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Hi there! I made my own drop veil, which is obviously super simple (no beading), but I can give a couple pointers. The first is -- be prepared to screw up the cutting! Since we (my FI was crucial in his project!) just made a drop veil, it's literally just a 72" circle... but it took a couple tries to get it right. We accidentally ended up with two half circles the first time because of how we folded it. So, measure and check your folding twice before you cut anything! We ended up folding it into eighths, then he held a measuring tape at the point, and we used it like a geometry compass to mark the cut "line" with pins. Surprisingly it came out pretty perfect the second time around.
Also, I attached my veil to a comb before changing my mind and planning to use a hatpin, but the one piece of advice that I can give for this is to use a second pair of hands! Because I'm doing a drop veil, the comb had to be in the (more or less) center of the giant piece of fabric. It was VERY helpful to have my FI hold up the fabric, even just a few inches, so I could easily get my hands to push the clear thread in and out of the fabric (and around the comb).
Overall, it was pretty easy, and not even too time consuming (despite having to do it twice!). Good luck!
I made mine AND my sisters. Its actually not hard at all. I ended up googling the different types of veils, and for my own redid it a few times! But since I had done it before it took me about 2 hours to make my sisters, and no mess ups!
If you need help when you get into it you can PM me. Good luck :)
You girls are awesome, I give you a lot of credit for making your own veils. It's amazing how much salon charges for tulle.
I made mine! Mostly cause I wanted a purple mantilla style one since I was told I couldn't wear a purple dress! I found the purple tulle (72" wide I think and had a shimmer) I wanted, then went hunting for a wide mantilla style lace in purple and couldn't find anything but the one on my veil so that is what I got. In the end I liked the smaller edge better because it went with the lace on my dress more.
Mine is basicly a square veil with rounded corners. I chose not to put a comb on mine as I needed mine to sit where ever my hair ended up being pulled together in the back. I used hair colored boby pins to hold it on. I know the lace part isn't what you are asking for, but I'm going to put it with my instructions in case anyone else would like to know. You could do the same thing with a beaded trim as a replacement for the lace.
How I made it...
I figured how far I wanted it to fall in front and back and bought 2 times that much tulle. It is cheap (got mine at Joann's for like 1.99 a yard) and I didn't want to have to run back out if I messed up the corners on the 1st try. For the lace I added all sides together in inches, translated that in to yards (36" in a yard) and rounded up to the next full yard making sure that I had about a full yard more than I needed. For example if I wanted a 79" long veil with a 72" width 79+79+72+72=302/36= 8.3888 (8 1/3yards) so I would buy at least 9yards (I bought 10yards to be really safe).
I cut the length to what I wanted and folded it so all 4 corners were matched up and pinned it together. Then I laid it out on some scrap paper and took a large bowl (it took putting down a few before I found one I liked the size of the corner on) and traced the rounded corner on it with a sharpie (I used purple of course but any color will work) making sure to get a full line or it will be hard to cut. Trim the corner and even out any edge funniness where the round meets the edges and make sure any sharpe marks are gone.
Then I pinned on the lace so that the bottom decorative edge was lined up with the edge of the whole veil. My lace just had a slight scallope on it so you didn't see the tulle once it was all pinned on. If your lace has a deeper scallop you may need to pull the lace off the edge till you get to a point where the tulle doesn't show. This took me about 2 hrs (cause I'm picky) and was not a fun project at all!
Then using clear thread on top and on bottom I sewed it on with a slight (just enough so it wasn't straight) zigzag. I started on the outside and went around the whole thing then went around again as close to the inside edge as I could with a straight line with out falling off the lace as it scalloped. This also took about 2 hrs because you need to go slow with the slippery tulle and take each pin out and not sew over them.
These is the best pictures I have of mine in action at the moment till my Pro pics come back...
Yep...I made mine...AND FORGOT IT on my wedding day. lol
It was super easy. I just got a piece of bridal tulle and cut it to the length I wanted. If you want rounded edges, I just laid a plate on the corner of both sides of the tulle and traced the rounded curve. For the edging, I just sewed on satin cord. I bought some fake crystals and sportatically sewed them on the tulle and cord to give it some bling. I attached the top of the veil to a hair comb and then added some more crystals up there. I loved the way it turned out. I'll try to track down some pics for you. I'd love to help out if you have any questions!
