Zipper necklace for Rebecca

My fourth zipper nacklace is finished. This one is going to California for Rebecca.

Refashioning sweatshirts by Takeoffyourclothes

take.off.your.clothes makes clothes, accessories and soft jewelry from reusing old sweatshirts. I love his design style. Items also available from takeoffyourclothes.etsy.com.

Yes, the zipper necklace is unisex.

Unisex, what an outdated word. But unfortunately it´s the only one I have do descride that something suits both genders. Soo, my zipper necklaces are unisex. I didn´t think they were until a photographer (guy) friend of mine saw my necklace, tired it on and wanted his own. Of cource I had to make him one. He makes it look good. Susie Bubble, a London girl whom I recently made one necklace to, noticed this also when his boyfriend tried it on. Sorry Susie, it seems this piece has to be shared :) I love the way it looks with guy-cardigan though! I might have to try it myself...

Rolling socks with Sabrina Melis

Sabrina Melis of Alghero Sardegna Italy sews jewels from old socks and other materials. Her soft jewelry is 100% recycled and gorgeous! Like candy. Her rolling-technique is very god to use when doing crafts from woolsweater scrap pieces or other thick fabrics for clothing details, home decor (like pillowcases, floormats) and soft toys.


Via HauteNature blog.

Jackson Pollock jewelry with nailpolish

Bits and Bobbins tips us off to re-vamp your jewelry with colorful nailpolish Jackson Pollock style. The tutorial is made by Fops And Dandies. Love this! Fantastic re-use idea, that is also very trendy considering all the paintstained fashions we´ve seen this summer season. And you can make these in one evening. If you do not have any extra nailpolish at home, you can find some for sure at your local thrift store or fleamarket. I´m also quite sure that this same technique can be applied to other accessories like bags, belts and shoes (maybe not not textile covered..). So you will have a matching set!!



Dolce & Gabbana SS2008 collection:

Third zipper necklace finished!

My third zipper necklace finished! This one will be sent to London to Susie Bubble who writes StyleBubble fashion blog. This piece is made from 12 jacket zippers handswen together. As you can see The necklace can be worn in many ways. Detail in front, back, under one arm and so on. There really is no "right way" to wear it. My necklaces are very adaptable to different kinds of outfits. The best way to wear them is attach them to the garment with safety pins to keep it in place. In the last picture you can see my best Agyness Deyn impression :))

This necklace is heavy for a piece of jewelry, 525 g (= 1,15 lb / 18,5 ounces). But after you attach it to your garment with safetypins (so it does not move) you can hardly notice it because the weight is distrbuted evenly around your shoulders. I´ve worn these with t-shirts and ball gown dresses. The zippes are layered so that the reverse side is all canvas (see necklace tutorial). This way it does not itch or irritate your skin because no metal areas touch it. It does not heat up in sunlight It´s actally very cool to wear outdoors.

Click to my Zipper necklace tutorial to see how I make these. If you want me to make you one, send me mail. I make custom orders!

Thight fashion - Päivän sukkahousuvinkki

Pantyhose or thights are a big no-no for the eco-concious fashionista since they are made nylon (= polymere plastic). They brake easily and therefore are often thrown away after just few uses. I prefer to use only fish-net thights because I have noticed them to be more durable and therefore I buy maybe 5 pairs a year. Maria Lau makes jewelry and other werables from thights and other recycled material by braiding and binding them together with beads and luxurious pearls. She has worked with fashion houses like Michiko Koshino and DKNY to name a few.






In case you did not know, re-using pantyhose in new ways is a bit of a joke in Finland. A local food market chain K-Kauppa used to publish "today´s pantyhose tips" (Finnish "sukkahousuvinkki") in their magazine Pirkka. Hilarious stuff like "Slip a champagne bottle in a pair of pantyhose when popping the cork. This way the cork will not fly to anyones head and hurt them". People claimed to use thights for almost anything and I do not doubt that some meant what they wrote in. The magazine actually paid for good tips... Anyway, if you do make something from recycled thights and want to wear them in Finland, make them so well that people don´t realize them being thights and don´t advertise the original material... Some people just wouldn´t get the trashion aspect. I´m sure this is not the case in the rest of the world. We are a funny nation sometimes.

