Tools and materials:
- Crystals, in a variety of sizes, all the same color tone (I recommend sew-on)
- Flannel shirt and/or jacket
- Gem glue
- Clear thread and needle
- Gem picker
- Two plates
Ever just fall in love with a jacket and knew you had to have it? Until you see the price tag, that is. That’s how I felt about the crystal-studded Miu Miu jacket. I loved the look, but NO WAY was I spending $4,000! So, instead, I decided to try my hand at recreating it. Okay, so I didn’t use real crystals, but the effect is much the same, and I am SO HAPPY with the way it came out. Follow this tutorial to make your own version!
First, I’m going to show you a really easy way to make a studded plaid shirt. All you’ve got to do is take your gem glue and put little dots wherever you want. I decided to place a larger crystal on every other square. For me, it ended up being about every 2” but it’ll depend on the size of your crystals and the style of your flannel.
Once you’re done with your bigger gems, you can then add medium-sized crystals, as well. I chose to add them on every other row, in the squares in between the bigger gems. This gave me a cool staggered look.
The last thing you’re going to do for this shirt is to create the crusted pocket. I personally didn’t want to do the whole pocket, because I thought it might be too much of a rhinestone-cowgirl look, so instead, I went for an ombre effect. To do this, just fit all the different sizes together in the corner and then add less and less sporadically as you go across the pocket.
All right, moving onto the Miu Miu jacket! Grab your flannel jacket and set it so that the shoulder seam is exposed, because you’re going to be putting crystals over the shoulders and down the back as well as in the front.
Grab all the crystals you bought, and evenly divide each package onto two different plates. If you try to just eyeball it, you’ll always end up with less on one side than the other, so splitting it up like this is a great way to ensure that your gems wind up evenly distributed.
Take all your bigger crystals and lie them out where you want them. For this stage, you’re not going to use any glue or sew them down or anything like that. Just place them out and then adjust them until your satisfied with the way it looks.
Once you’re happy with the placement of your crystals, use just a little bit of gem glue on the backs and glue them down. This isn’t to keep them in place permanently, but rather to keep them from moving around while you sew them in place.
Now it’s time to sew the crystals down. Here’s another hack for you: instead of bringing your needle up through the hole, which can take time to find and get right, bring your needle up from the bottom next to the crystal, then go through the hole from on top. You’re essentially doing the same thing, but making it a lot easier for yourself since you can actually see what you’re doing.
When you’re done with one crystal, instead of knotting off the thread, I actually recommend inserting your needle through the lining of the fabric and bringing it up at the next crystal. This way you don’t see the thread in the front or the back, but it’s a huge time saver! After you’ve done about seven of them, and you see that your thread is about 5” less, knot it off and start a new thread.
It’s now time to move on to the small crystals. These usually aren’t sew-ons, so the glue is more important. As you start placing them, you’ll have an idea of which type of crystal you want for each spot, and you can put down glue according to the size and shape you need. To really make this look like a Miu Miu jacket, it’s important to focus on the shoulders, saturating them with crystals, and then naturally fade out so that you have an ombre effect. Once you’re done with that, just give it 24 hours to dry and you are done!
You. Guys. HOW gorgeous is this?! I’m obsessed. I think I’m going to move to Antarctica so that I can wear this every day. I just can’t get over how pretty it is. Another thing I can’t get over is how similar it looks to the original and how much less I paid. So if you, like me, are a fan of the Miu Miu jacket, try this out and show me how yours turns out in the comments!
I had an idea for a dress that I wanted to sew but it wasn't until I got stuck into the project that...
I picked up this gorgeous floral satin fabric from a thrift store a few months back and have been...
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I...
Two-piece sets are super on-trend this season! Instead of going out to the store to buy a set, I...
Did you leave Christmas tree shopping for last minute? Well I got some cute outfits for you and...
Don't you just love when you see a mom and her daughter wearing matching outfits or similar looks? I...
Out with the old and in with the new! Or, take the old and make it new. It’s never too late to...
With all the cool girl brands dropping bias skirts over the past few months I thought it was finally...
I haven’t had my hands on clay for way too long. The new Silkscreen Kit from Premo Clay was the...
Who doesn’t love a good upcycle? This puffy sleeves tutorial proves that nothing should ever be...
I got an awesome opportunity to be on the Hallmark series Home and Family where I showed you all how...
I love vintage style – even more so around the holidays. I think it is their ability to illuminate...
When it comes to buying a trench coat with the perfect fit, there are three things you need to pay...
There's nothing more satisfying than a making project with materials to hand. For this mini laundry...
1 Thrifted and Vintage Denim Vest + 2 yards Floral Fabric = 1 Upcycled Maxi Dress!
I love how easy making this skirt is! It’s the perfect way to upcycle old jeans and have a really...
I am styling the linen picnic jumpsuit from Everlane. You can shop it here. I went up a size in the...
Who doesn't love a versatile wardrobe? There is nothing better than introducing a piece into your...
In this tutorial, I’ll show you step by step how to refashion a plain jean jacket into a jean jacket...
I was making a DIY out of old Christmas ball ornaments the other day and as I was ripping off the...
Everyone has at a pair of jeans (or several) and eventually they wear out.If you’ve chanced on this...
It is challenging to find a skirt for my daughter because if I go with the age on the tag most...
Sometimes you just want to change up your wardrobe for a new season, and that’s exactly what I did....
I love a good upcycle. Seriously, who doesn’t? It can get really frustrating, though, when every...
Today I would like to show you a very simple version of cardigan, which I introduced in the previous...
In this guide I will show you how I upcycled an old pair of leather boots into a handbag.This pair...
I really love wearing a Santa hat on Christmas, but it’s sometimes a little hard to find a nice one...
Nothing is a better feeling than finding something on the high street that looks ultra-expensive and...
There is nothing better than having a comfy and warm pair of slippers to get you through the winter!...
Need some new shoes for the summer? These DIY rose slides are the perfect pair! Completely transform...
I hate waste! I decided that I needed to do a scrap busting project because I had a lot of scrap...
Oversized sweaters are everyone's favorite thing right? I mean I know they are mine. I just love how...
Could there be a more glorious combination than overalls and sweatpants? Perhaps only if the pieces...
I've been feeling extra crafty and up for new challenges lately, so when I came across these pillow...
I'm back with another shoe DIY!I might be slightly obsessed with transforming old shoes into more...
And now it's time for our very first sewing tutorial of the year! I'm pretty excited for this one,...
Join the conversation
GORGEOUS!! I love the blue shirt pocket and the red jacket...can't pick a favorite. : )
Love the jacket! Great work. Must have a lot of patience to do all the crystal placing. Kudos to you! Happy New Year!