After making several birdcage veils I decided I might want a more traditional elbow length one. In my search for examples of what I wanted I found exactly what I wanted for $25 on Etsy. I'd spend more than $25 on time and materials, so I went ahead and snagged it. Unless you really, really want to make it, it might be worth it to check around first.
@Miso: good thought-- I'll check Etsy
@everyone else-- i'm so glad to hear its pretty easy!! I guess I"m not too sure about the different types of veils so I"ll need to do some research on if i want it round or square or whatever!
I made mine for around $5. I bought some ivory tulle from Joann Fabrics and a comb. As carefully as I could, I rounded the edges of the tulle. Making a pattern with carboard and cutting around it helps! Then I folded it in half, making the top layer shorter, and then sewed it to the comb. I gathered it as I went, and then carefully steamed it.
@chilmer- i love it! I also really love your hair! Do you have a closer pic of it?
Thanks! Most are on Facebook which is blocked here, but let me see what I have on my computer.
My reception hairpiece is sort of in the way. My only instructions to my stylist were "make it look like I have a TON of hair". I think she succeeded.
I bought an $8 elbow length veil from Ebay, then $10 worth of lace, which I then sewed to the edge of the veil. Hmm... the prices might have been the other way around, though. :) Anyway, the comb was already attached, which to me seemed like the hardest part of making a veil and is the reason I didn't want to make the whole thing myself! Here's a photo:
i making my to... good luck i think it should be a pretty easy project :) i bet yours will look awsome you should post some pictures when your done i would love to see
I made my original veil and my hair flower. The pictures are of my first dress, which I made the veil to go with. I'm not going to wear it anymore.
And, the flower:
I don't have any pictures on this computer, sadly, but I made my own veil and it was shockingly easy! I actually bought double of all the supplies because I was expecting to have to throw out the first effort, but it went well.
I wanted a "butt" length veil with a blusher, so I bought 3 yards of ivory bridal tulle, then folded it in half horizontally and then again vertically (so it was in quarters). I then used a soft tape measure to measure from where I wanted the veil on my head to the place I wanted it to fall on my body. I then measured that amount MINUS THREE INCHES (see note later) from the top fold on the tulle and then carefully pinned and cut all four layers of the tulle (remember, it was folded into quarters) at the same time to be that length. Then I used a plate to create a rounded edge and pinned where I would cut. I double-checked everything and then CAREFULLY cut the tulle. Cutting was by far the hardest part (tulle is slippery!), so I recommend checking twice and pinning before you cut. Once everything was cut I unfolded the vertical fold so the tulle was folded in half - with both layers being the same length. Then I shifted the top layer up 3 inches so one layer was longer than the other to create the blusher - the layers were now 6 inches different, and the bottom layer fell at the intended place on my body (hence the need to subtract the three inches from the original length). Once I had the layers the correct length, I pinned along the fold and then made a loose stitch all the way across the fold and removed the pins. Once the pins were out, I slowly tugged the thread until the tulle was gathered to be the same length and my comb, then I sewed it onto the comb.
Finally, I sewed a bunch of beads along the edge of my veil using clear thread. This part was very time-consuming, but the actual veil creation only took about 45 minutes.
I actually just finished mine two days ago and I'm so proud of it! I didn't go completely DIY (hats off to you girls who did!) because I was scared I couldn't attach it to the comb correctly and cut everything straight.
I purchased an elbow-length veil for $20 at David's Bridal and about $7 worth of beads and clear thread from Jo-Ann Fabrics. It was kind of a PITA but I stitched those suckers on one at a time. Put on some Law and Order reruns in the background and did about 12" at a time, more or less depending on my patience level for the day. And voila! A pretty beaded veil for at least a quarter of the price of what something similar runs here in town! I'm not gonna lie, it definitely took some time, but was definitely worth it.
Wish the pics had turned out better, but here they are anyway:
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@DeepBlueDiver: I made my veil, too, and was going to edge it with beads, just like you did! However, I had a hell of time finding beads I liked and once I started sewing them on (one at a time) I hated how they looked, so I took them off and left the edge plain. Major props to you, I know what it a pain it was to hand sew those beads! It looks beautiful!
@CorgiTales: I just wanted to chime in here to say yes, I made my veil and yes, you should make yours! It's really not that hard. And it's waaaaay cheaper than any veil you can buy!
