Last few weeks, I’ve been decorating this grey costume 🙂
I made the drape sleeve with lace….
and I even made a matching hair clip that doesn’t fall off 🙂
It’s really fun seeing how the costume evolved!
In this post, I’ll finish up this costume by adding small sparkly decorations. Let’s get started!
How to make the skirt & side swag
How to make the star flower appliques
How to make the lace drape sleeve
So for this last bit of decoration, I used:
Beads – the same beads as ones I used to create the star flower appliques.
Rhinestones
Matching colour thread
Rhinestone glue
Decorating Star Flower Belly Dance Costume
First, I took my double threaded needle to sew on large beads. I had 3 colours of these large bicone beads, so I took them randomly and scatter them across this lace section.
Next, I took smaller beads and started to fill the empty areas with them. This time I placed them a little closer together, and I made sure to fill to the edges of the lace section.
Again, I had 3 colours, so I used them randomly. But actually, it’s not completely random. This is organized randomness where I make sure the colours and shapes are evenly distributed at the same time.
If your costume has pleats or gathers like mine, keep the thread tension in check and be mindful of where to place beads so that you won’t collapse or flatten these small folds. With beads, the fabric creates new bumps and an interesting texture as well.
Continue onto the sleeve section. Once you know the balance of big and small beads that you like, you can mix them from the beginning as you sew. And again, keep the thread tension in check so the sleeve stays flowy.
Then I switched the thread to grey to work on the grey areas.
Next, I wanted to add more sparkles that mirror ones of the appliques, so I glued on rhinestones in empty spots. I just looked at the costume close up and from a distance to find the balance that I liked.
When decorating a costume like this, the key is to mix different sizes of decoration, or colours or shades of colours and textures. I personally believe that mixing different elements makes the whole costume look more intricate, tasteful and unique.
But make sure to repeat same elements a few times, so nothing looks out of place. In my next video, I’ll share with you my costume decoration rules so if you’re always not sure where to start when it comes to decorating, you can follow the simple rules to create a beautiful and unique costume.
So I just continued on with beads and rhinestones for the bra, the straps, the skirt, and the side swag, and this costume is complete!
I love the mix of bright yellow and grey, and would love to wear this beauty on a summer outdoor performance!
If you want to make a similar costume, you can learn how-to at these links:
How to make the skirt (& side swag)
How to make the beaded Star Flower appliques
How to make the lace drape sleeve
Hope this tutorial gave you sparkly ideas, and if it did, please share the sparkles and share this tutorial with your crafty dancer friends!
And in my next video, I’ll share with you my costume decoration rules which you can use to make sure your costume design looks balanced and professional while being creative and unique! If you’re curious, subscribe to my newsletter below and stay tuned! 😀
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Thanks for reading, and keep sparkling! 🙂
P.S. Pin this image for your future projects!
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