Belly Dance Headdress Tips and Hints
If you want to know how to make your own belly dance headdress and veils for your performances, then the following article will provide some suggestions. Even though these are not really needed for you to perform beautifully, these accessories could help to incorporate some aura and mystery. Some dancers also think that wearing veils will help them to show off their natural expressions and beauty through their eyes, because the face will be hidden.
First and foremost, the fabrics that you select to make face veils and headdress must accentuate the colors of the dancing outfit. When designing these ensembles, you can get creative and make several pieces to complement numerous dance bra belt, corset, garters and other costume sets.
Steps to make a face veil
Start by measuring your forehead from one temple to the next using a bendable tape measure.
Cut a piece of chiffon or any other lightweight material in square of about 2 inches in width, which should be more than the previous measurements. This means that if you got an 8 inch measurement across your forehead, then the piece of fabric must be 10 by 10 inches.
After this, hem the piece of square fabric leaving one inch on every side.
Next, the measuring tape can be used to wrap around your head, but ensure that this is at the same level where you want to position the upper section of the veil.
Cut a bit of elastic, 1/2-inch or smaller that is two inches less than the previous measurements. Basically if 25 inches is the total measurements of your head, you need to cut the elastic 23 inches in length.
Finally, stitch one side of the elastic unto the top right section of the veil and the other side to the top left corner. At this point you should be able to slide the veil on your face and then secure it with the elastic loop at the back of your head.
Making a belly dance headdress
Purchase a firm headband which can fit on your head, as this will form the base for the headdress.
Take measurements across the top section of your head, from one ear to the next using a bendable measuring tape.
Cut a portion of chiffon or any other light-weight material which is the same width as the measurements for your head, plus another length of 2 or 3 inches to accommodate the headdress. For instance if the measurements for your head is 15 inches spanning from the top your ears, then the material needs to be 17 inches in width.
After that, hem the material and leave 1-inch on every side. The front section of the material should be wrapped around the band and then stitch to the other sections of the material to create a tube across the headpiece.
Finally, if you want you could use a piece of elastic to secure each sides of the headband as this will help to hold it in one position. Depending on the type of belly dance headdress you are making, you could either stitch or hot glue the elastic unto the outside edges.
