DIY Hair Accessories: How to Alter a "Something Borrowed" Veil

A veil is one of the most beautiful and symbolic parts of the wedding ceremony, (in addition to the big white dress) and is often what finally transforms a woman into a bride. Make this light-as-air accessory even more meaningful by incorporating your mother or grandmother’s wholesale wedding dresses veil as "something borrowed."
To get a good idea of what you’re working with, first start by gently hand washing the veil and then allowing it to air-dry.

Replace the Comb

If the comb is dated or in disrepair, you may be able to update the veil just by removing the old from the tulle, purchasing a new one from a bridal shop, and carefully attaching it

Adding or Removing Sparkle

Your grandmother’s veil was chosen to match the style of her dress way back when, and now, so many years later, its style may differ from the gown you’ve chosen. To make a sparkly veil more simple and modern, first try to remove a single bead or crystal from a very un-obvious location, like where the tulle bunches or somewhere near the hem on a long veil.dropship wedding dresses  Carefully snip the thread that attaches the bead to the fabric with a seam ripper or small scissors. If a small hole is left in the fabric, it’s likely that you won’t be able to remove the embellishments. If the fabric is unscathed, then go ahead and carefully remove the rest.

Alternatively, to add sparkle, first clip pictures of veils you like and want to emulate. Then go to a bead shop (with your pictures and the veil) and select the perfect sparkles. When you get home, lay the veil out on a table and experiment with bead placement, using pins to try out different options. You can space them randomly all over the veil, just put them on the comb, or gather them along the veil’s hem. When you’ve settled on your design, carefully stitch or glue the embellishments (with a tiny bit fabric glue) to the tulle.

Adding a Ribboned Edge

A satin-y ribboned edge on a veil makes it look fresh and clean. Lay your ribbon (or cotton cord, or whatever trim you’ve chosen,) about 1/2 inch from the edge of the veil. Attach with a straight or zigzag stitch. Being very careful, and using small scissors, cut the tulle as close as sell wedding dresses  possible to the outer edge of the ribbon.

-- Liz Zack

Posted on: Jan 19, 2009

See More: Wedding Accessories + Wedding Jewelry , DIY Wedding Ideas