Steampunk Hat D.I.Y!

Hi All. Today's post is of the geeky D.I.Y variety. This weekend coming up we have a Victorian Faire that is happening locally and I am very keen to get all dressed up and go and experience some old-worldly fun! I have an outfit, but felt I needed an accessory to go with and decided to make myself a steam-punkish hat to top off my outfit! I am sharing how I did it in case there is anyone else who wanted to try.

YOU WILL NEED:
1x costume hat
steampunk/victorian related embellishments
craft glue (E600 is brilliant)
netting
feathers
elastic band

 I got this hat at one of the local Chinese stores for a dress-up years back. It has 2 clips underneath to attach to the head.

 I wanted a slightly different look to the brim of the hat, so after reading about this method I decided to try it. It's not a huge difference, but I think it looks better than the purely flat brim.

 Sorry Typo is E600 not 6000... but it's the best BEST glue for D.I.Y and crafting- it's industrial strength and a little goes a long way! Good steampunk type of embellishments are clocks, keys, cages, gears, locks,cameos anything that has that old-timey/time-travel/Victorian aesthetic.

 I used a maroon leather to match the maroon velvet coat I will be wearing.

 Play around with placement before glueing. And make sure it's fully dried before next steps to prevent stuff falling off or moving!

You can see the new "brim look" nicely here .

 This step can go directly to step 9 as the glue doesn't have to be dry on this step before gluing it to the hat!

 Very important to let this dry fully, as it could move or fall off if used before it's properly dry!

There we go- a new steam-punk inspired hat. Obviously if you have more time and you want to paint-technique the hat base and add extra to the hatband etc you can go all out!

If this tutorial helped you to create a hat please send me a picture or a link to your creation so I can see and admire:D

I will add a pic of me with the hat in full dress-up mode after this weekend!

Happy Steam-punking All!

Ethnic and Eastern Bridal Inspiration August 2014

Hi All. Last time I promised a sister post to the western style Bridal Inspiration I had found. Today we look at some of the gorgeous Ethnic and Eastern Bridal inspiration that is around at the moment! As a Bellydancer I am automatically attracted to the beautiful textiles and adornments these weddings showcase and of course this inspiration is not just for eastern or ethnic brides but can hopefully inspire you to make your wedding look or theme a bit more exotic and luxe looking!

Here are a few  reasons to bring a bit more of an ethnic or eastern feel to your wedding:

TRADITIONS:

Many Couples move away from their home countries , meet other cultures through work or as a younger generation become more cosmopolitan in their lifestyles. However when it comes to weddings they want to either bring their nationality or ethnicity into the ceremony or theme as a way to honour their roots. This can make for a delightful mix of cultures or themes in a wedding and can really make something meaningful and unique.

Here are some wonderful takes on melding cultures:

http://www.stylemepretty.com/2011/06/10/african-wedding-inspiration-from-zoom-photography-mary-kinney/

http://burnettsboards.com/2014/06/inspiration-reality-neo-eclectic-balinese-wedding/

http://beautifulsouthasianbrides.tumblr.com/archive

http://www.indianweddingsite.com/california-outdoor-fusion-hindu-ceremony-1/

WESTERN WEDDINGS WITH A TWIST:

Ok so you don't want to go for traditional dress but still want a big cultural influence in your wedding? Well take a look at these examples of western style weddings which have a big dab of flavour with traditional fabric, head-wear, and colour.

http://yoknyamdabale.wordpress.com/2012/08/06/afrocentric-african-centeredweddings-dont-be-slaves-to-arab-and-european-cultures-on-your-wedding-day-honor-your-african-roots/

http://yoknyamdabale.wordpress.com/2012/08/06/afrocentric-african-centeredweddings-dont-be-slaves-to-arab-and-european-cultures-on-your-wedding-day-honor-your-african-roots/

http://yoknyamdabale.wordpress.com/2012/08/06/afrocentric-african-centeredweddings-dont-be-slaves-to-arab-and-european-cultures-on-your-wedding-day-honor-your-african-roots/

DETAILS:

It is the small details that really make a theme a reality , and the following details are just gorgeous.

http://burnettsboards.com/2012/09/safari-chic/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://blog.koyalwholesale.com/2012/03/bold-bright-beautiful-indian-wedding-ideas/

https://www.etsy.com/listing/37618071/mehndi-elephant-cookies-half-dozen

http://styleunveiled.com/storage/inspiration/wedins_moroccan_2010/wedins_2010_moroccan_inspiration__003.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1291850777961

https://www.etsy.com/shop/DSMeeBee?ref=seller_info_count

COLOUR:

I am a HUGE sucker for colour and texture and eastern and Ethnic weddings always seem choc-full of this. Just another reason to add a dash of these elements into your wedding day!

http://www.blog.indianweddingphotography.com.au/p/gallery.html

http://mehndiequalshenna.com/

http://gypsypurpleloves.tumblr.com/post/71486056149

http://www.welschphotography.com.au/

http://sunlitstudios.com.au/

I hope you enjoyed this take on the more traditional wedding inspiration, and it inspires you to think about what elements of your past, history and culture you want to include on your special day!

Keep an eye out, my next post will be a Geeky D.I.Y.

much love and sparkles