Ward off an autumn chill with DIY evil eye tights.
Pack up the summer clothes: autumn is here at last! Ward off chilly weather with a pair of hand-painted evil eye tights. If evil eyes aren't your thing, feel free to use this technique with your own design. I free-handed my pattern, but you can also trace your design to scale on a piece of paper and slip it under the tights as a guide. Let's begin!
You will need: Tights (any color) Light opaque fabric paint Dark opaque 3D fabric paint Paint brushes Blow dryer (optional)
Step 1: Put the tights on. You'll need to wear your tights while you paint them, so you can gauge the design placement and take the stretch factor into account. Note: You may get some paint on your skin, but it will easily wash off with soap and water.
To make the evil eye pattern, paint as many ellipses onto the front of your tights as you'd like with a light shade of paint. Wait for the paint to dry and add another coat. You can use a blow dryer (on a low temperature setting) to speed up the process. Carefully peel off the tights (the paint might make them stick to your legs). If you want your design to be on both sides (front and back), put them on backwards and repeat the process above.
Step 3: Once all of the ellipses are dry, paint dots in the center using 3D fabric paint. Wait for the paint to dry completely, take the tights off and flip them around to paint the other side as you did in step 2. Note that 3D paint can take several hours to dry. If you want to speed up the process, you can use opaque fabric paint (like the paint used in step 2). Care: Hand-wash your tights in cold water with mild detergent. Rinse and line dry.
All photographs by Romain Laurent.
Step 3: Once all of the ellipses are dry, paint dots in the center using 3D fabric paint. Wait for the paint to dry completely, take the tights off and flip them around to paint the other side as you did in step 2. Note that 3D paint can take several hours to dry. If you want to speed up the process, you can use opaque fabric paint (like the paint used in step 2). Care: Hand-wash your tights in cold water with mild detergent. Rinse and line dry.
All photographs by Romain Laurent.
