DIY teen fashion projects

Everyone from Samaire Armstrong (Fox's "The O.C.") to the Olsen twins (a.k.a Mary-Kate and Ashley) has done the DIY thing, so why shouldn’t you? It’s not necessary to be Little Miss Suzy Homemaker. As long as you have a bit of creativity and a handful of boring clothes, you’re on your way.

Ruche It

• Using ½ inch wide elastic, measure and cut four strips the same length as your tee (HINT: pull elastic taut before cutting the strips). Turn inside out, and sew the elastic, while stretching tight, evenly down the length of the tee. Though solid tees do work, stripe or graphic-print tees look especially cool with this ruching effect.
• To put the leftover elastic to good use, grab any random tee that needs a little spicing up and, while pulling taut, sew the elastic strip (should be about three to four inches long) vertically, off-center at the bottom hem for a neat, asymmetrical look.

Cut It

• Chop off the neckline of a solid crewneck tee into a boat neck shape. Be careful not to go overboard – unless you’re channeling Flashdance. If you’re using a long-sleeved tee, hack the sleeves into a ¾ length. With a short sleeve, just trim about one inch off. Unhem bottom using a seam ripper, leaving the edge raw. A new neckline will make all the difference, and the raw edges with toughen up your basic tee.
• With a crewneck tee, cut a straight line down the collar to about mid-chest. If you like your V-necks low, make the straight cut longer. Turn your tee inside out, fold flaps in to form a V, and sew in place. This works well with solid-colors, but adds a funky look to graphic tees.

Pretty It

• Using a solid beater (or skinny ribbed tank), sew one foot of a funky inch-wide ribbon around the tank about an inch above the bust. Start on the back of the tank, making sure that your ribbon is centered in front. Be extra cautious that you sew in a very straight line. Tie in a pretty bow in the front, and secure. For a quirky look, sew the ribbon off-center, creating an off-center bow.
• Craft stores like Hobby Lobby, JoAnn’s, and Michael’s carry a huge variety of hip appliqués and decorations that will give even the simplest tee a complete style upgrade. Look for little beaded designs, cool sequin numbers, or even neat letters.