How to Make a Bedazzled Collar


Is it just us or do the holidays totally scream BEDAZZLE?! It’s just something about this mad dash towards the holidays that has me totally inspired to… bedazzle… everything & anything. And that’s what I plan on doing over the next month.

First on the list, one of my work shirts. With lots of upcoming holiday parties on the calendar, I thought I would add some bedazzling to something I already had in my closet. This way I could jazz up the wardrobe without breaking the bank.

Ladies, meet the super simple tutorial for this bedazzled collar, just in time for the holidays!

Meet the busy girl's bedazzled collar, an easy wardrobe update!Long story short, I had this shirt in my work wardrobe for quite a while now. As you can see, this polka-dotted beauty was from Forever 21 a few years back… (super affordable). I usually wear it tucked in a pencil skirt or I layer it under a sweater because I just can’t resist a peter pan collar… ever. I love them, unconditionally. And when you have unconditional love for a peter pan collar– of course you’ll love that collar plain, bedazzled, or somewhere in between.

How to Make a Bedazzled Collar

Cute Forever 21 top with a Peter Pan collar.I wanted the option to still wear this to work OR layer it under a dressier sweater for a holiday party, so I went with a more conservative bedazzling (if that’s even possible). My collar was beige so I went with the neutral colored embellishments to blend while still bedazzling.

I’m pretty sure this same neutral look would look fabulous on just about any collar. But if you’re looking for bolder, you can get your jewels to match whatever look you’re going for– maybe black, gold, or even a mixture.
Choose pearls and gems that match the color scheme of your outfit. I went to the jewelry aisle in Michaels to pick up a small packet of pearls and another packet of flat rhinestones (both under $10 total). You can’t really tell in this picture, but these pearls actually have a hole through the middle of them. Apparently, they are supposed to be used to string onto a necklace and not to bedazzle a holiday collar. The good news is that although there is a hole in the middle of them, they still do the trick…you can’t even tell.

Adding the Gems

Use a glue gun to attach your decorations. The only other supplies you need are a hot glue gun & a little bit of glue. I had this glue gun on hand so this was no cost to me. And because you only need a spec of glue, this project requires MINIMAL glue. I don’t even think I used half a stick of glue for this project, which I feel like is pretty rare for a hot glue gun project.Attaching gems to a collar only takes a tiny amount of glue. The rest of the bedazzling process is pretty self-explanatory because you do exactly what you see… glue & stick.

Put a tiny bit of hot glue on the back of your rhinestone and then stick it ((randomly)) onto the collar. If you want to follow a pattern, go ahead and do so, but I didn’t put that much thought into it. I randomly glued and glued and glued, mixing rhinestones and pearls as I went, until the look eventually seemed “complete”.
I added jewels to the color randomly, but you could use a pattern too. Random Tips for a Bedazzled Collar

  • Don’t use too much glue <– most important tip
  • If there are little leftover glue “hairs” from the hot glue gun remnants, no worries. You can collect all of those at the very end and you won’t ever see them again.
  • Be careful with your fingers and the hot glue gun. The less glue, the safer your fingers.
    Add jewels to both sides of the collar using just a speck of glue. Glue, stick, repeat. (again and again and again and again…)This DIY bedazzled collar instantly upgrades your look and requires little effort or expense. I eventually started adding in the pearls among the sparkles. It seemed like a fun way to add a little variety, but if you’re not a pearl girl, why not just do all rhinestones? I used the clear rhinestones, but black rhinestones came with my package as well. With all of these leftover rhinestones I have, no item of clothing in my closet is safe from bedazzling.

In less than 20 minutes, this peter pan collar is bedazzled and ready for the holiday party tour! Seriously, easy… quick… super affordable… and pretty darn glamorous!

This is an affordable, easy way to update a top and add some sparkle to your outfit. I can still pair this polka-dotted cutie with a pencil skirt and cardigan for work or put it under a black crew neck sweater and wear it with jeans and heels for a night out. No one will ever know there are blue polka dots hiding underneath… they’ll be so blinded by my bedazzling. (I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing?) Either way, I know breathing a fresh layer of bedazzling into this blouse has totally opened up a lot more possibilities for this charming number.

Heck, I may not have a plan in sight for New Year’s Eve, but you can bet your bottom dollar that I know what I’ll be wearing. Haha, and in the meantime, I’ll definitely be putting this bedazzled collar to good use!

Bridget


The Year of Casey

Hey there!

Iโ€™m Casey Finn, the voice behind The DIY Playbook. I’m a Chicago gal teaching you how to design, DIY, and maintain your home…by yourself! Learn more about me right here.