Introduction: Steampunk Goggles
I know everyone does steampunk, but here's another one! :) It only took me about 2 hours to do this and that is with a four year old determined to help!
All you will need is:
1. fabric (I used a skirt I bought from goodwill) under $4
2. hot glue gun
3. pair of 70's disco glasses from a costume store or whatever you choose to use for the lenses. under $2 from Party City.
4. belt buckle. about $4 from joanns, but could come from anywhere...an old purse, old belt, etc.
5. doo-dads! I bought a huge bad of gears and some eyelets from Michaels for $3 each, and had some scrap-booking brads from forever ago, but also about $3.
6. scissors.
7. paper towel roll or toilet paper roll.
note: the saw in the back was for an unrelated (and actually failed) project....just ignore! :)
Step 1: Destroying Glasses and Shaping Your Goggles
Step One:
You need to detach the part of the frame that hooks over your ear...sorry, I have no freaking clue what to call that part! :) I simply unscrewed mine,but it may simply depend on your glasses.
I left the center piece for stability as well as aesthetics!
Step two:
Now for the annoying part; cutting the paper towel roll to fit. It's not particularly difficult, but I am somewhat of a perfectionist and getting two the same size was a little frustrating.
My approach was to cut the first one to a general, although larger size and then slowly cut it down until it felt right. Then tracing it and cutting out the other side.
Note: they will not fit all the way around the rim of the glasses, but that's all right. I also cut a little triangle for the little lip where the screws used to be to make it fit nice and snug.
Step 2: Cutting the Fabric
Step 3: The inside of the goggles
I basically did the same thing as I did making the second cut-out of the paper towel roll. I "traced" it, leaving a centimeter of spare cloth around the edge that is closest to the lens AND leaving a strip that would wrap around the rest of the goggles that did not have the paper towel "frame". I started by gluing down the center first and making sure it was smooth. The cloth I chose was pretty stretchy-to use the technical term- so when it came time to glue down the sides, I glued a little down at a time and kept it taught until it dried (so for about 1.5 seconds). This way there was no bunching around the edges and no need to cut slits, as I would have had the cloth been less pliable.
Step 4: The outside of the goggles
For this part, I specifically chose to align the pre-made seems of the skirt so that they were visible and traced yet again leaving a centimeter of extra around every side except the part closest to the lens. I should also mention that I wanted to use the bottom of the skirt to the the seem around the goggles was slightly worn, but still neater than it would have it I had sewn it or glued it down.
Again, I started by gluing down the center first and keeping the edges taught until dry.
For the trickier center part I simply trimmed it to size and put a very small dab of glue on the tip and molded the cloth around the nose-bar-thing of the glasses. I figured there was nothing that needed to be supported there and I just needed it to stay in place.
Note: This process does not make for a very pretty inside portion of the goggles, but since mine (and most everyone else's) were to be sitting on my head, I didn't care. It doesn't actually look as bad as the picture shows, but I did want to make a point of showing it.
Step 3: Now for the Fun Part!
Step 5: The strap
My sewing machine is caput at the present so for the strap I cut a piece the length I needed and double wide. I folded it over and glued it down and that was that! One end was glued to the inside of the goggles and the other I punched a hole through and added an eyelet for the belt buckle.
Step 6: personalize! I have done a lot more to this pair since I took the pictures,but you get the jist of it!!
2 Comments
10 years ago on Introduction
The part of the frame that goes over your ear is called a bow :)
Reply 10 years ago on Introduction
I honestly would never have guessed that, even if it had been a multiple choice question! :) thank you!!