#Cheap creative DIY

[ghettogardener]

Painted some rocks to decorate my garden a while ago. Today, I finally got around to sealing them so they can actually go outside in the yard!

[thebeccagramchronicles]

Easy DIY Project: refurbishing a picture with a marker

[curatedbyondrea]

How to bring *luxury* into your life while on a budget

Luxury on a budget is absolutely achievable! It's about focusing on creating an experience of indulgence and pampering, rather than just expensive things. Here are some ideas:

Redefine Luxury for You:

Focus on Experiences: Luxury isn't just material possessions. Think about what makes you feel truly pampered and relaxed. Is it a long, candlelit bath with a good book? A picnic in a scenic spot? Prioritize experiences that create lasting memories.

Quality over Quantity: Invest in a few key items you'll love and use for years, rather than buying a lot of cheap things. This could be anything from a luxurious body lotion to a cozy throw blanket.

Create a Luxurious Atmosphere at Home:

Declutter and Deep Clean: A clean and organized space instantly feels more luxurious. Light some scented candles, put on some calming music, and dim the lights for a spa-like atmosphere.

DIY Spa Treatments: Skip the expensive spa and recreate the experience at home. Give yourself a foot massage with homemade sugar scrub, use a facial mask made with natural ingredients, or draw a relaxing bath with essential oils.

Elevate Everyday Activities: Take the time to savor a cup of tea in the morning. Set the table for dinner with nice plates and silverware, even if it's just a simple meal.

Seek Out Free or Low-Cost Luxuries:

Embrace Nature: Take a hike in a beautiful park, have a picnic by the beach, or simply sit outside and enjoy the fresh air. Nature is a free and luxurious way to de-stress and reconnect.

Cultural Gems: Many museums and galleries offer free or discounted admission days. Check your local library for free museum passes or online resources for virtual tours of famous collections.

Learn a New Skill: Taking a free online class in something that interests you, like photography or cooking, can be a stimulating and luxurious way to spend your time.

Remember: Luxury is about feeling good and taking care of yourself. By being creative and resourceful, you can incorporate these elements into your life, regardless of your budget.

[heartless-aro]

DIY Pride Gear

In honor of Aromantic Spectrum Awareness week, I thought I’d make a list of some resources for making some DIY aro pride gear!

Aro Rings

For anyone who doesn’t already know, an aro ring is a white ring worn on the left hand middle finger, signifying that the wearer is on the aromantic spectrum.

If you want to make one yourself rather than buying online or searching through local stores trying to find a suitable ring, AUREA made a pretty detailed tutorial on how to make an aro ring, which I’ve linked below.

It’s also pretty simple to make rings out of polymer clay if you would prefer an easier method.

Pride Flag

This tutorial is for a rainbow flag, but if you would prefer to make an aromantic flag, you could just use the same method with different fabric colors. (Since the aro flag is a 5 stripe flag, you’d probably want the fabric strips to be around 20.4 cm wide by 150 cm long if you want to get close to the dimensions of the flag in the video).

Pins

Great if you want to make something cheap and easy with a pride flag on it, especially if you want to make something with one of the more obscure or complicated flags, since those can be harder to sew or buy.

Patches

Aroworlds is aro-specific and thus includes many different aro flags, but the tutorials in the two videos can also be easily done for pretty much any horizontal striped pride flag.

[cuntyji]

ib by @yuutaguro's nanami artwork. concept inspired by nicole mclaughlin's teacup headphones

nanami loved his mugs. all of them.

the cheap, garish ones gojo picked out on his “self-care” days.

the novelty ones yuuji found, emblazoned with phrases like “mug-nificent man.”

and the fine china sets — his pride. he saved for months to buy those, treating each piece like a holy relic.

then there was you.

his diy girlfriend.

you saw potential in everything.

a cardboard box? now it’s a cat condo.

a broken lamp? re-engineered into a phone charger.

nanami’s fine china mug set?

...well.

“hear me out,” you began, one fine saturday morning. nanami immediately tensed up.

he didn’t question it when his mugs started disappearing, one by one. maybe he just misplaced them. but then he walked into the living room.

there you were, wearing headphones.

“are those…” he trailed off, pointing.

“oh, these? yeah! made them from the china set. the sound quality is insane, nanami. like, bone china-shakingly good.”

he blinked.

“why?”

“because i could.”

