Learn to make trendy DIY sunglasses with these refashion and upcycle accessory ideas! Create your own high fashion accessories inspired by Chanel, Dolce and Gabbana, and Miu Miu with these quick and easy tutorials.
Lately, I’ve been spending an embarrassing amount of time perusing high-fashion websites looking at insanely overpriced accessories. This habit runs deep. When I was a little girl, I spent hours watching runway shows on the Style Network while other girls were watching Strawberry Shortcake and Power Rangers. I’ve always been a sucker for the outrageous fashion on runways and over-the-top designs.
Granted, most of the time high fashion designs can be impractical for our real lives, but sometimes it’s fun to add a bit of glamour in small ways. Accessories are the perfect way to start!
Whenever you’re feeling bored with an outfit, it’s amazing what a few new accessories can do. Especially when you add one “wow” statement piece.
So today, I thought it would be fun to recreate a few sunglasses inspired by Miu Miu, Dolce & Gabbana, and the one and only Chanel.
To create these high-fashion designs, we are going to look no further than our jewelry box and accessory drawer. We all have a few extra pieces in our jewelry box that we will never wear, haven’t seen daylight in years, and are just floating around collecting dust right?
Today I thought it would be fun to take these pieces and make something new!
For today’s tutorial, I’ll be recycling these 3 pairs of sunglasses and a few old pairs of earrings and broken jewelry.
After all, sometimes updating our closet isn’t so much about making new things from scratch, but about editing what we already own, giving our old clothes a makeover, or even combining a few pieces to make something totally new entirely.
Have you ever found yourself browsing Pinterest, (if you don’t follow me on Pinterest yet, click here) looked at crazy designer sunglasses, and thought, “those are kinda fun…. but I don’t know if I’d ever wear those.”
This is the perfect way to test out statement-making jewelry. Worst case scenario, you’re not out much money and you had some fun making something with your hands in the meantime.
So without further ado, let’s get started!
How To Make Dolce & Gabbana Inspired Sunglasses
There is something so fun and whimsical about everything Dolce and Gabbana does. These gold sunglasses are certainly no exception. But at $433 a pair, I think it’s safe to say we won’t be buying any of this style anytime soon. The great news is that we can DIY our own similar designs by recycling an old chain bracelet and a basic pair of beige sunglasses.
Dolce & Gabbana DIY Sunglasses Supplies
- Old Sunglasses
- Jewelry & Metal Instant Adhesive
- Jewelry Pliers
- Old Chain Bracelet
How To Make Gold Chain 80’s DIY Sunglasses
To add the gold detail, I’m actually going to be recycling this old, chain bracelet. To do this, just grab some basic jewelry pliers and undo the clasp at the base of your bracelet and continue on to disassemble the whole thing.
From here, we’re going to use the base of our jewelry pliers to trim the chain to fit the top edge of our sunglasses. make sure it’s the right length and it fits correctly before you trim and glue it in place.
Tip: If you happen to be working with a thick corded chain like this at home, be sure you pay attention to the inside of your chain and use your pliers to smooth out any rough edges.
To adhere to the chain to your sunglasses, we’re going to be using some metal jewelry adhesive. You can find this at any craft store. Just put a thin layer along the top edge of your sunglasses. Then, we’re going to let it sit for about 5 minutes until it gets slightly tacky before we apply our chain. By letting it sit, your chain won’t slide around as much and make for a much cleaner, less frustrating project.
Let it sit to dry for several hours before wearing your new DIY sunglasses.
Chanel Knock-Off DIY Sunglasses
Next, we’re going to be making this super trendy pearl and leather sunglasses from some old, round glasses. I absolutely love the vintage, 60’s vibe of these, and the funky statement of the pearls. Plus, can you ever go wrong with Chanel?
Chanel DIY Sunglasses Supplies
- Some old, round sunglasses
- Jewelry Adhesive
- 1/4 wide Faux Leather Strip
- Pearl Beads
- 18-Gauge Jewelry Wire
How To Make It
To do this, we’re just going to be using a thin piece of 18 gauge jewelry wire and use your jewelry pliers to make a little circle on one end. This will be used to hold everything in place.
Then, we’re going to use a little scrap of faux suede cut to a 1/4″ strip and use your metal wire to puncture a small hole into one side. You can feed this through.
From here, we’re going to add a small pearl bead (or whatever bead you choose) onto your wire before we wrap the leather strip around your bead and use your wire to punch another hole in the top edge.
This will create an “s” like effect around each pearl bead using your leather scrap. Keep going until you have a circle that’s as wide as the lens of your sunglasses.
What’s so nice about working with jewelry wire is you can always bend it to test the diameter of your wire around the lens of your sunglasses to make sure you get a really good fit.
For your second wire circle, just count the beads to make another circle that turns out to be the identical size.
Once everything is beaded, just slip your wire through the small hoop we made in on the other side of our wire to pull through and create a circle. Wrap your wire around itself a few times and trim to hold everything in place.
Once both of your leather and pearl circles are complete, it’s time to use the same metal jewelry adhesive to line the rim of your sunglasses to hold them in place permanently.
Let them dry for several hours before wearing to make sure the bond is secure.
How To Make Miu Miu Inspired Sunglasses
The last makeover is the most glamorous out of the three. For this last DIY Sunglasses tutorial, I’ll be recycling our old sunglasses with a pair of rhinestone earrings I never wore to create some ultra-glamorous Miu Miu inspired sunglasses.
Miu Miu DIY Sunglass Supplies
- Jewelry Adhesive
- an old pair of rhinestone earrings
- old black cat-eye sunglasses
- Jewelry Pliers
- Dish Towel
How To Make Miu Miu Inspired Sunglasses
To make these ornate sides, we’re actually going to recycling some old earrings! I love combining old pieces to create totally new pieces. This little refashion is no exception. To get the Miu Miu design, we’re basically just going to be re-shaping these earrings to fit the cat-eye of our sunglasses.
To begin, use the base end of your jewelry pliers to remove the hooks that slide through your ears so you are only left with the decorate hoop of the earring.
Since the existing shape of our earrings isn’t going to fit around the rim of our sunglasses, we’re going to need to mold them. The only problem is, we don’t want to damage our rhinestones in the process.
So, to mold the hoops while protecting the delicate rhinestones, slowly bend the earring into place on a dishtowel with your jewelry pliers. This is going to give you the cushion you’ll need to avoid damaging your earrings.
Once you have two molds that compliment your sunglasses, use your metal jewelry adhesive to hold them in place permanently.
I love the detail of these DIY sunglasses and the ornate, over-the-top glamour of these sunglasses. Sometimes it’s fun to experiment with a high-fashion style without the high price tag and monetary commitment. That way, you can play around and see how you like a certain trend.
I hope you guys really loved these 3 sunglasses refashion tutorials!
Because when it comes down to it, you may not need to go shopping to re-create your closet. Your next, trendy addition to your wardrobe might already be waiting in your dresser drawers, just waiting to be reinvented.
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