Beading and making a bridal veil
May 27, 2010, 14:21 pm Posted by Carol Barnao
This shows the beads I attached to the veil's comb with invisible thread, which is available at craft stores.
The back of the plastic comb has no beading, but shows that the tulle was attached with the invisible thead to the comb.
I attached beads that came from altering my dress onto the edge of the veil- 3 at a time.
For anyone pricing wedding attire and accessories- it’s expensive! Veils can easily run over $100, which is why I chose the crafty route and decided, “This is simple enough even for me!”
All you need is a plastic comb (I found plastic wide combs stick in your hair better than metal ones. You can purchase one at Veilubridal), tulle (get a few yards to play with or measure a few feet longer than you would want your veil to be) and invisible thread and needle. I found a spool of the invisible thread at Michaels. It’s great if you decide to bead your veil as I did. It’s hard to thread since it’s much like fishing wire. But’s much sturdier than using fabric glue. And if you do bead your veil, you’ll obviously need beads. My pearls and rhinestones came from the extra pieces after my dress was altered.
First, decide how long you’ll want your veil to be. I wanted fingertip length (about 40 inches and 108-inch-wide tulle).
This shows the whole veil after it was completed.
Practice first with tracing paper for the shape. Then, spread out your tulle on the floor and then fold it in half lengthwise. Then tape it down on the top and bottom so it doesn’t move. Then carefully cut a gentle semi-oval shape.
To attach the tulle to the comb, gather the top and whipstitch it to the comb with the invisible thread. To add sparkle, you can easily attach silk flowers on the top of the comb or bead it as I did. I attached each bead by hand with the invisible thread- a great project to do while watching tv. For the edging, I preferred a raw edge (simply cut by scissors) to a rolled edge, so about half an inch from the edge, I would thread three beads at a time and then secure it through the tulle without pulling it too tight. You could also use fabric glue if you preferred that.
I was really proud of my final result- simple, elegant, and I can be proud to wear something I made myself on my wedding day.