“...but why?”

you shrugged. “it was a creative challenge. also, your cups have the perfect acoustics. i read an article about it!”

for once, nanami didn’t know how to respond.

he wanted to be upset.

this was his fine china, the set he only used for “special occasions” (which, in nanami world, included weekends with a good book).

but he was also… kinda impressed.

“how did you even —”

“a soldering iron, some copper wire, and a dream, babe.”

“...you used my soldering iron?”

“duh. oh, also, i added noise-canceling! wanna try?”

he sat down, gingerly placing the headphones on his ears.

they were surprisingly comfortable. the sound? immaculate.

“…this is impressive,” he admitted grudgingly.

“i know.” you beamed. “don’t worry. i left your travel mug untouched. for now.”

he sighed, massaging his temples.

“next time, just ask me before dismantling my belongings.”

“totally.”

you didn’t mean it. he knew you didn’t mean it.

but somehow, he couldn’t bring himself to care.

he sipped his coffee out of one of gojo’s hideous mugs, listening to jazz through your mugphones.

life was chaotic. but it was never boring.

[puppys-tiny-space]

👑Tips for littles on a budget👑

This is some tips for tinies (or carers looking for gifts for kiddos) on a budget! Of course you don't need any gear to be a good regressor but a lot of us like toys etc. and it's okay to want them!

🧸thrift stores, a lot of thrift stores have toys and plushies, sometimes they are a bit broken or dirty but there are lots of tutorials on YouTube for cleaning and restoring plushies and toys🧸

🐾e-books, you can find kids books online as e-books which are often pretty cheap or you can watch tiktoks of people reading those books🐾

🩷diy onesies, a lot of regressors like onesies but the prices are pretty steep, if you can't afford them don't fret! Its super easy and affordable to make one yourself all you need is an old t-shirt and snap buttons plus a way to attach them, just get a big t-shirt, sweatshirt or even hoodie and add 2-4 snap buttons in the crotch, boom you have a super cute and discreet onesie!🩷

🧸diy toys, there are lots of toys you can make yourself either by sewing or crafting and there's lot soft videos on YouTube for it, or get creative🧸

🐾mobile games, I love to play video games when im regressed but game consoles are expensive so free mobile games are a great alternative🐾

🩷dollar store etc, while you shouldn't rely on stores or websites that use cheap labor for everything it's okay to make exceptions every now and then, especially for toys, pacis, sippy cups and similar🩷

🧸pull ups, instead of cute printed diapers get big kid pull-ups in the baby-section or medical diapers from a drugstore, they are less then half the price of a pack of adult diapers from brands like tears etc.🧸

🐾learn to diy, making things yourself is often the most affordable thing to do, not with everything obviously but with a lot of things, learn as much stuff as you can so you can make lots of gear yourself🐾

🩷look for affordable stores, lots of paci stores on Instagram are very affordable and the ones that aren't often have sales so keep an eye out for that, lots of shops also have promoter codes they are happy for you to use, for example with my code 'bunnybab' you get a small discount at pacisbybunnie and cozypacicorner🩷

🧸buy second hand, thrift stores are a great place but if you want little specific stuff looking on vinted, swoop or even insta is a great idea! Lots of people sell gear they no longer connect with🧸

Fun fact of the day: Bluey's pilot was only a minute long and never actually aired

[two-red-lungs]

The Kids Are Alright (Eddie Munson)

Your first date with Eddie Munson is fine, as far as first dates go. You get pizza together: meet awkwardly outside the door at 7pm, hands sweaty, exchanging nervous, butterfly-riddled smiles. You eat. He can't stop moving in his seat opposite you, tapping his hands on the sticky enamel tabletop. He looks at you with big brown eyes. Wary, at first, then as the night goes on and it becomes clear this isn't some string-along joke, or a prank, with boyish glee.

But the second date is the one that really shines.

Eddie, in all his intellectual glory, takes you to the Dollar Tree.

It's late, again, and the D in the logo flickers in and out of existence. The air inside smells like cheap plastic, dust, and the urban sprawl of capitalism. This is a place that's usually... dead. A pathetic sort of dead, where dreams come to die, the cashier looks about five seconds from falling asleep, agonizingly boring elevator music plays over tinny speakers, and Hawaiian themed teacups are on sale for ninety-nine cents.

