How to....crochet a cute headband.

This is such an unbelievably simple item to make, perfect for beginners in crochet.
I absolutely love crocheting; it's therapeutic, immensely free and creative, and best of all.....soooo much easier than knitting. No dropping of stitches here: make a mistake and you can just pull out the stitches and try again!!

For this project, you can of course pick whatever colours and thicknesses of wool you like. I got this wool at Remnant Kings for just £1.90 per ball. The great thing about these headbands is that because they're not really touching your skin, the softness of the wool doesn't matter at all so you can go for something that's as cheap as chips!!

Again, you can make the headband as large or small as you like, depending on how big your noggin is! I went for 100 stitches long by about 4 rows high for the headband itself, then 40 stitches by 6 rows for the bow. 

If you don't know how to crochet already and my hands get in the way too much in this video, just go to YouTube and there are plenty of how to's on there.

Ps: If you're loving the soundtrack to this video, the songs are....
1). Darwin Deez - Radar Detector
2). The Maccabees - Seventeen Hands
3). Vampire Weekend - Giving Up the Gun
4). The Noisettes - Wild Young Hearts

How to....upcycle your old jumper.

What's the sense in chucking out an old jumper just because it's old? If it's in a basic colour like charcoal or black it'll never go out of style, and shape, length, necklines etc. can all be changed, so just revamp it!!

1). Grab a white pencil or some tailor's chalk, a measuring tape, some old scraps of fabric and the garment you're transforming.

(This is something that can be done completely to your own tastes and according to the colours you love, so look at this post as a mere guideline)

 2). Pin everything to place and attach using a sewing machine.

(The one thing that everyone's garment should have in common is accuracy. This will give your design a more professional look, and no one will ever know it's not from the high street!!)

And there you go...

Can you even recognise it as the same jumper??

Ps: if your abilities are limited, or you don't have a sewing machine, try buying some lace or feather trims and stitch them all around the neckline of your garment. A really simple way to distinguish your clothes and add instant glamour!

How to....transform a black basic.

Originally purchased as a garment to be worn under a particularly itchy sequinned dress, this thing has been crushed under all my other tops for about a year. It's just a basic piece from Topshop, and they probably still stock it, so there's really no reason for me not to wear it. The only thing stopping me is the fact that I absolutely can't stand it!! Being as pale as a ghost and not the curviest person in the world, black just isn't my colour and the shape is extremely unflattering, so instead of just getting rid of it and having to buy something similar, I'll simply freshen it up!!

What I'm doing really couldn't be simpler; the materials I bought (a whole five glass beads) only cost £1.50 altogether, far, far less than another black top would have been.

1). Firstly, get together a needle and thread and some scissors, and cut off all the buttons on the top (remember to hang on to them to use later!!).

2). Cut a length of thread and fold it into four strands (extra thick so the beads won't fall off), thread the needle and bring the thread from the top of the bead through to the bottom. Now take the buttons you cut off the top and pull the thread down through one of the holes and up through the other. Finally, pull the thread back up through the bead and out the top. 

3). Make sure all the threads are even at the top and snip them to the same length. Thread the needle (now with all eight stands of thread) and simply stitch to the top, where the buttons originally were.

Voila, essentially a whole new top!!

How to....dress up your shoes.

We all hate getting dressed up in a new outfit and coming to the realisation that one of the same old pairs of shoes has to be worn with the lovely new dress you just bought, so who'd have thought all it takes is a cheap pair of socks to change it all??

Ps: can you see a Topshop trend emerging? Get similar ankle socks in the 'tights & socks' section of their website.

How to....wear a scarf.

As homage to Dame Vivienne Westwood, here are a bunch of different ways to wear one of her signature print scarves......

(and at only £15 each, how could you not want one??)

Jazz up a bag....

As a cute headband....

Around your wrist....

And finally, knotted around your neck....

Treat yourself to one, you won't regret it!!

How to....wear a sleeveless shirt.

Ever fallen in love with an item in the shop, taken it home, and then discovered you've got nothing to wear it with? Don't panic, here are some tips for accessorising a key spring trend.

Create a toned down version of geek chic with a simple bow-tie.

Add detail with a chunky statement necklace.

Give the look an androgynous feel with a plain black tie.

This'll cost you about 50p at the most;

simply tie a ribbon in a double knot around your neck.

Like this top? Get it here.