I think we can all pretty much agree that a girl can
never have too many simple clutches, right? They are perfect for anything from
a laid-back brunch to a fancy dinner if you buy the right one, and can add so
much interest to an outfit with considerably minimal effort. But how do we go
about finding that perfect clutch you say? Well, why not make it our own!
Around Christmastime, I found this super fun product call
Beads in a Bottle that is absolutely perfect for adding a little pizazz to your
basic clutch! (Not sponsored, just awesome.) It is about as easy to use as
paint, and, as you can see, can be used super elaborately or just as a simple,
classy accent! It essentially creates round “beads” on the surface you apply it
to by self-rounding, meaning you can stud/bedazzle the heck out of something
without actually going through the work of studs. And unlike puffy fabric paint,
the “beads” actually do round themselves out on top instead of creating a peak.
Now apart from the billion projects I still want to make with this stuff, I dressed
up a couple clutches from Charming Charlie to show you how it works. The
simple, white and gold one was for me (I like to keep my studding subtle),
while the black, art-deco style one was created for my older sister as a
Christmas present (she loves 20s style)!
I am all for an easy and unique accessory update, and
this particular method is just about as easy as it gets!
For the white and gold clutch:
You will need a basic quilted clutch, and your choice of
metallic shade of Beads in a Bottle (I bought this pack).
Simply add a dot of paint at each intersection of the
quilting. Bigger dots will round a little better, and try not to get to close
to the edges, or gravity will interfere with your hard work!
For the art-deco clutch:
You will need a flat-faced, preferably solid color
clutch, 2 metallic shades of Beads in a Bottle, white sewing chalk, and a
cotton swab or two.
Sketch your design on the surface of a clutch using a
ruler and chalk, then “bead” onto the clutch as before! When the paint is fully dry (probably overnight), you can
add a little water to the cotton swab to wash away the chalk residue.
Use different amounts of pressure to get beads of
different sizes. It may help to practice a little before you go to work on the
clutch itself. If you do make a mistake though, wait until the paint dries a
bit, peel it off as best as possible, and clean up the area with a cotton swab
soaked in isopropyl alcohol. And please remember that it doesn’t have to be
perfect—it will still looks awesome and unique regardless! (If you are a
perfectionist, like myself, I do suggest using a relatively inexpensive clutch
to start with, and know that lighter colors will show errors less than darker
colors!)
Because this embellishment is really just paint, it’s in
the clutch’s best interest to not be sandwich in between your toiletries and
t-shirts when you pack for Spring Break... I learned that the hard way! Never
fear though. You can actually go over the “beads” again with the paint, just
make sure that they are completely centered over the previous application and
ever-so-slightly larger than the original. To avoid having to do this though, I
would suggest at least 12 hours dry-time before you even flip the clutch over
to paint the other side.
I’m looking forward to trying this product on a new
wallet (mine is fraying after 5 years, go figure), or the adorable pink cross-body that I recently
thrifted for $4 (SCORE)! Anything you are interesting in fancying up with faux
studs/beads?
Stay lovely,
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