You think god, what the hell are we even doing here? This is hardly a dinner date, or the bowling alley, or makeout point, or any of the usual dates your friends always bragged so cooling about. But then Eddie looks at you over his shoulder, spins on his heel, and throws his arms wide. His outfit jingles.

"Welcome," he says with a glint in his dark eyes, "to the goddamn kingdom of imagination."

You should leave. God knows to anyone else at school this date could sound like a horror story, an uncouth, uncool, unladylike disaster. But there's something in those eyes. Something vibrant and alive and real. So instead of leaving you think, okay. Why not.

Best decision of your life.

He knows this place by heart, every white-tiled aisle under the buzzing fluorescents. And he's funny, too: you didn't expect him to be so funny. As you both slowly amble and push your squeaky-wheeled cart he picks up random shit, talking as he fiddles.

A fuzzy caterpillar cat toy becomes his moustache. He wraps a crinkled paper streamer around his neck like a boa and faints dramatically against some of the shelves. He scurries to the aisle next to you and pretends to walk down a staircase, disappearing from view: when his moppish head pops back up again, his wild hair flounces.

Huh. He smiles like the sun.

Eddie asks about everything possible, and god, under his stoner slang he's whip fucking smart. You crack a joke or a sarcastic reference and he smoothly returns it with equal emphasis, two tennis players on the court.

You check out picture frames. Eddie suggests throwing a little spraypaint on it, a little silver paint to light the edges, some weathering with sandpaper, and suddenly you've got yourself some primo decor.

"You like to paint?" You ask him, standing in the aisle, holding the shitty wooden frame. He's looking over your shoulder. You can feel his body heat, this close.

"I'm a big believer in, uh. Creativity, y'know?" His smile is big, toothy. Still nervous. Like as extroverted as he is, as big as his personality could be, the sting of a scoff or a sneer could still hurt.

You tell him that's cool. Something in his eyes softens.

God, you don't know how many hours you spend in that place, just talking and touching shit and discussing potential DIY projects and cool ideas. You talk comics, and music, and Hawkins social politics. He tells you about Tolkien. You tell him about David Brin. He likes David Murray, you like Siouxie Sioux. You both agree the autumn leaves this time of year make the Hawkins High look like its roof is on fire (and god, if only).

Your cart is full of bullshit you don't really need, bullshit full of promise and potential, and Eddie is letting you ride the cart with your feet on the front bar as he pushes it down the aisle at mach one speed. He splutters behind you, your hair in his mouth. He's laughing.

The total comes to 12 dollars even. The plan for the next date is to turn the kids bathtub toys you bought- ducks and dolls and dolphins- into zombies and mummies and other creatures with the shitty barely-opaque acrylics set you scored.

The sky is black outside, and it's raining. He asks if he'll see you again this week, and you say yeah, duh. The air feels like fireworks- like lightning, like a live wire. You think for a second that he's gonna kiss you.

Eddie pulls out a silver-plastic tiara from under his vest, nicked free of charge from the girl's section, and sets it on your head. It's cheap, pattern-punched plastic with pink plastic gems. It's perfect. He's made you a fairytale.

Munson bows, smiles again- the one that makes his eyes crinkle- and then he's off in his van.

He's so weird. He's so strange. You don't understand him.

You think you really like him.

[grimsonandclover]

annie mon amour!!!! handing over creative liberty to you for a blurb with patrick and the line “Did you know you talk in your sleep?” (because i do in-fact talk in my sleep)

In The Middle Of The Night

Patrick Zweig x Reader

In the middle of the night, Patrick can sometimes hear you talk in your sleep.

Accompanies a Bot Drop -> here!

SFW

1,263 words

Domestic Patrick

Patrick has had years to grow acustomed to uncomfortable sleep enviroments. An air matress of the floor of Art's old dorm while his friend stayed up studying for classes he couldn't focus on during the day; the back of his car among everything he owns under streetlights and the fear that this was the night someone would break in; cheap motel beds that wouldn't pass a blacklight test with a couple the room over either fighting or fucking against the wall. As he likes to put it, he's made his bed and now he will lie in it. It was all for tennis.

Then you came along and turn it all on its head, like you found him in his made bed and decided to take it upon yourself to tuck him in and give him a kiss on the forehead. Meeting you meant finally having a good place to rest.

