Using Metal Headbands to Make Tiaras
The easiest way to make your own tiara is to use a metal headband as the base. The headband is the most difficult part of the project to make and has little effect on how the project looks when finished. When you use a metal band as the starting point, it allows you to concentrate all of your energy on being creative.
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Beginning
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For any tiara, you must decide what basic shape you would like to have. Traditional tiaras have a point in the center front and have rounded or pointed areas surrounding it. Other tiaras have numerous straight beaded wires around the perimeter. Contemporary designs even have splashes of beads in a star-burst pattern. Look at websites that sell tiaras to get ideas for shapes, and sketch out some ideas based on what you like. To make a tiara you will need the metal headband, beading wire and a collection of beads. The wire needs to be thin enough to accommodate the beads you choose, but strong enough to withstand bends. Traditional tiaras require as heavy a gauge of wire as possible while still being able to string beads. For a straight-wire tiara, a slightly thinner gauge can be used, since it will be doubled. When it comes to purchasing beads, some prefer to stick to standards like crystal and pearl. Modern looks use almost any kind of bead imaginable, although hand-blown glass and stones like quartz make very elegant choices. Try to coordinate your choice of dress with the tiara if it will be for a special occasion. If you're wearing a silver and pearl accented dress, a gold and brown tiara would probably be a bad idea.
Cutting the Wire
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Once your design is decided, it is time to cut the wire and prepare it for beading. When making a tiara with straight wired pieces, always add in inch for wrapping and cut double what you think you need since these pieces will be doubled over during beading. If creating traditional triangle or oval-shaped tiara points, cut about 2 inches more than needed for it to reach the points necessary. This excess will be used to attach the wire to the metal headband.
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Beading
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There are two basic types of beading processes to use. With a traditional tiara, wrap one end of the wire around the metal headband and secure tightly into place using needle-nose pliers. String on the beads you have chosen leaving just enough room to wrap the other end around the headband in the next position. The wrapping must be extremely tight in order to stop slippage. If desired, a dab of metal-rated glue may be used to help secure the wire in place. Repeat this process with each triangle or oval shape you've chosen to create. For straight-wired tiaras, begin by folding the cut wire in half. String a bead onto the wire right up to the newly created joint. Twist the wire together to secure the bead at the top of the string and continue twisting through until about a half inch or inch above the bottom. Wrap each end of wire around the opposite side of the headband and fold over several times with needle-nose pliers to make the wire extremely tight. Repeat this process with each straight wire. The closer together these wired beads are, the more cohesive the tiara becomes and the less chance of the wires slipping. If you prefer spaced beads, a dab of metal glue can be used to hold the wires in place on the headband.
Shaping
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To finish up the tiara, it needs to be shaped. Straight-wired tiaras need only to be bent to and fro or pulled straight depending on your preference. For a traditional tiara, an object can help to create the perfect shape. Pressing the wire against a shot glass, drinking glass or salt shaker can help to create a perfect circle. Butter knives can be used to pull the wire into strict points. Always pull as gently as possible to avoid damaging the beads. If desired, finish off the tiara by gluing beads to the headband between the wired sections.
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