February 20, 2013

 photo DIYheartlegging01polkadotdress_zpsb2b89548.jpg

Today I am going to show you how I transformed a regular legging into one with heart knees. Perhaps you want to give it a go as well, because it is a simple and quick DIY. What you need short list: a legging and textile paint. Additional materials: a pencil, paper, scissors, piece of cardboard and a paint brush. Here we go!

1. Put on the legging to mark where you want your heart placed. I chose to do it slightly under my knee. Although marking one leg should be enough because the legging is symmetrical, I chose to mark both knees just to be sure.  photo DIYheartlegging1_zpse26ba3ad.jpg2. Cut out a paper heart. I printed my heart from a quick shape search, but you could just as well draw your own.  photo DIYheartlegging2paper_zpsd6316db2.jpg3. Cut out pieces of cardboard that are bigger than the width of your legging. You will place these pieces in the legging as a surface to work on and as a way to simulate how your knee stretches the fabric, which will influence the heart shape.  photo DIYheartlegging3_zpsfef25381.jpg4. Put pieces of cardboard in the legging on the spot where you want to paint the hearts.  photo DIYheartlegging4_zpse4cdc3bf.jpg5. Trace the heart shape with a pencil.  photo DIYheartlegging5_zps7c4fb664.jpg6. Get out your textile paint. I used regular textile paint from a local art supply shop. I think you might be able to use acrylic paint as well, but I don’t have any experience with this.  photo DIYheartlegging6_zpsf87f9715.jpg7. Neatly paint the heart in the color you wish.  photo DIYheartlegging7_zpsb2bea2b2.jpg8. Let the paint dry before you take the cardboard out. (When I am impatient I often use a blow dryer to dry paint; I especially use this a lot when I paint with the Big Bug Collection on parties and people’s painted t-shirts need to dry quick).  photo DIYheartlegging8_zps565c3a12.jpgAnd that’s it. As simple as that. If you decide to experiment with your old leggings (or new ones for all that matters) I would love to know about your experiences and results!

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