Necessities:

10 standard silver cone-shaped studs (I bought a 50-pack of these little beauties at studsandspikes.com for less then $3 before tax. What? That’s right.)

1 collared shirt (ideally one with a bit of sturdiness to it – that way the collar will keep its shape under the added weight of the studs)

Instructions:

1. Prepare a flat working space.
2. Place a pincushion or washcloth (or anything plush you don’t mind poking holes in – in my case, an oven mitt) underneath the collar.
3. Position the first stud on the corner of the collar and push it through the fabric, pressing the stud arms into the cushion. The difficulty here will depend on the thickness of the fabric – but those little arms are pretty sharp, so you’ll get the hang of it either way.
4. Now, take the blunt end of a kitchen knife (or pliers if you want to get fancy) and push the stud arms down, locking the stud into place like a staple. And voilà, your first stud is in.
5. Repeat this process as desired. Use a measuring tape in between studs for precision.

Studs vary in size, shape, and color. So, depending on how much of that angsty youth you’re interested in channeling – from flat gold studs on black smoking flats to severe spikes on the shoulders of a leather jacket – you can make up for lost time for under three bucks. Just know, there’s no going back.

By Julia Ivins, Staff Writer

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