Diy Or Die - Blog Posts

I WANT MORE CLOTHESSSSSS RAWR!!!

I'm gonna make another cute top.. I was gonna thrift but then I realized how much fabric I have xP i dont need to buy something, i need to MAKE something

thinking of a cool design is like, half the work tho... IT TAKES A BIT but its soo worth it once i finally get to sewing

sorry to disappoint but there's no murder, unfortunately, though dron murder husbands (while extremely ooc, least likely characters to actually get off their asses and kill someone) would be awesome

i'm referencing these tags specifically:

i too, hate when problems aren't simple enough to be solved by murder, we have to resort to hitting the books unfortunately 😔

random meme of a future scene in inspiral:

ron: i'm glad this experience could bring us closer

draco, feeling lightheaded: blood . . there's blood everywhere . . . [shakily covering his mouth with a hand] how are we going to clean this all up . .

dobby, popping in suddenly: i thought i be tellings wheezy and not-master draco to not be doing anything Fucking Stupid

anyways dobby nation rise up‼️

Thanks I’ll keep this in mind. Unfortunately as a teen in Canada it’s a bit more difficult (but I’d gladly try)

Hey so can someone please just pick up a gun and eliminate the monsters in the government or do I have to do it myself

Just gonna put this here for later lol

General PSA's for begginer alt crafting

- superglue heats up when in contact with fiber, your craft can start smoking or even catch on fire

- you can wash clothing painted with acrylic paint in the washing machine if you turn it inside out and use the lowest temperature

- don't put painted clothes in the dryer.

- you can wash clothes with metal bits in the washing machine but use the handwashing setting, dry the metal bits with a paper towel before hanging them to dry, and know that it WILL be loud

- synthetic dye is needed to dye synthetic fibers and requires a long time simmering in a boiling pot. This WILL stink up the house and you NEVER want to make food in that pot again

- faux leather is vinyl not leather. Get vinyl paint to paint on it

- don't use your teeth as tools, they don't regenerate. Reconstructing enamel costs a small fortune (ask me how I know.)

- when handsewing a lot through thick fabric get thin needles, it will require less force and be less taxing on your wrists. When machine sewing get a higher grade needle (~130 for jean)

- embroidery floss is overpriced and not as strong as it looks. For sewing on heavy stuff get denim thread, it will last forever

- don't feed a 60$ home sewing machine ten layers of denim before you learn how much a servicing fee costs, these things are dellicate

- spray paint is best applied from 30-40cm away, in swift movements. Putting too much or applying from too close will cause drips. You can sand them down and apply a new layer of paint AFTER they dry. Wipe the can nozzle after painting if it's messy, you don't want it to clog and become unusable

- water based markers on fabric will bleed, if not instantly then with time, alcohol markers will fade with time

- most fabric glues are machine washable up to a certain temperature. modgepodge is not waterproof, hitack is handwash only. Check the instructions

- the flatter the surface the easier hot glue will peel off. Faux leather stands no chance, fibers like yarn will hold it best, but is impossible to remove the glue from them in the future

- rivets are a thing that exists, only require a hammer to install and can be used as permanent fabric attachment

- studs, gromets and other metal junk at small fabric stores are laughably overspriced

- acetone (found in nail polish remover) will remove acrylic stains out of furniture, flooring and faux leather, if used in excess can damage the laquer. Can also be used to remove prints and glue off of plastic (do a small test before commiting, might melt the plastic it it's grade is low)

- residue from stickers (and k-tape) can be removed with oil

- acrylic stains cannot be removed out of clothing or carpet so protect your area before painting and don't wear clothes you care about

- if your thread keeps getting tangled or snagging while handsewing try waxing it

- you can lock in screw-in spikes with screw lock glue if you're scared of them falling off because they unscrew

- you can add washers to screw-in spikes if you're scared of them falling through flimsy fabric or too big of a hole

- if you're making anything out of soda cans have a metal file on hand, they are deceptively sharp and will hurt you and rip through fabric you're installing them in

- bleach can be found in mold killing spray (don't touch that shit with bare hands. chemical burn.)