He was surprised by the simple impact that having you in his life had on his tennis. Who knew a few weeks of proper sleep, actual meals, and a heart to hold on to actually made you a functioning person. Those deep circles you met alongside him initially now faded to a soft, almost impercievable hue dusting below Patrick's eyes. That stubborn ache in his knees, back, and wrist that never quite seemed to go away until your hands and your whispers and time off all together finally gave him some reprieve from the pain. Patrick has never been against settling down and being an honest man, he's been close before, but he's never found someone who seemed to want to do it with him. Then, you grabbed his hand under the stars of an Olive Garden parking lot after taking a peak at his backseat-living arrangement and now he's finally found that someone.

You never expected this for yourself, either. You've been known to be caring, to help whoever would accept your help, but life had a habit of getting in the way of the truly good things in life for you. Keeping a job was never easy for some reason no matter how hard you tried, there always seemed to be someone better waiting for you to slip up. Family called and called but never quite listened, friends drifted off into their careers and travels. It all went too fast for you. The only time you felt like the universe was finally in its place was when you were in your bedroom.

It was a bit of pain to build up, a labor of love. Not that you actually built it, you were only a renter of course, but just getting it to where it needed to be. Renter friendly wallpaper bought on months when work was good, cheap DIY projects when it wasn't and you needed something else to focus on. One time you managed to convince a coworker to help you after work set up a canopy above your bed with an old quilt your grandmother had, and it was one of your favorite additions. It felt safe, like the embrace of your grandmother, and seeing it every night gave you a sense of comfort you didn't have before. Your second favorite addition was the star projector.

You had saved up for that one, and it came after Patrick did into your life. It wasn't one of those cheap ones, it was a nice one, with a bunch of settings and scenes and colors, even functioning as a noise machine. The soft changing colors dancing on your ceiling and canopy made it easier for you anxious or stressed mind to drift off, focused instead on the moving stars and galaxies.

You had so many pillows, all with different covers because matching wasn't something you were interested in. A weighted duvet, soft duvet cover, and an extra, thinner blanket underneath it all juuuust in case you wanted something more to snuggle under.

It seemed like so much when Patrick first laid eyes on it all, your room a true reflection of you; Its warmth, its color, its comfort. Then, the first night he stayed over, he understood the madness. He couldn't remember the last time he'd slept so deeply.

The star projector illuminated your sleeping face brilliantly with sleepy blues and warm greens, like you were something in a dream come true. Patrick's eyes traced over every features, humming to himself in the quiet. It was usually quite easy for him to fall asleep, but some nights like this there's a quiet feeling in the back of his mind that keeps him awake. When he was a kid, his solution was to creep down stairs and hide in the endless garden of his home, watching the fountains and listening to the water and night sounds until sleep finally crept up on him. Here, your soft snores and little mumblings in your slumber were his lullaby.

When he moves a strand of hair from your face, you don't budge, so deep in the sleep you deserve. Patrick even giggles when he notices a small trail of drool on the corner of your mouth, wiping it with his sleeve. You're so... Patrick can't even think of the word. Something about you is just so right, so everything when you're asleep. You're peaceful. You're a picture of tranquility. The wrongs of the world don't bother you. It gives him a sense of relief, like it's the one right thing in this world. Everything feels like it's gone to shit around you, but still you find your peace in the end.

He likes to wonder what you're dreaming about. Sometimes Patrick will turn to lie on his back, staring up at the canopy of your bed and let his eyes follow the swirling trail of stars and light. He used to think the light would bother him, but it's quite the opposite. And as he watches, his mind will drift to everything and anything about you. Call him a fanboy, it's probably a fitting title.

Sometimes you answer his curiosity. It's his favorite when you do.

Sometimes, when he's particularly awake and comfortable and lost in his daydreams, Patrick will hear a small murmer from his side, and then he'll turn and find you talking in your sleep. Often it's too broken up to understand or follow, or just complete nonsense, but he still enjoys listening and trying to come up with what you're dreaming.

"Put the... put it in there. No, I don't want to give it."

"I've got a lot of... mh, she'll understand. Tell mom what it... mh,"

If he's feeling extra curious, a small smile pulled to the corner of his mouth as he returns to lying on his side and watching you, Patrick will ask you things.

"Too much, too much. I can't carry all of that..."

"What can't you carry?"

"Shoe boxes everywhere... that turtle needs to stop."

"Is the," Patrick starts laughing mid-sentence, "Is the turtle giving you too many shoe boxes?"

"Mh, too much."

