ball, sponge, and/or smaller brush, paint over all the surfaces that you want dyed. Don’t worry about the hardware. Just paint over that too. You need to get into all the nooks and crannies.

Then, you need to let it dry somewhere like a garage or basement, but make sure it’s well-ventilated because the dye is really fume-y and can give you a headache. 

(I hung my bag on a camera stand in my garage.)

Now, I know this is unorthodox, and I’m sure there are people who think I’m crazy, but. . .

After it’s dry (give it a few days), go over the whole thing with nail polish remover and a cotton ball. I discovered this by trial and error. I’m sure there are many DIYers who would say never to do this. But this is really the only way to take off the excess and assure that your color won’t rub off onto your clothes. This is also the best way to get the color off your hardware so that it looks like the dye job was professionally done. You could ostensibly use a mild soap and a rag, but. . .I wanted to make sure that the color wasn’t going anywhere. Also, acetone dries super quickly, whereas water takes time to dry and can soak your leather. If some of the color comes off during this step, then you can reapply color and let it dry again. Do this cycle as many times as you need to make sure the color is permanent. It works. I’m telling you.

Look how nice and shiny!

(I did buy some Fiebings Resolene—from Amazon—in case I need it. A lot of sources suggested using Resolene (acrylic sealer) to keep the color from fading and rubbing off onto other surfaces. I plan to use it eventually, but I want to make sure all the surfaces are exactly perfectly black before I go sealing anything. That means I will need to use this bag and monitor it for a few weeks yet. And...I many not even need the Resolene. Plus, I’m a little worried that it might dull the shine...Anyways, I’ll update this post and let you know.)

Because I kept the zipper closed, the interior is clean and neat.

I’m not a huge fan of gold hardware, but. . .if I resell it, other people like gold and black, so I can retain a lot of value by keeping the hardware gold. It’s not obnoxious, so I can live with it.

Looks brand new!

The End!

How to Fix an Old Wide Black Patent Leather Belt When It Gets "Hairy"

If you're a fashionista, you've been here before.

You know that wide patent leather belt that you wear with everything? It never fails. After just a few times of wearing it, this happens:

It gets all hairy and looks very unsightly right in the center front where people's eyes tend to be drawn. So what do you do? Most of us probably throw them out and buy a new one. Well, if you just do this one simple step, you can keep your belt looking good as new for years to come.

(This also works if you find an old belt at the thrift store that someone else has thrown out.)

All you have to do is light a candle. Then, you hold the "hairy" parts close enough to the flame to melt them away. Be careful not to hold the belt too closely to the flame or you will melt the patent leather. Do this for all edges that have little threads sticking out.

Ta-da! Good as new!

The End!

How to Fix Permanent Stains on a Garment

My sis took me to a new thrift store where everything in the store is $.25 on Wednesdays. I bought this neon yellow hoodie there. I almost didn't because if you look closely, there are permanent black ink stains on it, but then I was like, "You know what? For $.25, I can fix it!"

Here is a closeup of the problem. Because I couldn't take the stains out, I would have to cover them up.

I got some lace and threw it on top.

Then, I cut around the patterns in the lace so that it covered all the spots and pinned it down as I cut.

Then I zig-zag stitched all around the outside of the lace.

Then I sewed back and forth over top of the lace to make sure it didn't pull away from the shirt.

This is what the back of my stitching looks like (in case my explanations didn't make sense).

The finished shirt. To me, it looks really modern as "Athleisure" wear and mixing prints and textures are popular these days. I could also have embroidered something on it, but that would require taking the shirt apart so I could get it up under my embroidery machine. 

This was way easier. 

The End!

Portlandia Inspired "Put a Bird on it!" Collared Shirt and Sweater

If you are like me and my friend, Luba, then you like "Portlandia." We particularly like one little skit where they were obnoxiously putting birds on things in order to look instantly crafty and hipster. 

That show is hilarious.

Anyways, in my dollar rack perusing, I came across this little number one day:

It is a Jacqueline Smith shirt. I really like the birds, but I hate black and gold. (The buttons are gold.) To me it looks "Miami Chic" (i.e. cheap). It was also too big. (I got a little ahead of myself and had already cut the left arm off before I remembered to take pictures....)

I 

I chopped both arms off and turned it inside out so I could drape the bodice.

I also took the sleeves in.

There. It fits much better, but the buttons are still gold. Bleah.

So...while watching old episodes of "That Girl" on Amazon Prime, I cut off each gold button and replaced it with a white one.

Now it's a shirt I will actually wear!

[Many photos missing so as not to bore you....] I also took in an XL black Old Navy sweater and put the two together.

I can't wait for cold weather!!!

The End

Refashioning: Pleather Skirt from a Jacket

I'm really excited to share this post with you!

So, I found this really cool pleather jacket for one of my friends. However, she informed me that she already had one almost exactly like it. I hate to admit it, but I was kind of excited, because I knew it would make an awesome skirt!

First, I lined up the front and back bottom hems and cut across the armpits. This part will be the bottom of the skirt.

Then, I cut a big trapezoid out of the top back of the bodice. This will be part of the top of the skirt.

And then I cut another trapezoid out of the front top of the bodice. This will also be part of the top of the skirt. I kept all the linings intact with the pieces I cut out.

I also cut out two rectangles of stretchy fabric for the sides. This will make sense with the next picture.

This is actually upside down, but I folded the pieces above in half and pinned them to either side of the trapezoids I cut out. (The picture shows that I unbuttoned the front piece, so I could lay it all out flat.

So, pinned together, this is what the top of the skirt looked like:

I sewed up the sides.

You will notice that it is gapping pretty badly at the waistline. Time for draping and pinning!

So, I pinned it and sewed it down. It lies much better now.

I like how the stretch fabric almost looks like a racing stripe. Notice that the bottom hemline is all wonky. I cleaned that up with scissors before moving to the next step. Also, if you do this project, and if you "got back" like me, make sure that the back hemline is slightly lower than the front, so that the skirt hangs nicely.

Then, I pinned the bottom of the skirt on and gathered it by doing little pleats in specific and symmetrical places: two in the front, two in the back, and one on each side.

I sewed it together. I think it's interesting how it makes a very unique skirt, but you can also see the remnants of the jacket. For instance, the front pockets are still there, and I kept the button placket intact as a means of getting in and out of the skirt.

Instead of hemming the top hemline, I finished it with lace binding. (Not pictured: I added two black snaps between the gaps in the front buttons to keep it from gaping when I sit.)

So, I found I could wear it a few different ways. This is with a sweater tucked in.

This is with a sweater un-tucked.

And you can wear it like a skater skirt when you fold the top waistband over.

The End!