It’s often the case that I can’t find what I want on the high street. Many times, I’ve pictured a piece of clothing in my mind (perhaps a specific design or pattern) and have tried searching for it with retailers.
However, it’s rare that I find something I actually like ‘off-the-peg’ so I’ve taken to crafting my own clothing each season instead.
It may sound ambitious but it’s really simple to DIY your own custom creations, especially if you have a clear idea of what you want to achieve. Plus, upcycling your existing clothing can help to save money too, and refresh old pieces to keep them out of landfill.
Today, I’m sharing three ideas for creating your own unique clothing for spring and summer, including custom printed designs, stitched embellishments and simple upcycles. Let’s go!
Design your own clothing
If you want to add a completely new piece to your wardrobe, why not consider designing it yourself? There’s no reason why your choice of pattern, slogan or motif print can’t become the t-shirt or hoody of your dreams.
Simply create a design that you’d love to wear using your computer and upload it to a custom-printing company like Printful, which will create one-off pieces for you. It can be your own drawing, a text-based slogan (maybe a motivational quote) or even a repeating pattern.
Simply upload the design and then you’ve got the freedom to choose any item of clothing, the colour and finish of the fabric and the type of embellishment, such as edge-to-edge printing or even luxurious embroidery.
You may think it would be expensive to have your own design printed but I bet you’ll discover that it costs way less than buying a ready-made design from a retailer AND you’ll own something totally unique that no one else in the world has.
Add embellishments
One of the things I’ve been doing recently is upcycling my existing clothing items with embellishments. I enjoy browsing on Etsy for unique patches (often sequinned!) or you could pop to a haberdashery to see what types of designs they have in stock.
Then it’s just a case of sewing the patch onto your old jumper or denim jacket – a great way to cover a hole or stain! Or, even easier, you can buy patches with an iron-on backing, so you simply position it and follow the instructions to apply it using an iron.
You could brighten up any outfit with a colourful embroidery piece (like the rainbow designs I found on Etsy) or create a unique design with multiple patches. It’s also possible to get letters and numbers so you could personalise your clothing with a glittery slogan.
Heat-transfer a pattern
I’ve previously used heat-transfer to create a multitude of personalised pieces – check out my DIY heat-transfer blog posts and videos here. But my favourite way to revamp an old top (and cover those pulls or marks) is by adding a new pattern.
You could cut multiple small shapes from heat-transfer vinyl and simply press them onto the fabric. You can cut the shapes by hand or use a cutting machine to create more intricate designs. I’ve used multi-coloured stars and metallic polka dots in the past
Choose your favourite colour combinations and create something that simply isn’t available in the shops. Heat-transfer vinyl gives a pro-finish and, even when the shapes peel off after many washes, you can just add more new ones.
Let me know if you have a go at making your own unique clothing for spring. And I’d love to see your designs so please so tag me in your wardrobe upcycles on Instagram @cassiefairy. Thanks!
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