DIY: Studded Tights

Recently I had an urge to don a pair of studded tights. When I started looking it seemed that studded tights are about as hard to locate as an intelligent-AND-studly guy. I finally scoped out a pair from Free People (pictured above left.) Although fabulous, the ones that I found are a steep $88. As much as I love Free People, I am saving my summer cash for outdoor concerts and not on one pair of studded tights. As a result, I decided to make my own pair. Altogether I spent $23 on my tights and saved $65 doing it myself. The following are the steps on how you can also!
Materials:
∙ Pair of resilient tights- my favorite is the opaque tights from Banana Republic, as they are super soft and don’t snag
∙ Iron-on studs- I found mine at Jo-Ann Fabrics which came with 29 studs per strip
∙ An iron
∙ Pillowcase
∙ Scissors
Instructions:
1. Keep the cardboard that the tights come with inside the tights when ironing. (This ensures that there is no bunching of the fabric when placing the studs on.)
2. Preheat iron to cotton setting
3. Cut the studs on their backing into their own separate pieces so you can stick the studs separately and in your own pattern. Then place the studs in your own pattern on the tights.
4. Peel off textured backing from the design (stones should stick to the clear plastic sheet.)
5. Place plastic sheet, stones side down, on right side of fabric and press into place with hand. The clear plastic sheet should stick to the fabric.
6. Turn fabric to the wrong side and place the pillowcase on top as a barrier so you don’t scorch the tights. You can keep the cardboard in place, as the heat will still penetrate through the pillowcase and the cardboard.
7. Place iron over design area and apply steady pressure for 15 seconds. Then move iron around in a circular motion for 10 more seconds and hit with blast of steam from the iron. Do not overheat or glue will lose its adhesive.
8. Set aside to cool for 3 to 5 minutes.
9. Turn fabric to right side. Slowly and carefully peel the clear plastic sheet away from the fabric. If all stones are not sticking, you may re-iron on the wrong side of the fabric again- but be careful not to overheat!
10. For the best care hand wash your tights in cool water and air dry.