Cheap Frills: Fabulous Facelifts for Your Clothes

By Jennifer Knapp

You want the beaded skirt but you don't want to surrender your life's savings. You own several so-so sweaters that lack a certain je ne sais quoi and are better left in the closet. Cheap Frills is guaranteed to solve these fashion crises and more. With over forty simple ideas that use ribbons, beads, sequins, and other easy-to-find trimmings, the projects in Cheap Frills will have readers converting their humdrum garments into one-of-a-kind fashion statements before they can say avant garde. From the I Dream of Genie Top accented with sparkly sequins to a Snow Bunny sweater trimmed with soft faux sheepskin, these great do-it-yourself couture ideas range from sophisticated to whimsical, but always wearable. A practical resource guide offers a host of good ideas for where to get the materials used in the book, and an illustrated techniques section makes it a snap to learn all the basic stitches. Illustrated throughout with colorful photographs and drawings, Cheap Frills has something for every mood, be it hot or haute.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0811830195
• ISBN13: 9780811830195
• Release Date: July 2001
• Publisher: Chronicle Books
• Length: 124 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 1.0" x 1.0"
• Age Range: 13 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 8 to Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

Book For An Eclectic Crafter

I absolutely love this book! The day I got it I went straight to work altering one of my white t-shirts into a cute little peasant top. I have also embellished a tank top, and am working on the Bohemian-esque skirt. This book was well worth the money I spent on it. I love how the author lets you be creative with how you make the projects, she provides the standard directions plus variations of the projects. You do not have to be a great seamtress to enjoy this book just a willing one. Also you can use whatever you have at home to bring your old clothes back to life. A snip here, a doodad here and you have a cool piece of clothing!

Cheap Frills Worth The Purchase

This book is a look at the lighter side of updating, embellishing and creating new wardrobe pieces. There's a good mix of projects (everything from jazzing up an old pair of pumps to crafting a simple dress from scratch)and the instructions are simple and straight forward. While the majority of ideas in this book aren't suited for "grown-ups" the creative inspiration and basic techniques make this book an entertainging and worthy resource.I borrowed this book from the library twice and made several dresses before finally shelling out the bucks to buy and it's earned a promenant place on my craft table.

Very Cool Stuff

I just finished looking through this book, and I really loved it. Some of the things, like the shirts, were a little odd looking, but inspiring in a way. I liked the bags alot, also the scarves were very pretty. I can't wait to go make some stuff.