- fabric paints are no different from slightly dilluted acrylic. You can make it yourself by adding a bit of fabric softener to acrylic or honestly even water

- if you are setting anything with an iron use parchment paper or a pressing cloth to pervent your stuff from sticking to your iron and ruining it

- if you want a safety pin somewhere permanently pinch it shut with pliers

- as much as you can, avoid putting glue on clothing, it makes it really hard to change your decisions later on and upcycle the project in the future

- kiss your friends

While working on a telegram Chanel for the clothes and other items I make I tried to count every item (excluding pinns, patches, sticker, postcards, posters) I have made since starting the project in 2019 and even having quite abbreviated in between years… 93 items is what u could count. But I don’t remember all of them and definitely don’t have all of them photographs either •_• so there is actually more. Probably over 100.

Back with another alternative Unsure-if-it’s-a-hot-take-here-but-would-def-be-a-hot-take-on-other-social-media-platforms.

“Well I have to buy from (fast fashion/unethical fashion brand) because I’m Alt and local/thrift stores don’t have any alt stuff that fits my style!!!” Is complete bullshit. Make it yourself like the original alternative subculture did.

You don’t know how?

The internet has a thousand tutorials. If you’re overwhelmed and don’t know where to start you can literally DM me and I will send you some of my favorite YT channels that I learned from when I started dressing alternative years ago. A bottle of dye cost me like $8 last time I bought it, and I can use that to dye a whole bucket of clothes black, and an even larger amount of clothes if I want some grey tones and I’m not too worried about having it all completely black.

But I don’t have time to learn all that right now!!!!

That’s completely fine and understandable! I’ve been there, but it’s not an excuse to constantly consume fast fashion. Pick up one skill at a time and change your wardrobe slowly. It’s not going to be instantaneous. Also skills you already have are transferable. You like drawing/sketching? Get a couple markers and transfer it onto a tshirt, and now you’ve got the coolest shirt in the room.

But what about disabled people????

I’m going to be so real with you rn, every single disabled person in my life (even ones I just casually talk to at art markets) are the most creative people I know and this one just feels like a random scapegoat that able-bodied people throw around. I’m disabled too, specifically surrounding muscle/connective tissue function, chronic pain, and motor skills. I work at a slower pace, with mediums I know I’m good with, and take breaks, as do all my friends and acquaintances who share similar problems. If you’re disabled enough you cannot do so, this does not apply to you and I support you getting your needs met in the way that makes the most sense for you.

It’s a lot more counter-culture to just listen to the music and wear a basic pair of jeans and a shirt from the thrift that you put a skull on with sharpie, than to wear plastic crap from Shein and Temu. It’s not really raging against the machine to buy into it. Being clothed is important and a human right, however having your perfect ideal wardrobe immediately, cheaply, and at the expense of the wellbeing of either the planet or other people is not a human right. There’s a bit of a difference between those two, and you can survive in a pair of basic blue jeans, I promise you.

Made some diy pins for my battle jacket! I want to make more but those were the only bottle caps I scavenged from work so I’ll need to wait until I work again and can get some more.

Idk if this is going to be an unpopular opinion (probably would be in Insta or TikTok but I feel like ppl are a bit more reasonable here), but while goth/punk/grunge/etc are PRIMARILY music and political based subcultures, there is still a fashion element. Fashion is political in today’s world, due to the nature of capitalism and it’s social effects, and the primary hallmark of the fashion side of these subcultures (in their origins) was the DIY clothes that served multiple purposes: reducing your capitalistic footprint, your environmental footprint, and defying social norms of physical presentation. Same thing with makeup, which is weaponized off of women’s insecurities. I respect your right to do whatever you want with yourself but if it happens to be following the exact trends and beauty standards of your current time, it’s not counter-culture.

You can be goth/punk/grunge and dress “normal” because it is primarily musical and political. BUT, you cannot be goth/punk/grunge and wear Shein, Temu, buy into all the latest trends and participate in fast fashion, etc, because that is against the ethics of the subculture. Similarly, we need to stop watering down the look to the point of incomprehension and normalcy and calling it after an alternative counter-cultural group. And I understand being poor, I’ve been low-income for a while now. I thrift what I can but if I really, actually need (not want!) a new pair of jeans and I can’t find one that fits anywhere else, I will go to Walmart and buy a pair from the clearance section. However I then wear and repair that pair of pants until it’s literally tearing apart, and then repurpose the fabric I can salvage into new projects when I can no longer wear it.

