Don't Be Afraid of the Scissors. DIY Garter Leggings

Has anyone noticed the rebellion against jeans? Simple denim just isn't cutting it anymore. Leggings, thigh highs, shorts with tights, printed pants, anything but plain denim is acceptable. Well this may be a shocker, but I've never been a big fan of plain, so this trend is totally fine by me! The only problem is that the trendier the item, the harder it is to find at a reasonable price before it is obsolete. Well recently I found a pair of leggings that I loved on Nastygal, one of my favorite sites to cruise for styling inspiration. Not only were they marked at $58.00 which is out of my price range for a pair of leggings, but they sold out in 3 days. Even if I had decided to spend the money on them I wouldn't have been able to.

Pretty darn cute, right? 

So I decided to get my crafty bitch on. First stop: Ross Dress for Less. I got a pair of the leggings they always have for $5.99. This way if I mess up it isn't a huge loss. I probably should have gone to target and gotten a pair of the cotton/spandex ones they always have in the hosiery section, those would probably last longer, but maybe next time. The next thing I did was grab a sharp pair of scissors.

Step 1: Put on the leggings. Cut small notches to to mark the top and bottom of the openings on the outside and the inside. It is important to do this while you have the leggings on so you don't accidentally end up with a cheek slipping out the bottom! note: mark a slightly smaller area than what you may want. You can always cut more!

With notches cut.

Step 2: Lay the leggings flat on the ground. Cut small holes on either side of where the "garter" strip will be. Remember that this strip will be skinnier when it stretches out, so make your marks a little wide. You can always cut more! 

Now I know where to cut to!

Step 3: Starting at the top or bottom notch, cut a curve to the center mark, and then continue to the bottom mark. This should look like a half oval shape.

It's starting to take shape!

Step 4: Using the cut away area as a guide, cut the rest of the oval away until you have a circular shape missing from one side of your legging! Then repeat this on the inside of the leg, and the both sides of the other leg.

Remember to leave the strip a little wider than you want it.

Step 5: Voila! Put them on, you now have something very similar to those awesome garter leggings.

Ta da!

 If you want to take it a step further you can actually buy the suspender clips and cut the strips to attach them. Or you can use little hair accessories to clip on the front.

These are simple hair clips from
Forever 21. 

You're done! Now you can style them into an awesome outfit. Since they show a lot of skin I would wear them with something loose fitted on top. That way instead of just looking skanky, the outfit has a focal point.

This look is with my Steve Madden leather combat boots, my Obey cap, and my boyfriend's shirt tied into a dress.

For this look I wore a white dress with pearls on the peter pan collar, and added turquoise earrings for a splash of color.
Sweet and innocent on top, rough and tough on the bottom :) 

So the moral of the story is, don't be afraid of a pair of scissors. You can do a lot, save a lot, and have a lot of fun!