WEDDING season is upon us and if you are anything like me you'll love getting dolled up for the big event.
One of my favourite things about weddings is the whole ritual of wearing hats. In recent years fascinators have become a popular substitute for those not brave enough for a big headpiece. I like to make my own as it will be a one-off for a fraction of the cost of buying one.
Difficulty: medium
Materials: Hairband; tulle; fabric flowers; feathers; haberdashery trimmings; needle and thread, felt; glue gun; pins
Stretch
I use the plain metal hairbands that can be bought from craft shops, but I'd recommend you stretch it out a bit before starting to decorate: this will make wearing it more comfortable. The first time I made my own fascinator I had not done this and ended up in a lot of pain because it was too tight. Stretch it out until comfortable to wear while still remaining secure on your head.
Trim
The fun part is choosing the trimmings and fabrics for your fascinator. This is where your artistic licence comes into play and at this stage play around with different designs. I usually start with the biggest elements, firstly the tulle then the flowers and pin into place, while trying on and checking the balance is right in front of a mirror. Then I would go on to add in smaller pieces like feathers, beading etc and pin into position.
Stitch
Once all of the elements are pinned into position and I'm happy with the design I hand-sew (in place of the pins) with co-ordinating thread, ensuring each piece is secure.
Wear
The final step is to glue a piece of co-ordinating felt on the underside of the hair band opposite to where you have attached your fabrics. This will make the fascinator comfortable to wear and prevent the design from slipping out of place. When wearing your fascinator choose a hairstyle that allows you to wrap your hair around the band so that the metal cannot be seen.
For a full, detailed tutorial with step-by-step photos, follow me at www.threadpaperscissors.com
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