Personal style on a college budget can be a challenge. Whether you’re a DIY guru or just want to spice up your wardrobe on the cheap, our new column DIY Chic is here to help keep you looking stylish without breaking the bank. If you are looking for a little inspiration, take a look at our past DIY posts on transforming your old jeans into skinnies and creating a pair of adorable button earrings.
Statement scarves are a perpetual fashion favorite. I love that they can make any outfit look chic and put-together, but can also keep you warm and cozy on cold days. When I stumbled upon this adorable printed word scarf on Pinterest, I knew it would be an easy and simple project to recreate. This quick DIY idea is the perfect way to repurpose one of your old lackluster scarves into a fun and unique statement piece.
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What you’ll need:
- An old scarf – lighter colored fabrics work best, but feel free to experiment.
- A permanent marker
- A favorite quote, poem, or song lyric to write on the scarf
- A pencil and paper. (Optional, in case you want to plan out your design beforehand.)
The step-by-step process:
- Before you begin, plan out your design. How will you position the words? What sort of text style will you use?
- Lay your scarf out on a flat, clean surface. Put newspaper down if you’re worried about the permanent marker bleeding through.
- Following your design, or creative intuition, write out your poem or quote on the fabric. I played around with different size letters, writing in different directions and switching between cursive and print. I also left some white space throughout the design for a little more visual interest.
And voila! This simple project is incredibly easy and quick to finish and it’s a fun way to create a custom accessory that is entirely your own – absolutely perfect for any bookworm or word nerd out there. I think this would also make a fun gift idea if you’re looking for something with a more personal feel.
What do you think?
What do you think of this quick and easy accessory? Do you have a DIY project idea you’d like to see here on College Fashion? What items would YOU like to make yourself? Let us know in a comment!
C, it depends on if you’re washing your scarf. I personally spot clean my scarves as needed. If you’re going to wash it in the washing machine, I’d recommend a fabric marker instead of a permanent marker like a Sharpie. You can also find Sharpie markers that are meant specifically for fabrics. I’d check out the fabric or craft store. 🙂
Sarah, I would recommend some sort of cotton material. Or as close to cotton as you can get. I believe a pashmina would work depending on the material. Best of luck!
What type of fabric would you recommend for the scarf? Would something like a pashmina work?
Dreams by Langston Hughes? 🙂 literature student here haha
Love it!!! I’ve seen a similar scarf before and wondered how to make it 🙂 Question the permanet marker doesn’t bleed when the scarf gets wet does it? Great post!
I love this idea for a scarf! Plus I love the low budget way of making it! I think the biggest problem I’d have with this project was deciding what to write on my scarf and what handwriting would make it look the prettiest! I’ll definitely will have to try this one out since I don’t usually do DIY’s
brilliant idea! can’t wait to try it out myself xx
me too! I read CF every single day cause it’s on my bookmarks bar ^^
it has been featured before, maybe a month ago
still a very cute and unique idea
glad it wasn’t just me who could’ve sworn they saw this diy before on here…still a cool idea that i also never got around to. have to try it out on my next day off!
Love this! Hello graduation gifts!
I have been an avid CF reader for years (happy birthday, btw!) and I swear this has been featured before!
Alas, I love the concept. Haven’t tried it yet, though. Maybe this is a sign..
I think it is important to note here that Sharpie offers permanent markers now specifically for fabric. That way the ink will not run when washed and is less likely to fade.
This is such a simple but amazing idea. The scarf looks gorgeous and you’d never guess it was DIY’ed!
xo
Yea I have the same questions, won’t the marker bleed/fade if you wash it or it gets wet?
So cute… but will it be okay if it gets wet?