How to Decorate Hosiery

Try to wash hosiery feet only to keep decorations in tact.

Hosiery covers legs in cold weather, adds a dressy touch under a skirt or smooths out the leg's imperfections. Manufactured in all kinds of colors and designs, hosiery is an extension of your personality, in addition to your outfit. There are ways to customize your hosiery so that it matches an outfit perfectly or becomes an integral part of a costume, for example. With a few craft accessories a hot glue gun or a needle and thread, your hosiery can go from plain to pretty in several minutes.

Things You'll Need

• Lace hosiery
• Sequins, beads and appliques
• Measuring tape
• Thin needle
• Thread
• Scissors
• Thin-tipped light-colored marker
• Pins
• 2-by-6-inch piece of cardboard
• Hot glue gun

Instructions

1. Pull the hosiery onto your legs by placing both thumbs into one leg. Use your thumbs and fingers to move downward to the foot area. Slip your toes into the hosiery and release the hosiery gently as you pull it up the leg to your thigh. Repeat on the other leg. Pull the hosiery up around your waist.

2. Measure the thread and cut two feet. Moisten the thread with your mouth and push it through the needle. Stop pulling when you have a 6-inch tail. Wrap the other end of the thread around your finger by using your thumb and forefinger. Hold the thread with your thumb. Rub your fingers together to twist the thread and form a loop. Push the loop off your finger by moving your forefinger toward your thumb. Tie a knot.

3. Notice a spot where the lace is the heaviest. Push the needle through a spot, grab on to a tiny bit of lace and pull the needle back through. Pull up the thread and tie a taut knot.

4. Place beads one by one onto the needle. Think about the pattern or design you are creating and carefully choose each bead. When four or five beads are on the needle, lower the bunch to the hosiery using your hands. Push the needle through directly next to the beading, catch a tiny bit of hosiery and pull up. This enables the attachment of the beading and sequins.

5. Tie a knot in the thread when finished with an area. Repeat in each section by threading the needle, adding beads and sequins, and sewing.

6. Choose appliques and lace in the style and color you want. This can be in addition to the breading or as another design. Cut out the patterns you like and set aside.

7. Stand in front of a full-length mirror. Mark a dot with a light-colored marker at every place you want an applique. Pin the appliques so that you can see how it looks. Make adjustments as you see fit. Undo the pins and set the appliques aside.

8. Scrunch the tights all the way to your ankles and gently pull off each foot. Insert the cardboard through the top of the tights and carefully move it down toward the first dot. The dot should be in the center of the cardboard.

9. Plug in the glue gun. Wait five minutes for it to get hot. Squeeze a drop of glue onto the dot and add the first applique. Press firmly for five seconds. Move the cardboard to the next dot by placing your hand into the hosiery. Continue gluing all the appliques around the hosiery.

Tips & Warnings

• Place hosiery on a mannequin with legs before decorating. This can be easier than using your own legs.

• Sew the appliques and lace to the hosiery if you do not want to use a glue gun.

• Hosiery with spandex stays in tact longer.

• Refrain from putting your hosiery in the washing machine. Hand wash only when necessary.

• When cutting out appliques, turn the applique over and make sure there is not stitching where you are cutting. Otherwise, the applique will unravel.

• Put on hosiery carefully. Tugging to quickly could loosen the beads or appliques.

• Keep children away from a hot glue gun.

References

• Haute Happa: DIY Friday - Doo.Ri Inspired Embellished Tights
• Park & Cube: Starmoss - Doo.Ri Tights