Upcycling clothes
I have always loved fashion and sewing, especially finding ways to reuse clothes I don’t wear anymore. I enjoy taking something simple and turning it into something more interesting and personal. For example, the skirt shown on the left was originally plain and boring, so I cut up an old baby tee from my mom’s old fashion brand and sewed it onto the skirt. I also added studs and a small skull to make it more fun and unique.
The hoodie in the middle started as a plain hoodie, so I took an old tiger shirt that was too small, cut out the design, and sewed it on as patchwork. Lastly, the hoodie shown on the right was originally an oversized Playboi Carti merch T-shirt. Since it was way too big, I cut out the letters and sewed them onto the hoodie instead. These projects show how I like to customize clothing and give old pieces new life through creativity and sewing.
Doodle Selfdrawn Crewneck
This piece started as a plain white crewneck that I hand-dyed using Rit pink dye. After that, I treated the sweater like a notebook and drew freely across it using black fabric markers with different tips. The main illustration is an angel, inspired by a Karol G album cover I saw on her record at a bookstore. That moment pushed me to stop overthinking and immediately bring the idea to life. The back of the sweater reads, “If you can’t be kind, be quiet,” a message I strongly believe in. I’m really proud of how this turned out and love how expressive and personal the final piece feels.
Upcycled Skull Top
I turned two things I wasn’t wearing anymore into something new. I had an old dress with fabric I’ve always loved and a plain tank top, so I cut a skull out of the dress and sewed it onto the tank. I think I’m going to go back and add some bright pink stitching around it to make it pop even more.
I really like that I was able to take stuff that wasn’t being used and turn it into a top I’m actually excited to wear this summer.
Muse Studded Tee
I found a shirt that was manufactured with the word “MUSE” inside a little circle, like a trademark or copyright symbol. I decided to put my own twist on it by replacing the usual symbol with my initials, “LB,” inside the circle. To make the shirt even more unique, I added different eyelets and studs for extra flair and personality. I love this project because it shows how I’m my own muse, creating and inspiring myself through my style.
Doodled Ceramic Piece
I customized this ceramic plate by drawing a bunch of different little designs that I like and turning it into a collage of my style. I added things like cherries, a skull and crossbones, a spider web, wings, a bow, a bunny, and other small doodles that represent different aesthetics I enjoy.
The dripping paint was actually a mistake at first. I was trying to make small dots, but the yellow paint exploded and splattered all over the plate. Instead of starting over, I decided to keep going and add more splatters and drips to the design. It ended up becoming part of the piece and gave it a more expressive, messy look.
It reminded me of the Bob Ross idea that there are “no mistakes, just happy accidents.” I like how the accident pushed me to be more creative and turned into one of my favorite parts of the plate.
Collaged Magazine School notebooks
I transformed my boring school notebooks by cutting out images from magazines and creatively collaging them onto the covers. To make the designs last and give them a smooth finish, I sealed everything with Mod Podge. On one notebook, I cut out a mouth shape and even added a tooth gem for a fun, unique touch, along with another gem on a flower design on the other notebook. Finally, I laminated the covers to protect my artwork and make the notebooks sturdy for everyday use.
Custom Bleached Denim Shorts
For this project, I customized a pair of denim shorts using one of my favorite brand logos. I 3D printed a stencil of the Chanel logo and placed it on the back pocket of the shorts. Then I applied bleach over the stencil so the logo would appear lighter against the denim once it set.
I also added some small bleach splatters around the shorts to give them a more artistic, worn-in look. This was a really fun project that didn’t take too much time, but it completely transformed a simple pair of shorts into something more unique and personal.
Sketches
Baking
For this project, I made white chocolate matcha cookies. I wanted to try combining the earthy flavor of matcha with the sweetness of white chocolate to create something balanced and unique.
The matcha gives the cookies their green color and a slightly rich, tea-like taste, while the white chocolate adds sweetness and creaminess. Baking them was a fun process, and I enjoyed experimenting with flavors that I don’t usually use in desserts. The final cookies turned out soft, flavorful, and something I’d definitely make again.
For my 17th birthday, I made and decorated my own cake. I baked the cake layers and then frosted and decorated it myself, taking time to make it look fun and personal.
To finish it, I added my “Happy Birthday” Sonny Angels on top of the cake as decorations. I liked using them as cake toppers because they made the cake feel more unique and matched the playful theme I wanted. Decorating it myself made the cake feel even more special for my birthday.
For this project, I made custom sugar cookies using cookie cutters that I created myself. I first found images I liked of Miffy and some Sanrio characters and uploaded them into a program that converts images into 3D printable cookie cutter designs. After that, I transferred the files to my 3D printer and printed the cutters.
Once the cutters were ready, I made a sugar cookie dough base and rolled it out. Then I used the cutters to stamp the character shapes and details into the cookies before baking them. I loved doing this project because it combined design, 3D printing, and baking, and it was really fun seeing the characters come to life in cookie form.
Made custom college shirts for friends using different fabrics, studs, ribbons, and handmade details. Each shirt had its own style and was designed to match the person wearing it.