DIY Beaded College Sweatshirt

When it comes to sports games, you want a top that can make you stand out. Basketball and football games tend to have a sea of people wearing the same exact things. Switch things up by creating this beaded college sweatshirt.

When I go to Siena basketball games, I want to stand out which is exactly how I got the crazy idea to revamp my college sweatshirt. Everyone at my college loves wearing Siena sweatshirts. I mean why wouldn’t you? They’re comfy, soft and super cute. My bookstore was selling this basic, grey sweatshirts for $15. I ended up buying beads in Siena’s green and yellow colors for about $5 and then white beads for the border for about $5. You can find similar beads at Michael’s and they have them in so many different colors.

What You’ll Need

You’ll need to buy beats in all different shapes and colors if you really want your sweatshirt to have an interesting texture. When looking at the beads, make sure that the beads all have the same size opening so that it looks more cohesive. You’ll also need a needle and thread to sew the beads on. Lastly, after you finish sewing you can buy an adhesive cloth to iron on the inside of the sweatshirt so that no loose strings will snag when you’re wearing it.

Mixing Up the Beads

When I started this project, I decided to put all of the different color beads in a ziplock bag so I would get a very randomized pattern. I also made sure that there were never soo many long, black beads next to each other so that it would have a very mix-matched look. Also, make sure you’re not sewing too many beads on at once. If you sew too many you’re going to have to go back and fasten them on more carefully by stitches over them vertically. The heavier the strand is the more likely it is to droop. Try sticking to 2-4 beads at a time.

Creating a Border

After I finished filling in the letters, I created a white border around the letters. I’m glad I did the extra border because it really made each letter stand out. Plus, it adds a great finishing touch.

P.S. It is a very time-consuming project so watch TV while you do this, do it while traveling in a car, or even at the beach. Just know that it does take a very, very long time. (Also, I wish you luck if your college has more than 5 letters like Wesleyan, Roger Williams, or Lafayette).

Have you DIYed your college or high school sweatshirt? Let me know in the comments down below. 

As always,