A belly dance outfit usually comes with a bra top, belt, and a skirt, or you may choose a belly dance skirt without a belt. If you’re making a costume from scratch, the second option is less time-consuming, so it’s a great option for simpler costumes or troupe costumes. 🙂 But the problem is, how do you make the waistband… Read more →
I’ve done all kinds of hip scarfs and overskirts tutorials over the years, but I’ve realized I don’t have a good, basic belly dance hip scarf pattern yet! So that’s what we’re going to make today. 🙂 This design is very basic, cute and versatile, and super easy to make! In this video, you’ll see how to make this hip… Read more →
There are many ways to add an interesting feature to a simple skirt, but what’s more romantic than a little drape or a swag? 🙂 Creating perfectly draped fabric can be tricky, but in this tutorial, I’ll show you a super-easy way to add drape to a belly dance skirt. Let’s get started! Resources mentioned in the video: Detachable side swag… Read more →
4 different types of belly dance mermaid skirts, how they are constructed, and which one YOU should choose. Read more →
Do you have a skirt that could use a little makeover? You can easily transform a simple skirt into an exciting ruffle skirt if you know how to add a ruffle to a skirt! The original skirt is from my 3-panel mermaid skirt tutorial, and I decided to add ruffles to upgrade it. In this video, you’ll see how to… Read more →
The best part of my job is seeing my students’ creations 🙂 It’s quite magical when costumers combine what they learned in my courses and their creativity, and create their very own belly dance costumes. I often learn from them too! Let me show you what I mean. Here are 9 of my students and their beautiful creations! Sparkly Belly… Read more →
In Part 1 of this 3-panel mermaid skirt series, I showed you how to make your own pattern for this 3-panel belly dance mermaid skirt. If you missed it, start from there 🙂 In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to cut the fabric, and assemble all pieces together. Let’s get started! Click here to sign up for the Sparkly… Read more →
I shared this 5-panel mermaid skirt tutorial years ago, and it has been one of the most popular tutorials at Sparkly Belly. And since I published it, so many of you have requested a simpler, 3-panel mermaid skirt. Thank you! So today I’m thrilled to share with you my 3-panel mermaid skirt over the next 2 posts, more straightforward than… Read more →
As belly dancers, we can never have enough hip scarves, and today I’m very excited to share with you this new ruched hip scarf I made! It’s extra long, so it feels like a half skirt, which feels nice as you dance in it. And I love the ruched design. It’s an easy, beginner-friendly project, and let me show you… Read more →
If you’ve made a costume before, you know every costume has a story. Where the fabric came from, what the inspiration was, how the design transformed in the creation process…. But most often we don’t get to hear these stories. I’m ALWAYS amazed by how my students take what they learned, add their own inspirations and personalities, and create costumes… Read more →