MAKE IT CUTE

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Fall is almost upon us, which means its time for pumpkin spice lattes, flannel shirts, and leggings. A Fall fashion staple, leggings are a comfy basic that will keep you warm and styling. If you're doing Zoom classes, they're the next best thing to sweatpants. Plus, they're workout friendly. The bottom line: you can't go wrong with a good pair of leggings. Upgrade your fave pair with these fab DIYs and prepare to get *all* the compliments.

Create a rip (or ten)

Ripped jeans, ripped shorts, ripped shirts—if you wear it, it can be ripped in the name of fashion. The distressed legging trend in particular is easy to replicate. All you need are some scissors. We think this look has major Halloween potential. Though as the video above advises, you should steer clear of tight or spandex leggings. Otherwise, the fabric around the rips can dig into your skin and leave imprints.

Go for the glitter

Image: Instagram/@meraki_welivelikethis

You can never have too much glitter. There's no specific tutorial out there yet, but you can order some rhinestones off of Amazon or pick them up at your local craft store, and paste them on with fabric glue. Feel free to go off-book with a cool pattern or shape, or stick to lines like the pic above. And don't be afraid to combine this with the distressed tutorial for a punk-glam look a la Monster High.

Weave it together

Image: Instructables/Mikaela Holmes

This tutorial might take practice. The weaving technique takes the ripped look from the first tutorial and turns it into an intricate pattern along the side of the leggings. If you're trying to keep things dress code-friendly, start your rips below the knee or by the ankle. No matter how subtle you make your detail, it's sure to stand out.

Bring on the bows

If your sense of style is more on the girly side, this legging upgrade is perfect for you. The bow tutorial is geared towards beginners and only takes a few minutes. You avoid waste by using your leftover fabric scraps to wrap around the center of each bow. We love how this tutorial was done on such a colorful pair of leggings, rather than the typical black or gray pair.

Heart these decals

The last way to upgrade your leggings? Layer on the cute decals. From fabric hearts to stars and zigzags, if you can cut it, you can have it. Try doing matching shapes on the knees like the tutorial above, or paste a bunch of decals around the leggings. If you don't want to buy fabric, cut up an old tee or pillowcase to use instead.

Try any of these DIYs? Share your results with us by tagging @girlslifemag on Instagram!

Slider Image: Image: Instagram/@meraki_welivelikethis

by Bailey Bujnosek | 9/15/2020