“It’s the most punk thing to not care what anyone thinks!!” No it’s not actually. Punk has been defined by it’s almost obsession with politics, ethics, radical empathy with the oppressed, and fighting for change. Ignoring those calling you out on your privilege and your contributions to the capitalistic machine isn’t Punk. And I say all this as someone who’s parents were part of the original alternative scenes back in the 70s-90s, and who’s talked to a lot of people who were in it at the time of its creation.

WHERE DO I GET MY CLOTHES/ACCESSORIES FROM ?? :3

ppl have asked me this so here ya go!!! tried to go in depth but if there’s anything else u wanna know i totally gotchu !! :3 (go further down for where i shop online)

-thrifting

-hand me downs

-diy

When thrifting alternative clothes ppl always complain that there’s nothing for them cuz most of the time they’re just not looking right. don’t just look for things you’ve seen online, band shirts, or things with specific design like stripes, cheetah, or zebra print. look for anything literally ANYTHING and if it’s boring and plain just diy it. you want animal print? paint it. you want band shirts? paint it. don’t have the skills? trace it onto paper, cut it out, boom u got a stencil now u can use that to paint onto a shirt.

simple things like cheap blank tshirts, old hand me downs, blank tank tops, spaghetti straps would work perfectly.

i’ve made shirts from an old shirts i find in my house. i cut out a stencil and used cheap fabric paint for the logo’s and cut the shirt if it doesn’t fit right

i’ve also made shorts by cutting a pair of old jeans and distressing them at the bottoms. if i don’t wanna distress shorts i cut them a little longer and then fold the ends up and glue or sew them down (I CAN TOTALLY MAKE TUTORIALS!!)

i ALSO make my own accessories (bracelets, necklaces) from either older accessories, old clothes or whatever i find :b

Things you SHOULD NOT DO!!!

-Don’t but from shein or any fast fashion places/websites!! don’t support that kind of thing especially for some bad quality clothes..

-Don’t buy from thrift stores and resell them online for higher prices !! ur taking from ppl who actually need them and raising the prices of thrift stores. they exist for ppl who can’t afford much and you’re pricing items for more than they ever were.. if ur gna resell then sell them for the price you got them at least ..

some places i shop online for my clothes are:

-ebay

-poshmark

-mercari

-depop (be careful with prices or scammers pls! look right and don’t buy anything from resellers overpricing thrifted or “vintage” items !!)

-vinted

some places i get my accesories or stuff to make my accesories like studs, spikes, patches, belts, ect- (the last three are more for punk diy)

-etsy

-headline records

-angry young and poor

-studs and spikes

If there’s anything else you’d like to know or any tutorials you’d like me to do PLSS LET ME KNOW AND I WILL !!

I can do goth, punk, metal, and emo/scene diy !

im so confused why are runway shows being posted in #punk, #alternative and the likes??

are they not like, very mainstream and capitalistic?? can somebody explain imitations of punk and other alternative cultures really piss me off so if this was one of those I'd be sad :( please don't be some soon to be fast fashion knock-off for posers

Cushnie & Ochs Spring 2014

DIY. Do It Yourself! People begging for a new Luigi but there has to be somebody to BE that "new Luigi"

Hey so can someone please just pick up a gun and eliminate the monsters in the government or do I have to do it myself

General PSA's for begginer alt crafting

- superglue heats up when in contact with fiber, your craft can start smoking or even catch on fire

- you can wash clothing painted with acrylic paint in the washing machine if you turn it inside out and use the lowest temperature

- don't put painted clothes in the dryer.

- you can wash clothes with metal bits in the washing machine but use the handwashing setting, dry the metal bits with a paper towel before hanging them to dry, and know that it WILL be loud

- synthetic dye is needed to dye synthetic fibers and requires a long time simmering in a boiling pot. This WILL stink up the house and you NEVER want to make food in that pot again

- faux leather is vinyl not leather. Get vinyl paint to paint on it

- don't use your teeth as tools, they don't regenerate. Reconstructing enamel costs a small fortune (ask me how I know.)

