With the holidays fast approaching, we’re starting to feel a little guilty about splurging on dresses for ourselves when there are so many presents to buy for others. But those swingy fringe minidresses that are all over the latest fashion mags are calling our names.

Luckily, The Coveted has a do-it-yourself tutorial about how to add a fringy bib to a basic dress or tank top you probably already own. We love DIY because it breathes new life into the stuff that’s now just gathering dust and hanger imprints in the back of the closet, and gives you the rush of having something new to wear through recycling and without resorting to a mindless trip to Forever 21.

The directions (if you’re a visual learner, you can follow along here):

Step 1: The Materials

I don’t have a sewing machine. Heck, I didn’t even have a needle and thread. I did have a rather mom-ish black tank picked up from the 1EUR bin at the flea market.

1. 1 Meter (Yard) of Chainette Fringe

2. Thread

3. Sewing Needle (And some pins… I didn’t have them, but so I just used the other needles in the pack)

4. A garment for embellishing

Step 2: The First Row

Here I just cut the fringe to line half the collar of the tank. I then pinned the fringe. Using the backstitch technique, I sewed the fringe along the collar, making sure to reinforce both the begining and the end with an extra stitch.

Step 3: The Second Row

The first row is a lot easier because I used the collar as a guide. Where I placed the second row was a bit trickier. I used the measurement of about two fingers width distance, and pinned the second row. For the second row, I was a bit more careful about pinning, and watching where I was going.

The Finished Fringe

You can add as many rows as you like, but I decided with this particular tank, to stop at three. Now I have a fringy tank that’s both stylish and subtle.

Now, that this all took less than an  hour, I’m just thinking of what else I can add fringes too…