When you wake in the morning, dream forgotten the moment your eyes flutter open and your arms stretch out, Patrick curls into your side with a long sigh as another smile creeps on his lips. "G'morning. How'd the turtles treat you?"

You give him a confused look, stopping in the middle of your stretch to look down at his covered face and ask him what he means. He does this sometimes, asking you things you don't quite understand when you wake up.

"Nothing." Patrick chuckles, pulling you back down for an extra five minutes of sleep before another day of work. "Just a dream I had."

[lazypanartist]

Hobie Brown x Artistic/DIY Reader

I love him 💙

pt 1 - Pt 2 - Pt 3 - Pt 4

Warnings: maybe spoilers for ATSV, IDK. Reader's in the punk scene and from Hobie's universe. Whole lotta projection. Canon-typical injuries

Features info dumping and personal Hobie HCs I guess. It's long ASF. And just self indulgent

Please RB, likes alone don't do anything for the algorithm!

-----

DIY/punk Hobie Brown

If you're in the scene, you know the basics

Patches?

Hand-Stitched

Usually with dental floss for durability/cost efficiency

And originally painted with white-out for the same reasons

Spikes or studs?

Cheap, bulk buy, screw em on yourself

Or just make em out of cans

Hobie's fit looks like it fits the bill

Old leather or denim jacket with the sleeves cut off

FN/SM painted on the back

Shirt's kinda tattered iirc

Spiked collars are easy

Same with the wristbands

When he meets you?

Whoo boy

It was one of his shows he was putting on

New songs, new faces in the crowd

He spots you from a distance at first

Little sketchbook in hand

You stay through his whole performance

When he's chatting up the crowd afterwards, though?

You're already gone

(Bitch writes a song about the pretty thing watching from afar, bc ofc he does)

He next sees you during one of President Osborne's speeches

Standing in the front row of a gathered crowd, shaking your head at the screen

He drops down after a few minutes, hanging upside down and blocking the less-than-pleasant view

He takes a few moments between questions from others

Little explanations

A promise to do what he can

Takes just a glimpse to look you over

You have a similar touch to the rest of the crowd

Worn out boots, tattered clothes, hand-sewn and painted patches

And your sketchbook still in hand

It's a little peculiar for the crowd

But he doesn't question it

What he does question is where you've gone after he turns to look at you

He only took a second for more reassurances

But when he goes to see you again

You're gone, just like the first time you caught his eye

He realizes then

That he's intrigued

He doesn't know what it is about you

Until he keeps seeing you pop up again

Riots

Concerts

Shows

Speeches

His immaterial object of interest

He finally starts actually talking to you the third or fourth time he sees you

At another of Osborne's liefests

An ambassador on a stage, surrounded by punks

Speaking of the President's virtues

Yeah

Spider-Punk shows up pretty quickly to run him off

And gets to chatting with you

When he first approaches, you ask for his opinion on a patch idea

And turn your sketchbook to show him the page

His spider symbol backpiece

But instead of FN/SM, it simply states

"Down With President Osborne"

He takes your pen and signs as a seal of approval before swinging away

Sure, it was a short interaction

But it led to even more meaningful ones

Like, say..

Him practically dropping out of the sky into a park

You were just minding your business, sketching the scenery

When he almost fell on top of you.

Covered in injuries

He laughs when he looks up and sees that it's you

Because of course it's you

Tries to resist when you start futzing over him

If you're the parent friend like me?

Patch him up

PLEASE

Even if you can't see him back together

Just

Bandaids and gauze pads

And maybe some candy

Bc suckers help with creativity

Or it's just my neurodivergence? Idk

Just. Offer him one in case he needs to bite on something while you're putting alcohol on his injuries

When you're done he looks them over

Promptly winces when he twists his arm 🙄

But then thanks you for your help and swings off

Again

These kinds of interactions become common

He'll find you hanging around the city

Either doodling or just vibing

And drops down to talk for a bit

Or get patched up

Loves when you offer to fix his costume

Bc it looks just as nice & homemade as the rest of your/his fits

Grins under his mask when he sees a new patch or two

And starts snickering if you deny their application

He really appreciates everything you do for him

And figures he should prove it

Sure, he's saved you

But he's saved a lot of people..

He wants this to be special

Unique

And he thinks he knows how to do that..

