So I opened my DIY Applique Kit shop a little while ago, and people love the kits because they come with everything you need to create beautiful appliques yourself! 😀
But some of them asked, “How do I attach the appliques to a costume?”
A very good question 🙂
In this post, I’ll show you exactly how. Let’s get started!
Click here to check out the DIY Applique Shop!
How to sew on beaded appliques to dance costumes
Step 1. Check the material
Sewing on appliques to costumes is easy. But there’s 1 thing you have to check before you even get started. And that’s stretch.
Check to see if the surface you want to attach your applique to has any stretch. For example, here’s a belly dance bra. The bra cup has no stretch. On the other hand, this skirt waistband has a lot of stretch.
If your material has no stretch, move onto the next step.
If it has stretch, stretch it out by putting your costume onto a dress form or inserting a piece of cardboard. For a stretch skirt, the width of the cardboard should be at least ½ of your hip measurement. This is to make sure your costume remains stretchy after you sew on appliques that don’t stretch.
Step 2. Place & Pin
Then place your appliques on your costume, and use pins to hold them in place. Take time here to find the placement you like.
Step 3. Sew
Take your double-threaded needle, and whip stitch around the edge of the applique by taking a little bit of the fabric and a little bit of the edge of the applique.
OR if there’s not much fabric to grab like this applique, you can go over the rhinestone chain between the stones. If the edges of your applique are beaded, hide the stitches underneath the beads.
I like to keep the stitch length to about 1cm (3/8in) long to make sure the applique is attached firmly and won’t fall off with dance movements.
Oh, and here I’m using red thread so you can see, but for yours, use thread that matches the colour of your costume or your appliques.
And your applique is nicely attached to your costume. Even adding a few appliques can really glam up a simple costume!
In my upcoming tutorials, I’ll be decorating this costume further, so stay tuned 🙂 (By the way, the bra is my Dina Bra, and the skirt is my Aurora Convertible Skirt 😉 )
Now the next big question is, how do you make beaded appliques?
Well, you can learn to make these appliques with my DIY Applique Kits!
Pick a design and colour you like, and each kit comes with all the materials you need including beads, stones, a needle and thread, and step-by-step instructions!
Click here to visit the shop & find your favourite!
Thanks for reading, and keep sparkling!
P.S. Pin this image for your future projects!
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