Decorating the Frames
Glue small ceramic or fake flowers onto the frames. Pick up some tiny ceramic flowers or tiny fake flowers from the artificial flowers section at a craft store. Have some super glue on hand and start arranging. Ceramic flowers look best when placed on the upper corners of the glasses. Using the super glue sparingly, glue three flowers in a matching pattern on each corner then add two more on the arms of the glasses near the front. Be sure not to glue any on the hinge or you won’t be able to close the arms. Glue small matching artificial flowers like daisies or sunflowers across the top rim of the glasses. Again use the super glue sparingly and be careful not to drip any on the lenses.
Use pearls or rhinestones for a glamorous look. Buy some artificial pearls or rhinestones of your favorite colors at a craft store. Use super glue to place them on the upper corners of the glasses, across the top rim, or along the sides on the arms.
Add studs or spikes for rocker shades. You can find metal studs and spikes at craft stores or boutiques that sell other rocker merchandise. Other things you need are felt and super glue or hot glue. You will need to cut small pieces of felt and wrap the “legs” of the spikes around the felt. This gives each spike more grip for when you glue it on. Trim the felt so that it cannot be seen from the outside of the spike.
Decorate the arms with scrapbook paper. Find some striped or other patterned scrapbook paper at a craft store, and gather a pencil, scissors, Mod Podge Satin, and Dimensional Magic. Trace the arms of your glasses one at a time in pencil along the back of the paper and cut out the tracings. Brush a light coat of Mod Podge onto each arm and stick the paper down, trimming any excess paper. Coat the papered arms one at a time in Dimensional Magic, a very thick glue which will appear cloudy at first then dry thick and crystal clear, adding dimension to your decorated glasses. You may want to experiment with Dimensional Magic on another surface first to see how it works and is applied.
Coat your shades in glitter. Choose your favorite glitter at a craft store; fine glitter over thick and chunky works best. Coat each arm of your glasses with a thin layer of Mod Podge and sprinkle them with the glitter. Get the glitter on evenly, and shake any excess off. Coat the glitter with a few more layers of Mod Podge, allowing time to dry between each layer. You can also add glitter to the fronts of the frames, and even onto the edges of the lenses, by completing the same steps. If you put glitter onto the edges of the lenses, apply some masking tape onto the centers of the lenses to make sure you can still see out of the glasses.
Embroidering the Lenses
Gather your materials. You will need a small hand-held drill (like a Dremel), different colored embroidery floss, a tiny needle, scissors, a thin felt marker, and nail polish remover. Remove the plastic lens from the frame of the glasses; you will want to use a pair of glasses with thick lenses to avoid cracking during the drilling.
Draw an embroidery design on paper. Copy the design onto the upper lens corners with marker, making sure it's small enough that you will be able see out of the glasses. A small flower or leaf pattern would work. Draw the points into which you will thread carefully. Remove any marker mistakes with nail polish remover and a paper towel.
Drill holes in your lenses carefully. Hold each lens on a flat surface while drilling. Drill each hole one at a time into each marker point that you’ve drawn onto your lenses. For clean holes, place the drill tip on the glasses before starting the drill, and apply a good bit of pressure. Drill all the holes in your pattern before starting to embroider.
Tie a double knot with your beginning color of floss. Snip any excess, and thread your needle. Complete the stitches using your first color. To begin a new color, or to leave space between stitches, end the stitch you’re using with a double knot on the back of the lens, and snip any excess floss. Start a new section of your pattern or new color with a double knot in the new piece of floss.
Ordering Custom Sunglasses
Filter through your options. Many websites advertise “create your own” and “any style” cheap sunglasses. Check the sites carefully to see what the options are and their prices. You can even order prescription sunglasses online, if you have an updated prescription. Consider going with a name brand you trust, and visit their website to view customized options.
Choose your frame style, color of frame, and lens type. Once you’ve decided on a website, walk yourself through each of their steps on customizing your glasses. You can choose from many different frame shapes and materials, colors for frames, and types of lenses. Consider the shape of your face and types of sunglasses you have worn before to help you decide which would look best.
Read reviews before buying. You will want to be sure your sunglasses are what you ordered, and are of good quality for the price. If you are shopping online and unable to try the shades on, reading reviews before ordering is an especially wise decision. Consider the company’s policies on returns when shopping online. You want to find a company that will give you a full refund if you are not satisfied with your order.
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