I like to match. I would love to have designer sunglasses that match every outfit. I would also like to travel to all sorts of exotic places with my designer sunglasses on my own private jet. Obviously, neither one is happening. But what I do have is endless creativity, access to cheap sunglasses and an overflowing craft stash. So I will make sunglasses to match every outfit!
I searched the Internet looking for ideas on DIY websites and designer websites. Then I searched through the craft stash and nail polish (yes, nail polish!) to see what I could come up with. Then, it was off to find some cheap sunglasses. I hit the Dollar Tree and Five Below and found some cheap glasses. I wasn't quite ready (or willing) to try my newfound ideas on nice sunglasses - yet.
First, I tried my hand at gluing stuff on my glasses. This is so easy, even the craftily challenged can handle this! I got a black pair of sunglasses at the Dollar Tree and an old pair of clip on earrings.
Using my wire cutters, I snipped off the earring backs, then I spread some E6000 (the stuff glues ANYTHING) on both the backs of the earrings and the temples of the glasses with a toothpick, waited about two minutes then stuck them together.
And voila! Sparkly and rizty! Tres chic, no?
I found a pair of my daughter's old sunglasses and glued on some beads from an old bracelet to create these:
I glued some hematite stars I had leftover from a bracelet I made and now I have sunglasses that match it!
I found some old stretch bracelets that lost their stretch. I just glued those babies on these pairs:
I found some seashell beads and starfish beads along with some seafoam seed beads and came up with these beach worthy beauties:
I then tried my hand at nail polish. I grabbed another pair of black sunglasses and nail polish in an awesome glittery purple. Since I sometimes (ok, a lot of the time) suck at staying in the lines when I paint, I taped off the lenses with painters tape.
I painted just the front with the nail polish. I did three coats. I still felt it needed a little extra oomph, so I added a flower button to each temple.
I needed a red pair, so I grabbed these tortoise shell glasses, taped off some lines and polished away. The polish was a bright, screaming red, but I guess the tortoise shell was too dark and it came out more of a brick red. I still like them though.
I made a beaded pair by brushing the top half with glue, rolling them in seed beads, letting them dry then topping them off with a coat of decoupage to keep the beads in place.
So, I tried again with coral nail polish with a white glitter top coat. This is what I was going for!
I did a second pair using just a pink glitter top coat. I like bling.
I wrapped the sides and nose piece of these aviators with embroidery floss. I first did a pair in red, then mixed it up with stripes. I hate them both. I think they look stupid. I might just rip off the embroidery floss and use nail polish.
I'm ready to try my hand on some (slightly) more expensive glasses. Plus, I haven't tried washti or fabric tape and I want to decoupage some book pages on the earpieces! And my daughter has commandeered half of my new sunglasses! But I'm rocking the ones she left me!
Until the next project,
Chris :)
