Introduction: Unique DIY Beautiful HeadPiece & Small Veil
This vintage-inspired headpiece and detachable birdcage veil is beautifully unique and not difficult to make! It just takes a little creativity and patience! I needed something to do as I've been stuck at home for the past few days with my son who has been really sick. I have a lot of beads and wire for making hair clips. I even had the veil material which I bought for a college art project. I also had a large silver cuff bracelet that I bought on sale for a $1 from Michaels - and this item I transformed by bending and shaping it to create the base for the whole headpiece.
I noticed the wedding headpieces sold online easily go for a couple hundred of dollars - and some are pretty but many of them look generic or made in a factory somewhere. If you want to make your own, I will do my best to take you through the steps I used, in this Instructable.
Step 1: Materials Needed for DIY Wedding Headpiece
Items Needed:
- A silver cuff bracelet to use as the base for the headpiece
- Beading Wire - two different sizes - 22 gauge and 20 gauge (or thicker is fine)
- A Variety of Beads in lots of different sizes and colors (your choice)
- I used crystal beads for the very front part of the headpiece
- Pearls in varying sizes were used for most of the headpiece
- Hair combs (2) or Hair Extension Clips (2) or Fascinator Clips (2)
- Pliers for bending the wire
- *Optional: Veil
- Birdcage veil material (I purchased mine on sale for a couple dollars at a craft store - Hobby Lobby)
- Or another type of material for the veil, such as tulle or lace, etc.
- A sewing machine or hand-sewing materials for some minor sewing of the veil - really easy
Step 2: Getting Started With the DIY Headpiece
Getting Started
Step 3: Beading on the Headpiece
I started on the end and began with a long row of white beads. Then I continued on by wiring some frosted beads into a teardrop shape. I added a large clear bead in the middle of it. I then went back to the first set of white beads and created another row with medium pearls and then smaller pink pearls. Whatever you decide to do - try to keep things flowing nicely and as consistent as possible. If you decide to use certain beads, then when you do the next row of beads - try to keep the pattern going throughout the piece.
Step 4: Bigger Beads or Pearls
Step 5: Adding Beautiful Finishing Touches With Crystals
I then took out the thinner wire again and secured it at the beginning of a curve and beaded it with several little crystals and one larger pink crystal. I tried to do that for all the curved areas - although they differ with the number of beads depending on how much space there was available. Most of the crystals i beaded on were hung underneath the main curved piece, but a couple were placed above it - see pictures. If I could do this again, I would definitely make the thick wire curves bigger and more prominent - it would be even more stunning. It's hard to see exactly how this looks in the photos - but it makes a really beautiful effect and I think it's the prettiest part of the headpiece.
Step 6: Attaching the Combs to Secure the Headpiece
I basically used some thick wire to secure the two hair wire combs onto the main piece - and I secured them only at the top of the combs.
Step 7: Small Detachable Birdcage Vintage Veil
But, Instead, I made a stand-alone small veil and it can be moved around any way you like - so you can make it look attached but take it off whenever you want. I cut out a small piece and wore my beaded headpiece while shaping the birdcage material with my hands. I made somewhat of a large pleat by folding some material inward and then sewing straight across it with my sewing machine. I then made one more pleat and sewed across it again before trimming off the excess. I decided to make it shorter and do another long seam across the veil and trimming the excess. Finally, I used a small piece of decorative ribbon and sewed that directly onto the small veil - to hide the stitches and give it a finished look. I thought about sewing a bobby pin or clip under or onto it. But, I thought it was easiest to use use some small bobby pins to put it on and hold it in place - and it worked really well.
Step 8: Finished Unique Wedding Headpiece With Small Veil
I hope you enjoyed the Instructable - please feel free to ask me anything!