They’re calling it Whimsymaxxing. . . Gemmaxxing. . . McBlinging!
Whatever the term is this week, we know it as bedazzling. Tacky, junky, cheesy, excessive bedazzling is back. And I am here for it! Because rhinestones aren’t really the trend. Maximalism is. AND. I. MISS. IT!
So I had a little fun over the weekend blinging out my Crocs!
💗 Follow this link → DIY Gemstone Jibbitz Crystal Shoe Charms for the full tutorial and all the supplies I used. 💗 ps. There are no ads over there!
For years, the dominant aesthetic online has been built around restraint: quiet luxury, clean girl, neutral everything, minimal makeup, understated accessories and that whole idea of looking effortlessly expensive. But aesthetic cycles eventually rebel against themselves, and old trends become new again. Now we’re seeing color, glitter, charms, crystals, personalization, DIY, camp and excess creeping back in. After years of trying to look effortlessly expensive (which ultimately made everyone look the same), people want to look unique, one-of-a-kind, and fun again!
I think the nostalgia is part of it, too. Younger generations are reaching back toward Y2K and the early 2000s, a time where accessorizing literally MADE OUR OUTFITS! Also, if you’re as old as I am, this bling trend in the early aughts came after the minimalist looks of the ’90s. . . which we are watching play out again in real time now.
Of course, there’s another side to all of this the internet isn’t ignoring: waste. There’s a version of whimsymaxxing that is essentially buying a bunch of cheap stuff, decorating it with more cheap stuff, taking a photo for Instagram and eventually throwing the whole thing into a landfill. I’ve even seen brands posting carousels criticizing the trend for contributing to overconsumption while simultaneously using that same trend to get views and engagement!
If you know me, you know that’s not really my jam. I don’t want to make something just to throw it away when the trend is over (I hate waste!). So when I decided to bedazzle my Crocs with Jibbitz, I went into my DIY closet and used what I already had: gemstones, rhinestones, glue and supplies I’ve collected over the years (used for past DIY projects like my Dolce & Gabbana bejeweled shoes and headband). The only thing I bought were blank buttons that could attach through the Crocs (like Jibbitz), which means I can remove the embellishments, reuse them and eventually make something completely different with them in the future, IF I’m tired of them.
I’m sure someone has already bedazzled their Crocs. I didn’t even search before I made these because I wasn’t trying to invent anything. I just wanted to make my version, using things I already had. That, to me, is the fun of DIY — not necessarily creating something nobody has ever seen before, but looking at the things around you and imagining what they could become.
And maybe that’s why this trend is about something bigger. . .
Everything is so perfect now. Perfect skin, perfect homes, perfect outfits, perfect lighting, perfect feeds. Even “being real” online can feel like another carefully curated aesthetic, and it’s gotten SO BORING! So maybe there’s something wonderfully rebellious about making something tacky. Something excessive. Something imperfect. Something that looks like you actually made it with your own hands.
I know I’ve missed it. Have you?
💗 Follow this link → DIY Gemstone Jibbitz Crystal Shoe Charms for the full tutorial and all the supplies I used. 💗 ps. There are no ads over there!
* Find my Amazon DIY supplies storefront here!
😃 Also, meet Churchill, if you haven’t : Hope Arrived Frenchie-Shaped
4 Fab DIY Embellished Bedazzled Sunglasses For the Bling of It!
