Many times, the things we buy at the store — or receive as hand-me-downs — just aren’t quite right, to suit us.  Some refashions take a lot of skill.  But, often, just a simple tweak — a coat of paint, a quick dip in dye, or a simple seam — can make all the difference.  Take a look at these ideas for altering a wardrobe into a perfect style fit.

Color Jewelry with a Metallic Sharpie

Find the details here.

If metallic Sharpie doesn’t work, you can try metallic acrylic paints, spray paint, leafing (or leafing “pen”), or even fingernail polish.  And don’t be afraid to think outside the box.  Silver and gold are obvious, but you can also look for chrome (which sometimes looks more silver than the “silver,” depending on the product), brass, bronze, copper, etc.  (The fingernail polish can give you metallic color options, too.)

Tone Down Your Whites

Is stark white too, well, stark, for you?  Tone it down.  Depending on what sort of coloring you’re looking for (greyed, ivory, or wheat-like), you can wash the whites with some dark blue/black items, dye them with a very small amount of golden yellow dye (I think I used about 1 Tbsp. in a whole washer-load of whites), or give them a tea bath.  (A tea bath will take the “edge” off of other too-bright colors, too.)

Un-Black Your Blacks

Conversely, perhaps black is not your color.  Did you know you can make your blacks…not black?  Well, at least you can if they’re made of natural fibers.  Just bleach them.  I know it sounds crazy, but bleaching will turn your black clothing into some other color.

The downside is that which other color isn’t necessarily predictable, so you have to be willing to experiment on the garment.  I’ve seen gorgeous rich browns, berries, olives, and dull greys.  Other dark colors, like navy blue, will often bleach to interesting shades, as well.

Change the Color

While we’re on the subject of dyeing, you can also overdye your clothing.  Overdyeing is when you dye something that’s already a color.  Basic color-mixing rules apply.  For instance, if you dye a yellow shirt blue, it’s probably going to come out some shade of green.  But the exact results will vary, depending on the dye, its strength, and the fibers of the garment.

Découpage It

Fabric, napkins, tissue paper, and the like can be découpaged onto jewelry, belt buckles, and other items, like this necklace and these shoes by Lindsi Jo at Peacocks & Leopards.  (She has some really great refashioning tutorials, so be sure to check them out.)

Change Your Leather

Do you have a leather belt, shoes, or handbag that you love, but the color’s not right?  If you just need it slightly darker, shoe polish might be sufficient.  But if not, grab some leather paints, and go to town!

Tweak the Details

Sometimes there’s one little detail about a garment that “ruins” it for you.  Can you eliminate or alter that detail?  Recolor the embroidery on your jeans, remove a bow or other decoration, sew a different piece of trim over top of something that doesn’t work for you, etc.?

Having all of these tricks up your sleeve can open up the possibilities at the thrift store, too — and none of them require major sewing skills!