---

Click for next part

[libraryspectre]

Allow me to ramble on the internet about my grandma again

I got much of my diy spirit from my maternal grandmother, who spent most of her time (that wasn't cooking, fishing, gardening, community service, or hunting) doing Art. This could be painting murals on any available surface, hot glueing old jewelry and seashells on things, making elaborate holiday decorations by painting plywood cutouts (cut by my grandfather), glueing ribbons and patches and rhinestones on denim jackets, and, once, making her entire front walkway into a genuinely gorgeous mosaic of broken tile.

The thing is, she didn't have many developed skills. She wasn't a particularly talented painter. But what she lacked in skill she made up for in sheer audacity and an eye for aesthetics, and most of the things she made ended up looking cool and fun/pretty, even if it wasn't my taste (she was VERY maximalist when it came to clothing especially, but I loved most of her painting and a lot of the decor.) She didn't have a lot of money and her materials were cheap - acrylic paint, plywood, garage sale trinkets and goodwill clothing. Tons and tons of hot glue. The corner of the garage where she worked was a wonderland to me, even though it was mostly things like costume jewelry and aquarium beads in old cottage cheese containers.

She was always enlisting me for help - I'd get excited when she told me to wear old clothes, because that meant we were painting. Her attitude was really good for me as a creative kid who struggled with perfectionism. She'd always tell me that if you mess up, you can just paint back over it! "Paint is cheap" was one of her favorite sayings. But the biggest lesson I took away from crafting with her was to customize, to stamp your identity on your surroundings, to take it into your hands to change anything in your environment you weren't happy with. Approach any art project with enough gumption and it will probably be AT LEAST fine - and you can almost always improve upon it in the future. In the meantime, at least it will be yours. And NEVER let yourself be bored when you could be creating.

I've gone down a lot of crafting avenues she never touched - she wasn't one for fiber arts, and I keep falling deeper into that rabbithole. But I've held on to that spirit of customization. I think of her often as I learn new ways to alter my clothes, stumbling blindly into embroidery and rudimentary sewing, bleach dying and fabric paint. I hate the landlord white of my apartment walls and dream of the day I can just paint on them anytime I want. I need to do at least a few seabirds in her honor.

[peytoriaseamshire]

✨ I made a corset from curtains!! ✨

As all great projects start, I saw a photo on pinterest (see below). I searched and searched and searched but I couldn’t find the right floral fabric for the corset. I was looking for grandmas curtains meets Victorian era. So I turned to curtains on Amazon (because thrifting wasn’t an option atm). Yep, $15 Amazon curtains (52” x 36”). It was budget-friendly, and honestly, a little rebellious.

I used a cheap Amazon corset (previously used for a renaissance fair outfit) as a base and dove into the challenges of corsetry. I will admit this was my first real try at making a corset. I’d done it before, but they always failed mid way. Did they fail or did I not trust the process??? Eh. I don’t know.

The zipper was installed under the armpit, so I didn’t ruin the floral pattern. As for the straps, I initially wanted to skip the classic ties, but they ended up being essential for making the corset wearable (and pretty). I didn’t know that you had to make the straps detachable in order to be able to put it on by yourself?

This corset feels so cool—I can wear it with flowy skirts for a romantic look or over jeans with a button up for something academic and interesting. Plus, it’s my first successful corset, and I’m obsessed with this floral pattern.

If I did it again, I’d focus on comfort and maybe tweak the zipper for better mobility. Also I’d work hard to thrift a fabric. I don’t like that it’s a Jeff Bezos corset. But honestly? It’s been a total win, and, as usual with DIY, it’s proof you can make something stunning with a little creativity and a lot of patience. ✨✨✨

[oldschool-lolita-archive]

Do you know where to buy old school lolita? It's difficult to find these days

‘Oldschool lolita’ is really just a term for the kind of lolita that was popular 20 years ago. So if you want a piece that was made in 2004 you will have to shop secondhand- there are multiple lolita secondhand marketplaces that can be found online (which i’m not going to go into because there are lots of resources on this topic already).

You might even have luck with your local lolita comm. I’ve heard lots of stories about finding such and such rare Victorian Maiden or whatever at swap meets for very cheap.

‘Oldschool lolita’ has also morphed into its own recognisable look that has been replicated by lolita brands trying to capitalise on that sweet sweet nostalgia. Brands will re-release fan favourite oldschool pieces all the time. I’ve lost count at how many Karami JSKs and Elizabeth OPs there are now! Metamorphose also has a very useful basics series for staples like socks and innerwear.

