I love making my own accessories for events.
It’s a simple and satisfying way to make something unique to coordinate with your outfit. For a Weimar Berlin theme, I made myself two hats, a necklace, and earrings. I learned a couple simple jewelry construction principles at my friend Donna’s when I was fourteen, and I have always kept a set of jewelry tools and findings on hand ever since.
I don’t have any actual hatmaking skills, I just cover commercially available “blank” bases with fabric and ribbon.
Here I used a teardrop fascinator base and a little pillbox base. The fabric is cut-up sections of lingerie from UK “adult products” superstore Ann Summers, The print is called “Voyeur”, and I have been collecting items made with it for several years, with the idea of some kind of project.
To attach materials to the bases I use both glue gun and UHU Alleskleber, my “Quick Grab”/”Quick Grip” dupe.
Glue gun is great for stretching fabric over a surface, because it sets so fast, while the Alleskleber gives a more precise control for applying trim because it’s repositionable for a few minutes. I burned myself, as usual. But I always say it’s good to burn yourself with the glue gun, it helps you know you’re alive! The black velvet rose was from the ’90s. It had been waiting so patiently to be used!
The jewelry was made by tearing apart some ombre pink pearl stretch bracelets I got at like Claire’s for my Edwardian Ball outfit in 2003.
Their elastic was dissolving anyway! I strung the pearls with bits of pink and gray crystal beads floating around from other projects and some lengths of chain-and-pearl necklaces that were from Forever 21 in 2006 or so, The carved pink quartz pussycat is from the gem shop by my EMDR therapist.
And I ordered these beautiful carved mother-of-pearl hands on Etsy, and my mom brought them to Berlin!
They were the last ones the shop had, and no way was I trusting them to the US-Germany Bermuda Triangle of Mail. The Czech glass links and faux-opal briollettes in brass settings are from this great eBay seller, who I’ve been buying from since 2014 – no problems with shipping to the US!
Lovely way to make something very attractive. I always liked the mother of pearl look and colors.
Me too, and I just learned about this fascinating thing: The Pearlies, or Pearly Kings and Queens, a Cockney outsider art/decorative arts thing where people cover their clothes with old mother of pearl buttons!