DIY Fascinators (Hello ROYAL WEDDING!)

It's Royal Wedding time!! Who else has the fever? Maybe it's especially exciting since I just got married, but I really can't wait for all the pomp and circumstance!

To celebrate, I've got a few little projects up my sleeve...(you can snag everything at JOANN!) You can't go to a Royal Wedding without a fascinator, so there's two easy DIYs to prep for the church bells. One that's a bit more springy and femme and the other that's more British feeling! You know, a perfect pair to capture the relationship of Meghan Markle & Prince Harry! 😂😍

Here's what you'll need for a British Themed Fascinator: Tulle (or sinamay), assorted trims (ribbons, feathers, cording, charms), glue gun & glue sticks, hair clips or combs

Brit Fascinator - Supplies

Start with tulle (or sinamay - depending on how easy it is to find) and fold in 1.5 inch pieces like an accordion to create a thicker strip of material and then iron flat. Next trim the strip from the main piece of tulle and then create a rounded design and pin into place. Here’s where you can get creative & go wild making any kinds of shapes - circles, figure eights, whatever comes to you! These pieces will be the centerpiece of the fascinator.

Brit Fascinator - Tulle

Taking a page from the real royals - who could forget Princess Beatrice from Prince William & Duchess Kate’s wedding with the HUGE pinkish bow shaped fascinator - it’s time for some BIGGER moves. Cording and floral wire were used to make teardrop shaped pieces. Again, this is a place to get creative. Make a big star or copy Princess Beatrice’s ribbon-esque shape to make the fascinator uniquely you! Once the shapes were made, it was time to glue the edges before adding a bit more flair.

Brit Fascinator - cording

Feathers, tulle, and a hair clip were affixed to the back making this ready to wear!

British DIY Fascinator

I tossed on a LRD (little red dress) and got wedding ready!

British DIY Fascinator - After Look

Super chic and I totally feel like the 6th Spice Girl! Victoria Beckham, what’s up girl?

British DIY Fascinator

I might be wearing fascinators to all my formal events moving forward, just an FYI :)

British DIY Fascinator

For something a little softer and floral, here’s another fascinator to DIY that’s perfect for high tea!

Here's what you'll need for a Floral Fascinator: Wedding Netting / Tulle, assorted faux flowers, pliers (for flower snipping), assorted accoutrements (feathers, small butterflies/birds, charms), glue gun & glue sticks, headband, felt (not pictured to assist with flower attaching on a smaller headband)

DIY Fascinator Supplies

Start with a headband and a round piece of felt, and glue the felt to the headband. This will act as a base to glue your flowers onto. Snip your flowers from their stems and hot glue those buds to your felted base. I went with one large center flower and then added smaller flowers around it in accent colors to pop. Feel free to choose any flower that suits your fancy though! All pink or all peonies or all daisies - whatever is most uniquely you!  

DIY Fascinator steps

Next grab your netting or tulle and affix a portion (anywhere from 6 to 12”, depending on how much you’d like it to cover your face) with glue to the headband base. I loved the idea of adding little feathered butterflies to the netting for a more garden chic look as well as feathers. I went with Goose biots (the thin stringy ones)...

DIY Fascinator Supplies

...to give the fascinator some height.

Floral DIY Fascinator

I paired this with a vintage yellow dress and got ready for an afternoon wedding party!

Floral DIY Fascinator - After

This is also totally perfect for a tea party!

Floral DIY Fascinator

Who doesn’t love a little bit of hair flair?The feathers give it just that extra bit of street cred, you know what I mean? The Brits would totally approve!

Floral DIY Fascinator

This might be enough reason to plan garden parties all summer.

Floral DIY Fascinator

Duchess Marisa, at your service!

Floral DIY Fascinator

Wedding Dress Recycle: Whole Lotta Ruffles

I recreated so many vintage wedding dresses to wear around my wedding and honeymoon and this one was one of my favorites!

Ruffled Wedding Dress - Before

Look at all these ruffles!!!

Ruffled Wedding Dress - Before 2

It feels oh, so, Marie Antoinette.

Kirsten Dunst as Marie Antoinette

Kirsten Dunst as Marie Antoinette

Look at those sleeves!

And that lace collar?! 

Ruffled Wedding Dress - Before 3

I have a fairly certain idea what's going to happen to those sleeves.

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But first, DYE!

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The dress went into a bath of emerald dye and came out a lovely lightish aqua color. This dress was fully polyester and I didn't use a poly-friendly dye just to get a more subtle shade. 

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I grabbed my seam ripper and got to town around those sleeves... The used to be attached...

Ruffled Wedding Dress - Dyed

I was OBSESSED with how the tiered ruffles turned out and just couldn't touch the skirt portion of the dress. I mean, hello new lewk!

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I'm obsessed with the way fuschia/hot pink goes with this aqua color, so I took some remnant tulle (YES, THAT'S TULLE AROUND MY WAIST!) and got myself a gorg rose to pose in front of this super chic door.

Ruffled Wedding Dress - After 2

Greens on yellows on pinks, oh my!

Ruffled Wedding Dress - After

When in such serious ruffles like these, you must find a hammock and swing!

This is most definitely on my favorites list. I couldn't have been more excited with how this turned out!

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Oscar DIY: I Tonya Copycat

Perhaps my favorite Oscar contender of this year was...

640px-I,_Tonya.png

...and you know that the costume game in this film was 💯. #allthesequinsintheworld

I was obsessed with most of the wardrobe in this movie - hello 90s. That jacket on the left...

I Tonya Costumes

The outfit I chose to remake was neither of the above though. I went for a little more gold. I mean it is Oscar Sunday!

I Tonya white and gold outfit

I started with a base of a long-sleeved bodysuit from Boohoo and a matching skater skirt from there too, together costing less than $20!

I Tonya - Before Look (Bodysuit/Skater Skirt) 2

That mock turtleneck collar is SO perfect for this!

I Tonya - Before Look (Bodysuit/Skater Skirt) 3

This is also so cute as is, if you add a fun long necklace to pair! However, we're going to make a few changes...

I Tonya - Before Look (Bodysuit/Skater Skirt) 4

I hopped over to Joann, got my materials and ALL the sequined fabric I could, and then got to crafting!

Supplies

First off, I trimmed and affixed some golden diamond-shaped sequined fabric pieces with E6000 fabric glue

I Tonya - Process Shots (sequined bodysuit)

Then it was time to cut the sleeves!! 

I Tonya - Process Shots (sleeve trim)

Can't have short sleeves without some fringe, amirite?

I Tonya - Process Shots (fringe trim)

More sequins were added and then it was time to sew the fringe in place! 

I Tonya - Process Shots (stitch time)

We're getting SO close!!! I couldn't not add rhinestones either once I got started...

I Tonya - Process Shots (rhinestones)

I'm ready for the Olympics, friends!

I Tonya - After Shot

OK, maybe not THOSE Olympics...but the DIY Olympics, sign me up! 

I Tonya - After Shot 3

What's an ice skating costume without some skates?? (PS, those skates look real, right? They're printed and backed with some cardboard! That's also why there are two right feet 😂

I Tonya - After Shot 2

I'm really trying to encapsulate the brooding Margot Robbie asTonya Harding vibe here. 

I Tonya - After Shot 4

That's a tough cookie right there!

I Tonya - After Shot 5

OK, not totally...

Margot Robbie on the left, yours truly on the right. 

I Tonya - Margot/Marisa

I'm ready to take the ice!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of JOANN. The opinions and text are all mine.