Alright, let’s talk about this crown tiara thing I put together.
Getting Started
So, I had this idea kicking around. Needed something sparkly, maybe for a costume party, maybe just for kicks. Decided, why not try making one myself? Looked up some pictures online, got a general vibe of what I wanted – something not too massive, more like a tiara but with a bit of crown height.
Gathering the Bits
First step, obviously, was finding the materials. Didn’t want to spend much, so I dug through my craft stash. Found some reasonably strong but bendable wire – think it was leftover from some gardening project. Perfect. Also unearthed a load of random beads, some plastic gems that looked okay from a distance, and my trusty hot glue gun. Oh, and pliers, definitely needed pliers.
- Wire (the main frame stuff)
- Thinner wire (for wrapping)
- Beads and plastic gems
- Hot glue gun & glue sticks
- Pliers (cutting and bending)
- Some felt scraps (for lining later)
Building the Frame
I started by shaping the main wire into a headband circle. Took a bit of fiddling to get the size roughly right for a head. Didn’t need it perfect, just comfortable enough. Cut the wire, leaving a bit extra to overlap, and then secured the ends together by wrapping them tightly with the thinner wire. Tried it on – felt okay.
Then, I wanted those classic crown peaks. Cut a few shorter pieces of the main wire. Bent each one into an arch shape. This was trial and error, getting them somewhat uniform. Then, I attached these arches upright onto the main headband circle. Again, used the thinner wire to wrap them on super tight at the base of each peak. Checked they felt solid enough.
Adding the Sparkle
This part took the longest. Got the hot glue gun heated up. Started placing the plastic gems first, mainly at the top points of the peaks and a few along the front of the band. Had to hold them steady for a few seconds while the glue set. Burned my finger once or twice, standard procedure with hot glue, right?
Next, the beads. I tried stringing some onto the thin wire and wrapping those strands around the frame, filling in the gaps between the gems. Also just glued some individual beads directly onto the wire frame where wrapping looked too clumsy. Just kept adding bits and pieces until it looked full and sparkly enough. No real plan, just went with what felt right. Stood back a few times to check the overall look.
Finishing Touches
Once I was happy with the bling, I let all the glue fully cool and harden. Inspected it closely, snipped off any stray bits of thin wire with the pliers. Some parts of the wire frame still felt a bit scratchy where they might touch the head. So, I cut some thin strips of felt and glued them carefully to the inside of the main band. Made it way more comfortable.
The Result
And that was pretty much it. Stood back, had a look. Wasn’t a professional jeweler’s piece, obviously. Bit rough here and there if you looked closely. But you know what? It looked like a crown tiara. It sparkled. And I made it myself out of bits and pieces. Felt pretty good about that. Job done.
