Handmade Jewelry Projects (+ How To!)

As an emerging sweet lolita, I am realizing that jewelry is quite important in sweet style coords. Rings, necklaces, earrings, brooches, and hair clips make the main piece pop and bring out all the more cuteness. I was torn, though, as jewelry (even second hand) can be quite expensive).

I was cleaning out my craft cabinet the other day and found a set of very cute plastic charms. I ordered them off of Amazon a few years ago when I was interested in decora, but I soon realized the style wasn't for me. As I looked through the charms, I thought that some of these would be perfect to make accessories out of!

My first project idea was to make rings. They turned out wonderfully and I'm so pleased. I also really enjoyed making them! Here's how I did it.

What you will need:

• Cute plastic charms. I got mine on Amazon (search "slime charms" or similar) but you can look at your local craft store or make your own with polymer/air dry clay! I might recommend glazing them if you do make your own.
• Ring blanks. I purchased mine from Bead Landing at Michael's (American craft store). They were $4.99 USD for four rings in gold and silver. There was a cheaper option but the quality did not appear as good.
• Bead glue. I used Beadalon BeadFix Gel from Michael's. Super glue or hot glue will not work in my experience.

Assembling is very easy once you have the materials! Read and follow the instructions on your bead glue. My glue instructed me to apply it on one surface and hold it both items together until it sets. It also instructed me to protect surfaces, so be careful with your clothes and work areas.

I additionally purchased alligator clips to make some clothing/hair clips! I modeled some after some of my new pieces and some for just general cuteness/motifs that I enjoy :) To make the gluing process easier, I clipped the alligator clips to the plastic card that came with the ring blank packaging. That way, I didn't accidentally glue the clip shut and there was less of a chance of me getting it on my hands.

My second project was bead bracelets inspired by my dresses! I have done this once before with my To Alice Ice and Snow Doll JSK but now I've gotten more skilled in sizing the bracelets correctly. I used a bead kit that I purchased from Amazon (again, it was meant to be used to kandi/decora accessories but I found the style wasn't for me). I used text beads to "write" the name of the dress or motif and decorated it with matching colored beads. Why can't sweet lolita coords include kandi style bracelets? I don't see why not, I'm going to try it!

"Little Bunny" for AP's Little Bunny Strawberry OP, "Rosita Cherry" for Bodyline's Rosita Cherry Heart JSK, and "strawberry" for all my strawberry prints <3

My third ongoing project is a necklace. I got a resin advent calendar as a present for the holidays. Each day you could make a new resin ice cream! I found a lavender ice cream set and made that one, sticking an anchor hook in the top before it dried so I could hook it to a chain/string.

Give it a try! I hope you enjoy making your own jewelry too.

With love,

Poppy

Lolita Fashion: More Than Shopping and Dressing Up

Hello everyone! I am falling hard back into lolita fashion after more than a year of hiatus! However, I have spent a lot of time and money shopping lately as I haven't been able to dress up. This made me think: what can I do with lolita fashion that doesn't involve shopping or dressing up? I created this list in hopes it can help you and me!

I tried to make this list as lone-lita friendly as possible (as I am a lone-lita). There are a few suggestions that involve more than one person, but the majority of the list should be things you can do by yourself or as a group. I hope you enjoy it!

1. Plan coordinates. Look here to get inspiration for categories. Thank you Fluffy Tori!
2. Create flatlays and/or dress up your mannequin
3. Organize your wardrobe
4. Photograph your wardrobe and make a digital version
5. Clean items and remove stains
6. Reflect on your previous coordinates. How would you make them better? Would you wear them again?
7.  Plan your next lolita outing. What will you wear? What will you do? Where will you go?
8. Prioritize your wardrobe. Then, list any unwanted or infrequently used items on a second hand sales platform
9. Style your wigs (if you have any)
10. Create your own accessories
11. Find inspiration for your coords on social media, in magazines, or wherever you enjoy most
12. Chat with EGL friends
13. Join an EGL Facebook group or Discord server
14. Make/organize your wishlist
15. Make a scrapbook of your previous coords. Decorate it with cute stickers, tape, and souvenirs! If you don't have any cute stickers or souvenirs, doodle in colorful pens, crayons, or markers
16. Dewrinkle/steam items
17. Create a lolita fashion blog or update it if you have one
18. Organize/update your lolita social media account if you have one. Should your bio or links be updated? Are there any photos you want to delete or archive?
19. Edit photos of coords for scrapbooking or posting
20. Make a list of places you want to visit/events you want to attend in lolita
21. Plan a tea party (virtual or in person)
22. Plan a twinning with friends
23. Practice doing makeup/your hair in cute styles
24. Do your nails in a cute color/style (maybe match your favorite dress!)
25. Layout a coordinate in a style/color you don't normally work with (or with a piece you don't commonly wear)
26. Find a wardrobe challenge and answer the questions/prompts
27. Practice walking in your most difficult shoes
28. Mend pieces, i.e. any rips, tears, loose buttons, etc.
29. Practice styling accessories
30. Clean out your bag(s) and load them with lolita friendly essentials (makeup, tissues, water bottle, bolero, etc.)

Feel free to add your own ideas to this list as well! Be creative and have fun!

With love,

Poppy