How to Make a Renaissance Hair Piece
When making Renaissance-style hair pieces, you can either go for a braided look using your own hair or you can put a type of crown on your head. For a very traditional style that was probably worn every day, use the braided hair technique. This was used by the everyday woman to keep her hair out of her face. The modern Renaissance "fairy" crowns, while popular today, probably were not worn too often--possibly only for special occasions. We'll discuss both options here. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- For the braided hair version:
- 2 yards of ribbon
- Large needle
- Hair elastic
- Bobby pins
- For crown version:
- Flexible headband
- Sheer ribbon in two shades of the same color
Instructions
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Braided Version
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1
Pull your hair into a ponytail centered in the back of your head and secured with the hair elastic. This version only works if you have long hair.
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2
Tie one end of the ribbon around the elastic, covering it completely.
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3
Twist the hair or braid it, so that it will stay together.
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4
Wrap it around the crown of your head, bobby pinning it in a few places so that it will stay secure.
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5
Thread the needle with the ribbon and start sewing the braid to the hair on your head, getting the thread as close to the scalp as possible. Continue around your head until you get back to the base; tie off the ribbon.
Crown Version
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6
Take the sheer colored ribbons, in colors that complement your outfit, and cut about six pieces, each 2 feet long, in alternating colors.
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7
Cut the remaining ribbon into 3-inch pieces.
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8
Tie the six long pieces to the headband. This will be the back of the headpiece.
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9
Around the headband, alternating colors, tie the short pieces of ribbon in a knot, leaving the ends loose. Tie ribbon on until the headband is full. This will make a crown effect around the headband.
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10
Place it on your head with the long ribbons trailing down your back.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Use ribbon, in both versions, that complements your outfit.
For the crown version, you can either choose ribbons in two or three completely different colors, or just different shades of the same color. Try both to see which you prefer.
When you're cutting the long pieces for the crown version, consider having a couple of each color. This will set off the rest of the crown nicely.
For the braided version, you can also use a couple of different ribbons in different colors.
The crown can also be used for a fairy costume, or for a female elf, if you wish.
