One of my favorite fashion moments of 2013 was back on October 24th when Nicole Richie topped a 20’s style sequined dress with a lacey cat eared headpiece at the Who What Wear 50 Most Fashionable Women Of 2013 party in West Hollywood.

It’s quirky and unexpected yet the lace draped across her forehead is so elegant. You probably own a scalloped lace trimmed dress, skirt or tank that you’re over, so why not reconstruct it and make a chic statement headpiece for your next holiday party? You can, using mostly household materials!

Wanna make one? You’ll need:

• 1 scalloped lace trimmed top, skirt or dress you’re happy to repurpose (I bought one from a thrift store for $1)
• Pair of tights you are ready to part with
• 1 piece of cardboard or plastic or a magazine or catalogue you’re ready to toss out
• 1 fabric marker or pencil
• 1 jar of tacky glue (I like
• coarse haired craft paintbrush
• 15″ piece of frame hanging wire
• 1 plain, flat headband
• a pair of scissors
• measuring tape or a ruler

1. Make sure your tank or dress is clean and laying flat. Cut it straight across the chest area, making sure you leave about 11″ of fabric attached.

2. Cut the frame hanging wire in half so that you have two 7.5″ pieces. Wrap the two pieces at the crown using about 1.5″ of the wire, leaving about 2.5″ between the two wires so your headband now looks like a bug antenna.

3. Measure about 4.5″ from the bottom of the lace (this will depend on the size of your forehead and lace, so be sure to measure it by making a mark where the headband will be on the fabric while it is against your forehead). Once you’ve made your mark, make a tiny cut with the scissors and pull the wires attached to the headband through. Measure about 2.5″ from the first cuts on the fabric closer to the end of the headband and make another mark and then another small cut.

4. Shape the outline of your “ears” leaving extra wire at the end to wrap around the headband and pull the end through those two new cuts. Wrap the wire around the headband again leaving the wire ears on the outside of the fabric and cut any excess wire off using the scissors.

5. Cut two generously sized triangles (large enough to cover the front and back of your ears (you’ll use one piece for each). Using your paintbrush and the piece of cardboard as your easel, coat the wire ears generously with the tacky glue. Wrap the triangles around the ears, pinching them around the sides to adhere them to the glue. Cut any extra fabric off the side.

6. If you’re using a tank or dress with lace straps, those are the perfect pieces to finish off the ears. Apply the glue to the undersides and wrap them around the edges of the ears. If you have more lace, wrap some around the base of the ears and secure with the glue in back (optional). Don’t worry that the glue is white, it will dry clear.

7. Make a vertical cut at the back of the tank perpendicular to the crown of the headband so that you have two long pieces of fabric hanging down from the side of the headband.

8. Tie the pieces together and make a bow or sew them together and scrap the extra fabric.

Add a sparkly dress, smokey cat eye, and meow! You’re ready to purrrty.

Have you DIY’ed anything lately? Do tell!

xo BB