7 Spring Fashion Trends You Can Definitely DIY With What You Already Have

Okay, so this isn’t for everyone –- only the fashion lovers with basic sewing abilities. Lucky for me, I am both.

I love fashion and styling clothes, but I also don’t love spending lots of money on new things –- especially when it comes to trendier pieces that I’m dying to try out, but unsure whether or not I’ll still love in a season or two. So, even though I always have a long list of fashion-things I’d love to buy and add to my wardrobe, I’ve recently found myself quite keen on repurposing old, unused clothing instead of tossing it in a Goodwill pile every time an old sweater or a weird trend-piece stops speaking to my soul.

I am by no means talented when it comes to sewing, but I understand on a very basic level how to attach things with a needle and thread, so if you have at least that ability (or are willing to learn, and maybe find a new great hobby in the process), then you might be into these eight tutorials I’ve hand-picked to help you DIY your spring-trend-fix instead of hopping over to Zara and spending cash on new clothes. Aside from the fact that this is a money-saving hack, it is also a ton of fun to customize your wardrobe and make things you love that don’t exist anywhere else. (Except for maybe my closet, because I’ve done a lot of these.)

Image via J Crew

Nothing says spring more than white lace or eyelet-trimmed clothes. This is one of my favorite recurring trends, too, because it is so easy to do yourself. This one in particular is a favorite for two reasons: 1) I will forever be a huge lover of the cami-top, and 2) it uses glue to attach the straps and lace instead of requiring any sewing. I can definitely work with glue.

Image via Flickr

This trend is ridiculous and I don’t know where it came from, but I’m weirdly cool with it. What I’m not really cool with is spending actual money that could go towards a classic pair of non-trendy jeans (or, you know, rent) on a pair of jeans with a weird uneven hem that will probably be out of style in a few months. But if you’re like me and you’re a sucker for fashion trends, you can remedy your desire by taking your oldest pair of jeans that you don’t really care about and following this DIY tutorial to cut them off. To be honest, you might not even need to follow a tutorial, since being sloppy and uneven is kind of the point.

Image via Nordstrom

I’ve been hella into this trend lately because strappy little bralettes look so cute peeking out from underneath even the classiest business-casual attire, but this DIY makes it easy to get the look without buying a new piece of pricey lingerie. Also, this particular Pin is double-awesome because it is made from leggings, so you can finally part with the ripped-in-the-crotch Forever 21 pair that you for some reason can’t bear to throw away.

Image via Macys

I’m actually gently obsessed with jumpsuits this season. I decided that I was going to make them my new ~thing~, and they’ve quickly become my favorite clothing item to ever exist. (That was actually a really bold statement to make about jumpsuits, but I’m feeling it right now.)

However, instead of vowing to replace my entire spring and summer wardrobe with brand new stuff, I decided to search for a few tutorials on how to take old dresses and sew them into jumpsuits. I haven’t tried it yet, but I have a few old maxi dresses that I think would be perfect for this DIY. Will report back as soon as I do, but I’m betting it is going to be awesome.

Image via American Eagle

This has been the cool thing to do for a bit now, but the trend doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. But if you, like myself, have a hard time parting with cash in exchange for an actually-just-fucking-ripped tee shirt, you can always make one yourself out of a shirt from your closet that doesn’t get a lot of wear. I did this a few weeks ago with an old chunky sweater that I got at a thrift store and hardly wore, and I’ve worn it at least four times since.

Image via Pexels

This is such a ~hot trend~ recently, and although I at first thought it was a little tacky and did my best to resist it, I eventually gave in when I saw the perfect pair of black floral-embroidered flats in a boutique. Now, I can’t get enough of the trend – but at risk of blowing a paycheck on some sort of ridiculously expensive button-down shirt with a flower embroidered on to it, I found these DIY pins to show me how to make it myself at home with shirts I already own for way less money. It is easy enough to get a few cute little patches from Amazon, and sew them to an old sweatshirt or blouse.

Image via Unsplash

Freaking classic, but still deserved the mention. I must cut the sleeves off of three or four dingy shirt and blouses per season, and I never regret it. You can follow a tutorial like this one, or just go hard and cut, leaving the edges raw for a relaxed summer-y look. So easy, and you are now very cool.

Mary writes every day for TFD, and tweets every day for her own personal fulfillment. Talk to her about money and life at mary@thefinancialdiet.com!

Image via Unsplash