Velvet Crown Construction

[Blackbear]

Ok, this is one way of making a velvet Crown/Tiara. When I made Tay's I photographed it's construction to make this easy as possible. So here goes the instructions by the picture.

1) on a long piece of paper, I have drawn the shape that the crown will be... In fact as you can tell by the lines, I folded the paper in half, drew one half of the crown in heavy pencil and then traced the other side. The rest is as wide as I wanted it to be around my head.

2) after cutting this shape out, I trace around it onto Fun Foam ..found at walmart or Joanne's fabrics. They are'nt long enough to go around a person or even a kids (well maybe a baby's) head, but bear with me a moment... and cut out the front.

3) I use the remainder of the foam to cut out the rest of the length to go around the head and then use a zig zag stitch on my sewing maching to bring the two sides right next to each other and stitch...not overlapping.
then I put over the wrong side of my velvet.

4) cut around the crown form and clip up the edge and with tacky glue, lightly paste down the edges to the back of the crown form all around..... one at a time if need be. However an alternative to glue would be to lightly stitch through the velvet and just kinda "catch" the fun foam.

[Blackbear]

6) Not that all of that is done, the fun foam is stiff enough to stand on it's own, yet flexible for bending, but does'nt break down. It's super easy to bead through which is what I've done here, started my beading. I had already pretty much drawn out what I was putting on the crown before hand and just had to do it.

7) once the front of the crown is beaded, I trace the crown onto the material I am backing and cut with about a half an inch to spare around the trace marking, then clip, and glue or fold under like I did with the velvet over the backing...except that there is no backing to do this over, so it's just a bit harder. Then just place it to back of the crown (folded over sides together).

8 ) Edge bead all the way around, or just the top and whip stitch the bottom as carefully and invisibly as possible (this is what I did so that the beads did'nt bother her forehead).

[Blackbear]

9) for a closure I used a large snap. I've never seen anyone do this before, but heck, it worked. Alot of people like to sew in some velcro (ouch is my opinion) or elastic and the cover the elastic with big barrette.

You can see the finished product in the arts and crafts section of the T.com gallery....


Well that's it. Materials used in the past for the formation were brown paper bag, cardboard, posterboard, plastic or vinyl. I'm really liking the fun foam because I can fold up the crown and pack it away without breaking it down. Have fun!

[nyeh neh noos]

That is very similar to how I did Cheyenne's. I use leftover, legal size folders for most of mine. I also have use poster board. Cheyenne's crown has three holes on each end of the crown with leather that is tied to keep it on. The snap sounds like a great idea too! I may have to start working on Cheyenne's next outfit....she's growing like crazy!!!

[Blackbear]

I hear that.. Tay's already outgrown the skirt I made her this summer..but that's ok, planned ahead and all I have to do is move the snaps over.. there's enough length and width for a couple more sizes, but now her overdress is getting small in the chest again...sigh. Maybe I can find an even better calico to go with this though.

[Jcmc]

Wow, thanks Bear, that was some great helpful hints there. Would you think that would be good for the cuff's as well? And what about the yoke? Or do you think that would need to use something else?
Jcmc

[Blackbear]

I would not recommend it for the yolk or the cuffs. My yolk is just the velvet with stablizer behind it, and then beaded carefully.. but backed the same way with a piece of calico or muslin. My cuffs I used felt behind the velvet...and put them together the same as the crown.

[nyeh neh noos]

Bear,

My first collar that I made I used a brown paper sack for the pattern and then just put the velvet on that. My Aunt Dorene taught me to do that....It has an interesting sounds to it.....LOL!

Now, I do the same thing as you....I use stabilizer and then calico on the inside. I use the calico for the cuffs, collar and the crown, just so they all look the same.

tgal

[Blackbear]

There are a couple more materials out there that I would recommend now instead of fun foam. One is the EZfelt, or as some call it, stiffy felt. Another is Timetex, or a product that is similar to it. They are a compressed stiffening material that is not exactly a felt, but does breathe. Easy to bead through, gives you some stiffness for that crisp look and still just pliable enough to bend. And if you get the stuff from a fabric store (walmart and joannes fabrics both have something to this effect made by pellon) you don't have to add to the sides for length, but just cut the entire correct length out.