Have a thing for the Captain Marvel legacies and, you know, not being naked? No big deal. We’ll get through this together.

When few of your merchandising needs are met, customising comes second nature. And if you, too, suffer from the need to slap an 8-pointed star on a cozy sweater like some kind of not-so-secret handshake to the world — well, that’s what this stencil + guide are for.

This is my salute from the frozen north, but can easily be done for other apparel. Hola.

—

You’ll need:

• a sweater
• gold fabric
• matching gold thread
• light-to-mediumweight fabric (backing)
  
• fusible adhesive (sewable)
  
• iron
• pins, chalk, etc.

1. Draw the Captain Marvel star on paper and cut it out. If you wish, you can print out the Captain Marvel star I used.

2. Trace the star onto the back of the gold fabric and cut it out.

3. Do the same with the fusible adhesive. (I used Heat n Bond Lite.)

4. Do the same with the fabric backing, but add a seam allowance by drawing an outline about 5/8″ away from the original star before cutting it out.

5. Follow the instructions for the fusible adhesive, and attach it to the back of the gold star. Trim excess if needed.

6. Carefully position the gold star onto your sweater, and pin it into place.

7. Slide the backing star inside your sweater, so it’s lined up with the gold star on the outside. Carefully pin the backing star in place.

8. Sew around the gold star, as closely and neatly to the edge as possible.

9. Congrats! Now go out there and punch a hole in the sky.

 

 

Notes:

1. Sweater colours can vary depending on taste and/or Captain Marvel of choice. Red combined with either blue or black are generally safe bets; I’m not into red, so I found this black/cream combo from Forever 21 that mimics the general shoulder design. Colourblocking is still hanging out with the cool kids, so you should be able to score something. Here’s a few I found:

Forever 21, in-store.

Ralph Lauren, online.

Anna Kastle, online.

Marc by Marc Jacobs, in-store.

UPDATE: there’s been a lot of people coming here from my Captain Marvel outfit post, and this is just a warning that this DIY features sweaters from last season, i.e. sold out at this point. However, just go to any ladies shop at the mall and you should be able to find a colourblocked sweater easily enough!

2. As with the sweater, you can totally opt for a silver or black star. Just remember to get matching thread.

3. The lightweight fabric is the backing for the star appliqué, and helps stabilise it. It can be any fabric that doesn’t stretch or fray too much, and the easier to sew, the better. Just be wary of fabrics that are too heavy, because it’ll cause the sweater to sag. I used some scraps of lightweight cotton flannelette.

4. If you don’t want your star to be permanently affixed, use a longer stitch so it can be easily removed without damaging your sweater.

5. You can also add extra details, like three gold buttons on the sleeve for that Carol Danvers touch.