Spicing up plain black clothes

I guess black head-to-toe is my go-to outfit, just as jeans-and-a-tee is for most people. When I'm in a hurry, or just simply not inspired in the least to put together a decent outfit (this doesn't happen that often, but it does) I pull on my black jeans (I don't have trousers in any other colour) and put on a black T-shirt. Usually by noon I regret I didn't put more thought into my outfit, but if even my black garments were more varied, perhaps it would never turn out boring. (And no hurry should prevent you from accessorizing.)
So here are three small DIYs (and an extra) which I did recently.

Sequined leggings

I guess now I understand why those beaded/sequined/embroidered tights cost so much (hello bebaroque, e.g. http://bebaroque.com/product/685/siren-sheer-tight) - I only made two little hearts and it was around 3 hours...

What you need:
 - a pair of plain black leggings (any old one will do)
 - sequins (to stick with the monochrome scheme, I used dark silver-coloured ones)

 - black thread and a needle

 - a pastel or a soft pencil (for the outline of the pattern)

First, put on the leggings and draft the pattern on your knees with the pastels. This way you can make sure the pattern will be distorted in the right way when worn. Then, with the leggings still on, sew on a row of sequins, following the pastel outline. Then, you can take it off and sew on the rest. This is going to take a while, so I suggest that instead of stretching it with your hands, cut out a large piece of cardboard paper and put it in the leg - this way it's much easier to sew the sequins on, and you don't have to worry about incidentally sewing together the two sides of a leg. And voilà, you're done! (That's an exaggeration, this is a time-consuming project, so if you don't have lots of patience, this is not for you.)

DIY bejeweled T-shirt

What you need:

 - a simple black T-shirt

 - plastic crystals (available in most craft stores)

 - some kind of super glue, preferably water-resistant

 - a pastel or a soft pencil

This is a bit faster than sewing sequins, but the results are usually just as spectacular. You can do any pattern, anywhere, though I would advise against the parts which are stretched when worn (in the case of a tight-fitting T-shirt, the bust area), because then the jewels fall of more easily. I went with a fake Peter Pan collar, but I plan to do a red-yellow heart as well on another top. So, after you decided what kind of pattern you want (and where), draw the outline with the pastel. Then you have nothing else to do but glue the crystals on! I chose a kind of ombre look, because it's still pretty big, and this way the glittery jewels look less gaudy (as opposed to just throwing together colours, which is also fine if that's what you want to achieve).

DIY studded collar shirt

What you need:

 - a simple black shirt (I prefer oversized ones, but anything goes with a collar!)

 - studs (I bought them online, I think these might be a bit harder to find in ordinary craft stores than sequins or plastic jewels)

This is by far the fastest thing you can do. I remember being angry that studs were becoming so fashionable (I was all 'stop it, those are for rockers like me, nooo'), but now I'm kind of happy they're available at so many places for cheap. Anyways, you just have to take your pretty studs, pierce them through the fabric, and then ply the little 'legs' of them. It should be easy to do if the fabric is lightweight cotton or something even more loose-threaded - if it's for example thick denim, or something similar, it might be difficult to pierce through the fabric, especially if the 'legs' are not sharp enough, but it should work (starting to cut holes with scissors is probably going to damage the fabric, so don't do that).

And the extra, a DIY susuwatari ring, inspired by Spirited Away, my all-time favourite movie (yeah, it's an anime, deal with it).

It's only an extra because I have no idea where to buy the fake fur button I used - I happened to find it by chance in my favourite crafts-beads store, and I came up by the idea of the ring right there. Anyways, I used a black fake fur button, a simple ring base, 8mm googly eyes and super glue. You know, just glue it together in the right order, nothing difficult or complicated.

It goes well with the theme of the post though - even if you stick with the monochrome blackness in your accessories as well, you can make them eye-catching - big roses, lace bracelets and rings, spikes and studs if that's your style, or a susuwatari like this. Anything goes, and it's worth that extra 3 minutes in the morning.

(And now I have to think up a way to use the rest of the googly eyes wisely.)