How to Create an Ancient Egyptian Collar and Cuffs
A set of large and highly embellished collar- and cuff-type bracelets quickly brings up images of ancient Egypt. For any Egyptian costume to be detailed and complete, you need to add these accessories to really dress it out. Creating the collar and cuffs is an easy craft project, and the details are limited only by your imagination.
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Things You'll Need
- Tailor's measuring tape
- Pencil
- String
- Pin
- Scissors
- Cotton or muslin fabric remnants
- Fusible interfacing
- Iron
- Ironing board
- Self-stick hook and loop fastener strips
- Decorative fabric scraps
- Fabric glue
- Fabric paints in squeeze bottles
- Faux gems
- Gold cord or tassels
- Embellishments
Instructions
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The Base Components
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1
Cut a 12-inch square of both the cotton or muslin fabric and the fusible interface. Lay them together.
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2
Attach a piece of string to a pencil by tying it around the barrel. Measure 10 1/2 inches from the pencil, and place a pin through the string at that point. Put the pin in the center of the layered 12-inch squares of the fabric and interfacing. Draw a circle on the fabric by rotating the pencil on the string.
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3
Pin both layers of fabric together and cut the circles out. Do not remove the pins yet. Measure around your neck and get the circumference. Now make another circle on the fabric inside the first one that matches the measurement of your neck. Do this by taking the circumference of your neck, say, 14 inches, and dividing that in half. So make a circle that is 7 inches in diameter. Use the string method to draw this circle.
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4
Make a cut from the outside edge of the fabric circles to the center. Now cut out the inside circles. This creates your base for the collar. If you place it around your neck, it should lie over the shoulders. Place the cut in the back.
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5
Heat the iron. Remove the pins from the two circles but leave them together. Make sure the correct side is facing the muslin fabric so the interfacing will fuse to it. Read the instructions that came with your interfacing to be sure of the correct method required by your manufacturer, and iron the interfacing to the muslin or cotton, binding them together. This gives the collar stiffness.
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6
Measure your wrist and then the arm about 5 inches up from the wrist. Lay a piece of fusible interfacing on another piece of cotton or muslin, and pin them together. Cut a rectangle from the layered fabric, the length of the measurement of the higher part of your arm and 5 inches wide, then cut a second. Now mark the center point on one end and measure out the length of your wrist, making the center point you marked the center of your measurement. This is called the top. Draw a straight line from the bottom right corner, to the top right point where you marked your wrist measurement. Repeat this for the left side. Cut these angled lines and remove the excess material on both rectangles.
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7
Iron the fusible interfacing and cotton or muslin together on the cuffs.
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8
Attach hook and loop fastener strips to the edges of both the cuffs and collar for closure. Do this by placing one part of the strip on the underside of one edge, the other on the top of the opposite edge of the fabric. For the collar, this is the cut line you made through the circle, and for the cuffs it is the angled edges you made. Orient the closure so that when you wrap the cuff around your wrist, the hook and eye strips meet and catch.
Decorating
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9
Cut pieces of material to cover the collar and cuffs that is colorful or decorative. Suggestions are metallic gold lame, shimmery rayon or velvet. Use a light layer of fabric glue to adhere the fabric to the base of each piece, taking care to spread the glue to a very thin layer with your finger so a hump of glue does not show through the fabric. Fold the edges over and under and glue them down.
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10
Use a stencil or freehand-draw a design onto the collar and cuffs. Popular motifs are the lotus flower, alternating strips in green and deep red with gold between them, the Sphinx and peacock feathers. Use the fabric paints in squeeze tubes to trace these designs. Metallics are a good choice or a deep royal blue or green.
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11
Glue faux gems to the pieces if desired. You can add gold cord or tassels as trims. Add other embellishments such as feathers, or items that fit the Egyptian theme. Allow the pieces to dry completely before wearing them.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Hemera Technologies/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images
