DIY Day: Studded Asymmetrical Dress and Boots

New seasons always make me want to invest in a new wardrobe. Unfortunately, that isn't always feasible on a college budget. But, thanks to some Pinterest inspiration, a pair of scissors, and some studs, I was able to give a few items in my closet a much needed update yesterday.

I bought the following items a while back (please excuse the stain on my carpet; I drink wayyyy too much coffee and unsurprisingly spill it everywhere). The dress was a $3 thrift store find that fit really well despite being overly conservative with a high neckline and hem that hit mid-shin (I suspect it was supposed to be a maxi dress, but with all the stretch I managed to squeeze the size "petite small" over my six-foot frame). I bought it anyway, figuring that one can never have too many black dresses (er...at last count I had thirteen). And, for $3, I wouldn't be heartbroken if my desire to DIY was a total flop. 

The boots I snagged on sale at Target a couple seasons ago. They were never quite as edgy as I wanted them to be, but I wore them to death anyway. Finally bored with them, I thought they were another perfect DIY candidate.

First, the dress. I found my inspiration at NastyGal, and decided it would be easy to recreate a similar style. I folded the dress in half and cut a diagonal line from the back hem up to mid-way up the front where I wanted the shortest point to be. This created a nice, flowing, asymmetrical hem, and made it  much less conservative. Next, I cut a V to create the matching plunging neckline in the front and back. Last, I studded the neckline both front and back with 1/2" pyramid studs that I got at Studs & Spikes. 

If you're going to do your own studding, I recommend at least purchasing a dart awl for studding, otherwise it is quite difficult to poke through the fabric. I used a pair of pliers to bend the prongs on the spikes, which was fine for the thin fabric of the dress, but much more difficult for the thicker material of the boots. I will update this post with a picture of how the dress looks on when I get a chance to wear it! I was really pleased with the result.

Ta-da! The finished dress

Next the boots. Man, were these a lot of work. Which basically means I watched an ungodly amount of Netflix yesterday during the process. Anyway...

I used the small 1/4" pyramid studs and 1/2" conical studs in an alternating pattern on the toes and tongue, and the 1/2" pyramid studs down the back. After my experience, I would highly advice against using really small studs on such a thick material. The prongs on the 1/4" studs (the 1/2" worked just fine) barely reached through the material, which made it hard to bend the prongs down. But so far at least my feet haven't been stabbed...

Front and back views.

Has anyone else undertaken any DIY wardrobe updates lately? Or have any advice to offer when it comes to adding studs and spikes to garments? I'd love to hear your feedback!