How to make a thights necklace, a tutorial by Smaggle Style. Made from thicker winter thights.


Thight dress in Discarded to Devine fashion show in San Francisco.




I remebered seeing this dress in the inside cover of Destenys Child´s album. Look at the middle dress. I think it looks exactly the kind of design I would go for when using recycled thights. Although nylon can be a very "hot" material to wear, since it´s plastic, the dress has to be lined with jersey. Even the pearls are not a problem! I have a box full of wooden beads at home. The beads were salvaged from a dumster, a thrown away driver´s wood bead seat cover. They have been waiting for a project like this. I think the worn down wood beads and skincolored granny thights would get a major facelift on this kind of a project. Now I wonder what metal zippers (canvas part cut out) would look like mixed and bound up with thights....? My friends will propably think I´ve gone insane if I ask them to give me their cast off thights...? Have to think of a diplomatic approach.

Maria Lau´s link found via Style Bubble fashion blog.

Cuff and Collar reconstruction by Almilá

Found these from Pecas´s photostream in Flick. Fantastic aren´t they? Shirt reconstructions that also work as contemporary jewelry. More info at Pecas.

Inspiring zipper jewelry by Kate Cusack

I´ve spent the whole morning just googling zipper inspired jewelry. Found some fab things and artists. I got one tip through StyleBubbles blog comments (thanks Clover!) to check out artist Kate Cusack. Absolutely stunning work! In some pieces she uses only a few zippers, which is very good if you don´t have many same colored zips to use for your project. But of course my favories have more than 5 zips. :) I also found a zipper tab earring tutorial from Cut Out and Keep craft community.






Zipper necklaces by Kate Cusack.


This Zipper Necklace from Khoon Hooi Features: chiffon, wood, pearl, jewel and zipper detailing on body.


Zipper necklace available from 80spurple.com


Zipper tab earrings by wickedmoxie.etsy.com


Earrings by darhling.etsy.com


Earrings by mybloomnart.etsy.com

Recycled leather to punk jewelry by Janna Ambags-Alberts

Janna Ambags-Alberts makes incredible design jewelry from recycled leather. Her work has the right (stylish) kind of 80´s vibe but at the same time I see them as very modern wearables. They have a punk feel to them that will elovate any little black dress to gala status. Janna has also a Flickr gallery by the name of Artable.nl.





Since her jewelry cannot be bought online I recommend checking out Fleathers.etsy.com. She makes earrings from colorful leather.

Steampunk fashon part 2 - the gear

Haruo Suekichi watches at Steampunk Lab

The biggest name in steampunk timepieces is Haruo Suekichi. His work just leaves me speachless. If his creations are out of your price-range, Etsy is an exellent place to find steampunk accessories (mostly just for women) hats, spats, gloves and jewelry. The level craftmanship is amazing with these steampunk-crafters. Steampunk Gear Group in Flickr offers great inspiration. As a seamstress I have no idea how to work with metal (exept maybe how to glue it..) so I´m very happy to find so many crafters that do. Etsy Supplies also offers loads of watch parts and other metal knick knacks that you can purchase for your own projects.


Vintage watch parts available at ingeniouslycreative.etsy.com


Steampunk ray gun by Xevian13


Photo by Amanda Scrivener.


Watch movement earrings by dustDesignCo.etsy.com


DIY Steampunk umbrella by dbvictoria.etsy.com


Steampunk glasses by faradaybags.etsy.com


Goggles by J.Mars Design


Steampunk rings by Catherinette Rings

Zipper necklace in progress

Susie´s zipper necklace is now pinned. I hope she likes the form. I have to get more pins tomorrow and start the slow process of detaching this piece from the dummy. Plus the handsewing. If you want to see all the making off steps, go to my Susie´s zipper necklace set in Flickr.