Indie brand recommendations that will work for an oldschool lolita coord~

• Rusanjinroom on IG and Twitter

• Wirehead shop on IG (they sell out quickly)

• Marble is still selling the same lace monstrosities that they always have done

• Lilith et Adalia on IG is currently on break, but their last collection was perfectly oldschool

• Spica shop also produces cheap oldschool accessories that are very endearing

♡♤♢♧

PSA: please use your own creativity when making oldschool lolita coords! Don’t feel like you need to replicate exactly what you see online, or feel that you have to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe. Take your time, use what you have on hand even if it isn’t perfectly lolita, DIY what you can.

This way you will be more true to yourself and true to the spirit of oldschool lolita!

[ropuszysko]

i am back to bitching and moaning bc holy fuck!!! i hate consumerism so much i will explode and die

whyyy every time i see some cool piece of clothing/jewellry, the first 2137 comments are "omg where did you buy it" or "liiink". when and where did we lost the ability to diy holy fuck, why people's first reaction is "i want to purchase this item". its been at least 7 years (and im only approaxhing 22) since i started to alter clothes/make accessories/thrift, minding my consumption of fashion and being vocal abt why its important, sending people tutorial, telling them how to do things, making things for them and i know a lot of my friends do the same. and yet. like come on, i teach diy to teenagers as a seasonal job. AND YET.

i want to bang my head against the wall, when i see yet another baby alt say things like "well, i dont have money to be goth/punk/whatever" and the first solution they think abt is "i will buy my whole closet off of shein/temu then" and not "hmmm ok im gonna try and make it". and no matter how many times you have the "hey actually buying shein is not only not really alt, but also bad for basically everyone involved and here's why and what to do instead" talk, SO MANY MORE COME UP. which like. dont get me wrong, i am not angry at these kids and hell, i do love teaching. but the sheer size of this phenomenon is just so frustrating to me.

especially that these AREN'T difficult skills. like if my mum and grandma were able to teach me how to sew and crochet at age 6 and by 18 i was able to mend most my clothes, use like 10 different creative technics, use a sewing machine and just look up resources online, if i needed them, im sure this isnt so out of reach for people. sewing machines maybe, as if you dont have someone close in your family to give you their vintage one (or like any other source ro get one), the market now is completely shit, but even these, there ARE classes and community centers (and if there arent hey, maybe its your call to action to try and establish something?).

and honestly these all are rhetorical questions, i do know the root causes and that really the only way to overcome this is to do what i do already but even louder and reach out even further. but i am SO tired and frankly frustrated. i hate late stage capitalism and the fact that this is literally one of the least important problems caused by it (tho it fuels a lot of the more urgent ones, bc for instance this shein shit comes from somewhere and is so cheap at someones expense yk).

[mentalmaggot]

Hi!

I’ve been interested in alt fashion and diy and punk for a while but I don’t know where to start. Do you have any advice about how I can start making some cool stuff? I’m terrible at sewing but I’d like to learn!

You don’t have to answer to this if you don’t want to.

Thank you! (And have a good day)

Thanks so much for the ask :]

I'm pretty new at making things myself! The way I got started was to look at everything I already have and don't wear and think about how I could use pieces of it or add things to it to make something new that I would actually love and use. I get most of my additional supplies from the dollar store, or just straight up trash I had lying around (pop tabs, broken jewelry, etc.). Personally, my best inspiration is to see what I could make work with limited materials-- kind of forces you to be creative with things! If you don't have much extra lying around, thrifting is great. My first jacket (the one all over my account) I didn't do much planning for. If planning is more your style then go for it, but don't get hung up on making it perfect. If you're using cheap or free materials, I'd say just dive right in for your first try. Have fun with it!!

As for sewing, dental floss is the best in my opinion. It's super thick and easy to work with. Cheap floss and a needle on the thicker side of things is all you need! The most basic stitch you need is a whip stitch. Pull the floss through the needle, fold it over itself and tie the ends together. Start somewhere to make sure the knot isn't visible. All it is is stringing the needle through what you're attaching, then back down through whatever you're attaching it to.

It doesn't have to be perfect!! It's insanely versatile and pretty strong, great for patches. The only downside is that it's super visible, but you could turn that more into a feature if you'd like! If you look too close at the stuff I make the stitching is shit-- I think the most important part is just that it'll hold together and results in something you're proud of :]

[guard-dog-boyfriend]

Welcome to Darling DIY's #1!

