DIY Pearl Shirt

Growing up I used to add gems to everything. I was all about personalization in the prettiest form. Nothing was safe: my doll clothes, my shirts, my notebooks, and later my cell phone. Today is no different except I like to think my style has matured a bit, maybe ;). Case in point: adding classic faux pearls to a plain black shirt. The beauty in this project is that it is very simple and customizable. You can take stock of a shirt or cardigan that may need some love and revamping by adding some gems to it. Don't feel like you have to stick to faux pearls or a t-shirt. I am only here to show you the process and hopefully give you a little inspiration to try it yourself. 

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To make your own faux pearl shirt, you will need: 

Black Shirt or similar clothing item from your closet

Beacon Gem-Tac Permanent Adhesive

Flat Back Faux Pearls or any gem you prefer with a flat back.

Tweezers (optional). I didn't use tweezer because my faux pearls were large and I could place them with my fingers. However, if your gems are smaller tweezers can be very helpful to place the gems onto the shirt.

Cardboard (not shown)

Step 1: Place a piece of cardboard in between the front and back side of the shirt to avoid the glue from sticking through to the back of the shirt. 

Step 2: Determine the pattern and placement of the faux pearls. I eye-balled the pearl placement, but you can use a ruler to be more exact. I only added pearls to the front of the shirt and sleeves so that they would not be uncomfortable on my back as I sat down. I kept the larger pearls for the front of the shirt. I went down a pearl size for the sleeves. Stay away from seams so that the glue adheres securely to the shirt. 

These flat pearls from Amazon were ideal to work with because they have a self-adhesive that makes it easy to apply as you decide on the placement of my pearls.

Step 3: Once you are happy with the placement of your pearls, take them off one by one and apply a small amount of Beacon Gem-Tec Permanent Glue to the back of the faux pearl.

A little bit of glue goes a long way. 

Step 4: Once all of your pearls are securely in place with the glue, let your shirt dry for 24 hours. Then enjoy!

Follow your shirt manufacturer's care instructions when cleaning. The glue is machine washable. I prefer to hand wash and air dry to be on the safe side. 

I had a lot of fun playing dress up with my grown-up bedazzled shirt. You can wear it by itself, as a layering piece over a chambray shirt, or with a vest or cardigan. 

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I hope you enjoy giving an old item new life with some gems and a little glue!