DIY Kate Spade Inspired Glitter Studs
There are few things that feel worse than shopping regret – running out of beer is a close second – but I experienced this on a facepalm-worthy level last week. I'd had my eye on these cute little Kate Spade glitter earrings but was resisting the urge to buy, since it's Christmastime and I guess I should shop for other people? Is that how it works?
Until one day when I was shopping for other people, and saw them again, during a 20% off sale. I added them to my cart, deciding they would stalk me forever if I didn't. I stepped away for a few minutes, came back to click "submit" and I get the dreaded error message: "THIS ITEM IS UNAVAILABLE." I'm sorry...WHAT.
I refreshed, I tried re-adding, searching every other site that carried them...Sold. Out. Everywhere. If I had any idea that these were possibly the LAST ONES OUT THERE I wouldn't have thought twice. Ugh. So mad.
But why get mad, when you can get even...I set out to try to replicate them myself. The results were great and the best part is, you can really make them look however you want them to. Although if you're feeling lazy, you can find the original earrings on ebay, selling for upwards of $114 (no joke).
WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
Gemstone stud earrings
Glitter nail polish – any color or a combination of a few
(the colors I used are pictured above: OPI for Sephora "Only Gold for Me," Deborah Lippmann "99 Luftballoons" and Wet 'n' Wild "Party of Five Glitters")
Needlenose pliers
A hairdryer
DIRECTIONS:
1) Start by removing the stones from the earring setting – use the needlenose pliers to gently bend the prongs back to loosen the stone. I only bent two prongs instead of all four, and it was enough to get the stone out. I had these earrings already, but you can find similar ones at Target, or even use a pair of Kate Spade ones to get the most accurate look.
2) Holding one stone with your pliers, apply a thin layer of glitter topcoat to the earrings. Try to cover the edges as well – that's one advantage of removing the stone from the setting. Let each layer dry before adding another one (this is where the hairdryer comes in handy). Layer the polish on however you like – I used three types of glitter to get the multi-colored look I wanted. The original earrings had a lot of gold, pink, blue, and red-orange.
3) Let the polish dry thoroughly before replacing them into the setting – I let mine dry overnight just to be safe. Snap the stones into place and bend the prongs back over them. Using nail polish instead of loose glitter keeps the glitter from flaking and shedding all over the place, but that's another option to try if you want a different look.
Now I don't feel so bummed, and have some fun studs to wear for the holiday season. Crisis averted!