Are you creatively inclined? Do you identify as a yandere or darling? Do you just like giving gifts? This is for you! Darling DIY's will be a mini series I'm doing of fun arts and crafts projects for any obsessive lover.

If that interests you please click read more! And if you want to see more later on, reblog, comment, like, and share! I put a lot of work into these posts.

Credit to Roman from @theycantfwroman for help with some of these ideas. Go check them out!

Personalized Poppets

This is a DIY I have personally done and was the starting point of My Goddess being my muse. It's a doll meant to represent that person, and you can fill it with herbs, or other symbolic charms to help fully embody your beloved. You can use it in spiritual practices, place it on your shrine, or simply just make a plush of your beloved! You can get cheap fabric and basic sewing supplies from Dollar Tree which is the material I used, but you can make poppets from a variety of materials. Feel free to get creative with it.

Poppet Ideas:

Make a fabric doll with herbs inside for protection, so your beloved is safe thanks to you!

Make a mosaic stone of them and place it in the garden, to bless your plants.

Make them into a marketable plush! Just kidding. But seriously. Just make them into a really cute plush. This is especially nice for long distance relationships for cuddling potential.

Make them a custom painted doll, from an old monster high doll, and sew them tons of outfits. Dress up doll of your beloved achieved! I wont tell if you put them in silly outfits you've always wanted to see them in but they would never let you put them in :)

Make popsicle stick poppets of your beloved's exes and burn them!

Victorian Hair Art

The Victorians were obsessed with death and mourning. and this was born from those practices. However, they also simply did this for people they loved! Linked below will be a DIY article explaining it better than I ever could. You can also use brushed out yarn for this if you have no way to obtain enough of your beloved's hair for this.

Tutorial One Tutorial Two Article One Article Two

Pressed Flowers Portrait

What it says on the tin! Get some flowers that you associate with you and your beloved and press it! TL;DR to pressed flowers, place them in between sheets of parchment paper, and then place it between two heavy flat objects. Most commonly done using books, but there are flower presses sold specifically for this. Leave it for a few months, and once they're flat and dried out place it in a glass frame and display them.

Pressed Flower Ideas:

Grow the flowers yourself! Make it a long haul project to grow the flowers then press them then frame them.

Place other paper goods in the frame to signify certain events! Did you buy your beloved a bouquet and take them to dinner? Frame the bouquet and the receipt. Did you go out to a park and then see a movie? Pick some of the flowers and dry them out, then display with your movie tickets! Has your beloved literally EVER picked you a flower and given it to you? You better be pressing it.

When you and your beloved get married (if you want to get married obviously lol) preserve some of the wedding flowers with a wedding invite as a nice wedding memento

Press a small flower and cover it in resin, make a small resin necklace out of it for your beloved!

Hand Print Art

This is an idea I got from a pinterest post I got where you and your beloved place both your hands on a canvas overlapping like below:

However there's a variety of alternative things you can do with this to give it a more obsessive spin!

Hand Art Ideas:

Paint a sigil on the canvas before painting the background, then cover it up! This sigil can be anything but I prefer a binding sigil that represents something like "We are forever bound together"

Do thumb prints instead in the shape of a heart! More individualized and love themed.

This can be done with multiple people if you're polyam! And you don't have to pick these very gendered colors either.

You guys therians? Use stamps representing your chosen animals paw.

Scented Paper Flower Bouquet

There's tons of tutorials and ways to make paper flowers, but make sure to scent these guys with a signature scent! This can be anything from a scent that reminds you of an event, a specific date, or your darling's own cologne or perfume.

Scented Paper Flower Bouquet Ideas:

Have your darling buy you a scent for a specific date. Give them the paper flowers scented with the same scent after the date as a memento of the night.

Choose a scent based on the season you met them! Scents have seasons attached to them, and a quick google will explain what scent is what but here's a quick guide breaking it down! I personally am a big cologne nut, and my most notable scent is my bourbon cologne I wore in the winter the first time I met My Goddess in person and I scent nearly everything I give Her with it.

Make the flowers out of fabric, and turn it into a patch of any size! The fabric will hold the scent for longer, and now it's wearable!

Learn flower language. If you're gonna make paper flowers give them meaning! Quick breakdown guide to flower language here.