- when handsewing a lot through thick fabric get thin needles, it will require less force and be less taxing on your wrists. When machine sewing get a higher grade needle (~130 for jean)

- embroidery floss is overpriced and not as strong as it looks. For sewing on heavy stuff get denim thread, it will last forever

- don't feed a 60$ home sewing machine ten layers of denim before you learn how much a servicing fee costs, these things are dellicate

- spray paint is best applied from 30-40cm away, in swift movements. Putting too much or applying from too close will cause drips. You can sand them down and apply a new layer of paint AFTER they dry. Wipe the can nozzle after painting if it's messy, you don't want it to clog and become unusable

- water based markers on fabric will bleed, if not instantly then with time, alcohol markers will fade with time

- most fabric glues are machine washable up to a certain temperature. modgepodge is not waterproof, hitack is handwash only. Check the instructions

- the flatter the surface the easier hot glue will peel off. Faux leather stands no chance, fibers like yarn will hold it best, but is impossible to remove the glue from them in the future

- rivets are a thing that exists, only require a hammer to install and can be used as permanent fabric attachment

- studs, gromets and other metal junk at small fabric stores are laughably overspriced

- acetone (found in nail polish remover) will remove acrylic stains out of furniture, flooring and faux leather, if used in excess can damage the laquer. Can also be used to remove prints and glue off of plastic (do a small test before commiting, might melt the plastic it it's grade is low)

- residue from stickers (and k-tape) can be removed with oil

- acrylic stains cannot be removed out of clothing or carpet so protect your area before painting and don't wear clothes you care about

- if your thread keeps getting tangled or snagging while handsewing try waxing it

- you can lock in screw-in spikes with screw lock glue if you're scared of them falling off because they unscrew

- you can add washers to screw-in spikes if you're scared of them falling through flimsy fabric or too big of a hole

- if you're making anything out of soda cans have a metal file on hand, they are deceptively sharp and will hurt you and rip through fabric you're installing them in

- bleach can be found in mold killing spray (don't touch that shit with bare hands. chemical burn.)

- fabric paints are no different from slightly dilluted acrylic. You can make it yourself by adding a bit of fabric softener to acrylic or honestly even water

- if you are setting anything with an iron use parchment paper or a pressing cloth to pervent your stuff from sticking to your iron and ruining it

- if you want a safety pin somewhere permanently pinch it shut with pliers

- as much as you can, avoid putting glue on clothing, it makes it really hard to change your decisions later on and upcycle the project in the future

- kiss your friends

Being on tumblr is fun because you get to meet people who are like yeah I wanna be punk but also I don’t want to give up Harry Potter, it’s too special to me, also I’m poor so I shop on Temu, and my art skills suck so I would rather buy my patches on Amazon, also I don’t thrift because they never have anything that I like or that fits me, so I’d rather just buy it from Hot Topic, and-

Hi! I’m SpideyPunx, and I’m an anarchist, punk, and new-ish cosplayer. Spider-Punk is my first ever cosplay, and it’s almost entirely DIY!

Here’s my Spider-Punk playlist:

I’m also on Instagram: @spideypunx

all my current diy projects for reference !! plus a new pants layout draft !!! ☠️☠️

too many fucking diy projects and i choose to start ANOTHER pair of pants….. ok…..

so fucking cool. (stealing the jackass patch idea lowkey….)

oughh yeah

i hate making new pants because there’s only a few choices when it comes to pockets.

adding pockets on my thighs that make my thighs looks huge…..adding pockets on the knee area and not having room for knee holes…or just no extra pockets at all…. :|

(starting new patch pants as i type this. the paint is drying.)

the utility belt wip in question

insane thrift haul the other day… going to make a utility belt outta the belt i found… (all of this(plus a ton more…) only cost about $40??)

decided to just take a picture while wearing my newly repaired pants, because i love them so much and i don’t want to take them off (they need to be washed so bad…)

full patch pants update coming soooon.

been fixing the crotch for my patch pants recently bc i ripped em down the center 🙏🙏 that’s why i haven’t posted them yet…