My mom and I made my veil! It was very, very simple: literally a big piece of tulle and a hair comb, all from Joannes for about $25. We rounded the corners, but that wasn't actually necessary. All that we really needed to do was find the right place on the tulle to sew the hair comb.
I also made my hair flower from leftover dress fabric (hemming). It was a last minute idea, and turned out to be very simple, and I loved how it looked.
ETA- Sorry my pics are so enormous! I tried to shrink them and failed miserably.
Yep! I made mine! Actually, I made 3 and then picked the one I like best (and still only spent like $15!) It was super easy and cheap (despite the lady at the veil store telling me it was "impossible" to make a circular one.) This is the one I wound up wearing:
I'm afraid I don't really have any tips. I just read as many good tutorials as I could find online and then made things up as I went along. And, maybe most importantly, I wasn't afraid of it being imperfect. It was cheap, easy and fun to wear. I highly recommend giving it a shot.
@CorgiTales: I just saw this "win a free veil" offer: http://www.brendasweddingblog.com/blogs/2010/6/22/giveaway-a-handcrafted-wedding-veil-of-your-choice.html
I also made my own veil. It was time consuming more than anything, but it was worth it.
The lace that I used is called alencon reembroidered beaded lace. I couldn't find any lace that that matched my gown at Joanns, so I purchased my lace on ebay. It was some lace that the seller had from somewhere and I don't really think she knew how expensive it really is or maybe she was just cleaning out her stock. I was lucky enough to find it for really cheap; $9.99/yd.
When I searched online, I could only find it for about $40.00/yd or more. Here is a link to a lace site that I found: http://www.laceco.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=48&sort=20a&page=1
I didn't purchase from them, but they look like they have some good prices and may have what you are looking for.
There is a fabric store here called Hancock Fabrics. I didn't look there because whenever I have looked there before, they have been way too expensive for what I wanted to spend, but they do have a large wedding section.
Keep in mind that nice lace is going to be expensive, but in my opinion, it is worth it.
I was at Joanns the other day and I did see some lace trim that was similar to mine, but it wasn't as wide. I don't know how much it was though. If you have a bigger Joanns in your area, you may want to check them out to see what they have. If you use one of their coupons, you can save a bunch of money and they will let you special order and still use the coupon. You will just have to pay shipping, if it is something they don't keep in stock all the time.
When I sewed the lace to the tulle, I placed it on the tulle so it laid about halfway on the tulle and then I sewed on the inner edge of the lace. Keep your stitches tiny. Only pick up the tiniest amount of tulle and lace with your needle and go slow. I wish I was there to show you. It is hard to explain. Make sure you lay your tulle flat to pin the lace to it. If you make a fingertip length veil, you will need at least 4 yds of lace. If you can get it in one solid piece that would be the best way. Also, start to sew the lace from the bottom of the veil. I tried on my veil by holding it in place on my head several times before I started sewing to make sure everything was lined up correctly. Use a tape measure or yard stick to make sure everything is even. Also, remember that your lace will be on the outside of the veil when you are wearing it.
Oh, my lace is about 4" wide at its widest point.
You're all so talented!!
Update: I talked to my mom today and she offered me her veil to cut up/resew as I wanted! She had a cathedral length mantilla veil attached to a big headpiece thingy.. 70s :) I'm not sure that the lace will go with my dress but I'm going to look at it this weekend when I'm home and we're going to decide how I can use it!!
My friend's mom made mine. She once took a class offered at her local fabric/craft store for $25 on how to make veils. She made her daughter's and now mine. It is awesome and all in diamond white to match my dress with hand glued Swarvowski crystals.
One more thing - to second what Caitlanc said - you should not worry to much about it being "perfect." Tulle is a b*tch to work with, and it's probably not going to be perfect. But tulle is also sheer and floaty and lovely, so there is about a 0% chance that anyone besides you will notice the imperfections.
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Beekeeper
Hey girls... bought my dress this weekend (yay!!) and now I'm onto thinking about accessories. The veil that they tried on me at the salon was about elbow length and was just simple tulle fastened to a comb with some beading on the edges. My thought? I can so do that!
So I think I might try to make my own. Anyone here done it? Pics, tips, and tricks appreciated :)