Inspiration: Dolce & Gabbana and DSquared2 2012-14 Eyewear Collections

Dolce and Gabanna Garden Flowers Cat’s-Eye Sunglasses $490 coolspotters.com

Baroque 2014 $490 jetsetfashionmagazine.com

DSquared2 Fall/Winter 2012 fashnstyle.com

Baroque 2014 $385 fashionoverflow.com

Materials:

Sunglasses

Tacky Glue or E6000 Glue

Whatever small decorations you want to glue on

Toothpicks

Tissues

Something for the frames to dry on

1. Pick a pair of sunglasses to work with. Don’t go with your $180 Ray Bans, offer up some summered Forever 21 lenses or a pair from Goodwill. Aim for a frame that has some margin on the top and near the sides, you need somewhere to place your decorations. Keep in mind mistakes can be cleaned up, but don’t plan on ripping the decorations off next time you want a clean pair of sunnies. These ones are for keeps.

2. Play detective and search around in junk drawers, craft cabinets, or anywhere that could hold potential decorations for your frames. Look for small doodads like plastic gems, tiny flowers, colorful beads, Baroque-inspired lace, buttons, or whatever suits your style best. Gather details of varying sizes, because the design should focus more towards the center to create a prettier silhouette. Once you have picked all your pieces, lay them out to finalize colors, sizes, and patterns.

3. Start on one side of the frames, wiping them clean with a damp towel before you begin. Dab the Tacky Glue directly on the frame of the glasses, in approximately the size of your first piece. Work your way to the center of the frames and leave to dry. So that the decorations do not shift while drying, place the sunglasses open on something level. I chose a stuffed pig.

4. Once the first half of the frames is done, begin on the next side. This time, work from the inside-out, so you know how to space the decorations. Again, apply the glue directly to the frames so the details can adhere better. Let dry as before.

5. After all the prominent details have been placed, go back in and add-in any smaller elements to fill the gaps, if desired. Let dry as before.

6. Flaunt your new sunnies! Zero dollars later, you look just as couture as the $490 alternative.