How to Make a Leather Vest Look Girly
Add a little sparkle and some bling to a leather vest if you want to make it look girly. Leather is a tricky material to embellish with stitches and with glue, but you can add girly color and style if you use the right tools and materials. Dot the vest with faceted jewels and line the bottom with beaded fringe to transform a plain leather vest with a masculine feel into a feminine fashion accessory.
Things You'll Need
- Measuring tape
- Beaded fringe
- Viscous acrylic jeweler's glue
- Leather needle
- 100% nylon or polyester thread
- Flat-back rhinestones
Instructions
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1
Lay the leather vest with the outside facing down and flat. Measure the length of the hem line. Cut a strip of beaded fringe to span the length of the hem line. Beaded fringe is available in most craft and discount stores. A small strip of ribbon runs across the top of the beaded fringe to hold the strands together.
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2
Run a thin line of viscous acrylic jeweler's glue along a small section of the hem line, near the bottom of the vest where the front panels meet. Press the ribbon section of the beaded fringe into the glue so that the beads dangle below the vest. NOTE: If the vest is lined, slide the liner away from the hem line and tape it in place while you add fringe.
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3
Glue the beaded fringe along the length of the hemline. Work in small sections at a time. Allow the glue to dry for 24 hours.
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4
Thread a leather needle with 100% polyester or nylon thread that matches the leather vest. Pull the ends of the thread even and tie a knot at the bottom.
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Insert the needle through the ribbon strip at the hem line and through the front of the leather vest. Pull the thread taut. Insert the needle back down through the vest and then through the ribbon strip. Pull the thread taut. Follow the same process to work three or four more stitches in a row along the hemline. Tie a knot in the thread inside the vest and cut the thread from the needle strand.
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6
Stitch the ribbon in place every 6 inches along the hem line. The glue will hold the beaded ribbon in place under most circumstances, but the stitching adds a layer of security.
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Lay the vest flat and face up. Arrange flat-backed rhinestones onto both front panels and the back panels. Flat-backed rhinestones are faceted to maximize sparkle and are available in a variety of colors and sizes.
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Glue the rhinestones in place with viscous acrylic jeweler's glue. Allow the glue to dry for 24 hours.
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Tips & Warnings
The glue may release the rhinestones in freezing temperatures.
