DIY Headphones

I don't think I've ever said, "My headphones look boring", however the thought has crossed my mind that the while Apple earbuds they give you do get grimy quickly. Two ways to fix it: a.) clean them off (boooring) or b.) cover them up! Today's post comes to us from Refinery29 and using embroidery thread, you can decorate your earbuds to show off your school pride, your fraternity or sorority colors, or even for gay pride!

All you need are:

* A pair of scissors
* A pair of headphones
* Some embroidery thread
* A ruler (if you want all the pieces the same length)

Tip #1: Cut out all of your pieces first. If you only cut out one of each color, you're stuck trying to cut more pieces while holding onto your work. It ain't easy and it's easily avoidable!

Tip #2: If you cut a string 12", it will end up being 1 1/2-1 3/4" long on the headphones, just to give you a frame of reference. However, the longer the thread, the more likely it will get tangled in the headphones while you're working.

Once your string has been cut out, start by tying the first string at the top of the wire and make a secure knot. After that, it's just a matter of wrapping the string around and around and around the cord.

Tip #3: Wrap around the excess string you have sticking out, so it's flat against the wire. That way you won't have a bunch of different colored string ends sticking out!

Once you're ready to change colors, tie the next string tightly above the end of the first color, and start wrapping around the wire again. Just like before, wrap the excess string ends in so they aren't sticking out.

If you come to a point where you want to stop, simply make a strong knot and cut off the excess.

Tip #4: If you find your string wasn't long enough and you tried to tie two strings together to no avail...

Just tie and wrap a new piece of string on top and wrap over them! Think of it as a colorful Band-Aid for your headphones.

Tip #5: This takes a while so if you can't get through it all in one sitting, I hear ya (see what I did there?). If you want to take a break but you're not at a stopping point, just grab some tape and tape it down to your table. It won't unravel, I promise.

Final tip: I found it went the fastest when I could hold the cord in my left thumb and index finger and and the string in my right and I could twist the cord around and around in my fingers.

And there you have it! Now go show the world your exciting "new" headphones and make the world a more colorful place!

TOTAL COSTS: $2.34 for 6 colors
$.39/color of embroidery floss at Michael's
Headphones, scissors, and ruler already on hand

TOTAL AMOUNT OF TIME: About 3 hours

EASY-PEASY SCALE (1 super easy - 5 very difficult): 2 out of 5
It's not difficult at all, however if you have arthritis or carpal tunnel, this is not the project for you. I don't have either and my hands were definitely starting to cramp up after an hour and a half. So take breaks, have fun, and enjoy your DIY project!