Bejeweled sunglasses are the iconic early-2000s accessory I missed out on the first time around due to my status as a second grader. I recently bought an expensive pair from a vintage shop, and to my dismay (and confusion, honestly) they didn’t hold up when I landed on them after cartwheeling off my bed. I tried my hand at making my own pair with excellent results, and today I’m going to teach you how to bejewel your own sunglasses. This DIY is super cheap and beyond easy. You also get a fun, customized pair of shades for the summer out of the deal. Let’s get started!

What you’ll need:


• Shades! You can buy a pair at the thrift store, or use some old sunglasses that you want to spiff up.
• Self-stick jewels. Choose a pack of adhesive letters or designs—just make sure they’ll fit on your lenses.

How to do it:

Step One

Today, I’m going to put a word on my shades. If that’s what you want to do, too, think of a word that will fit on a lens and still allow you to see. Use the sheer letter sheet to estimate how many letters will fit by placing it on top of the lens. As much as I would love an entire paragraph on each eye, it’s just not possible or safe, unfortunately! So for these shades, I chose the word BAD.

Step Two

Make sure your shades are clean and dry before you start bedazzling. Then use the corner of a fingernail to lightly lift the edge of the first letter. Be careful to not rip any gems—no big deal if they do accidentally rip, though! They will usually stick right back together once they’re in place. And if they don’t, a pack usually has multiples of each letter. Gently scoop off one letter at a time and affix it to your shades.



Step Three

When your letters are spaced and placed the way you want, gently press them, one by one, onto the lenses with your fingertips. Leave the glasses alone for about 10 minutes before wearing them so the adhesive can really stick.

And now you have your fabulous final product! ♦