DIY Wedding Veil

I was completely shocked at the prices of veils when I last visited The Vera Wang Bridal Salon.  {Of course their veils were absolutely stunning and probably worth the cost.} Why on earth would I buy a $3500 wedding gown and then fork over $680 for a veil??

The wheels started turning and I got the idea of trying my hand at making my own veil!  The research began and I found that Michaels had a great “How-To” video on creating a veil.  I am a very visual person so this seemed to be the best on-line site for me.

This sunny Sunday afternoon, I ventured out to find my materials and start my next DIY project.

The first shop I stopped at was  Sew Low Discount Fabrics in Cambridge.

via Yelp

There was fabric EVERYWHERE.  The women that worked there were so sweet and helpful!  I was able to buy four different types of tulle & netting, thread and needles all for $12.00.  Not too shabby.

The only thing I was missing was the comb for the veil.  I stopped in the dollar store and sally’s hair supply store and no luck.  I then stopped by my next Fabric Store: Sewfisticated Discount Fabrics.

via Sewfisticated

{More Fabric!!}

I was able to find my combs {12 total}, plus great flower pieces {16} to embellish the veil with.  The total cost: $4.20.Score!

Without further ado: My Step by Step Guide to Making a Traditional Wedding Veil & Birdcage Veil.

1.) Gather all of the Supplies

Materials

2 Yards of Tulle {This made a veil that end in the middle of my back }

Spool of Thread {Make sure it blends in with the tulle (white or ivory)}

Needles

Hair Comb

Any beading or pieces to add to the veil

2.) Thread the Needle and Lay out the Tulle on a Flat Surface

Layers

The piece of Tulle will be layered (2+)  Mine was four layers to make it more full

3.) Do a Running Stitch (1 inch apart)

Needle & Thread

Make sure to leave a 1 inch gap from where you are running your stitch and where the top of the veil is.  You will need this to attach the comb.

4.) Pull the Thread Tightly so it Bunches

Pull

{Most sure to use heavy duty thread so it does not break when being pulled.}

Bunching

You will see it begin to form.

Gathering

Voila!

Tie it up

5.) Trim some of the Excess Tulle off of the Veil

Trim

6.) Attach the Hair Comb to the Tulle

Comb

You will want to arrange the bunching so it is spread evenly.

Tulle

7.) Try it on!

Final Product

At this stage you can of course add little touches to the veil so it matches the details in your dress.  I decided to keep it nice and simple.  I also took a steamer to the veil to smooth out the wrinkles in the tulle.  It worked like a charm.

Side View

I will most likely shorten the veil to right above my shoulders for a more vintage look.

Next up, my hand at making a Birdcage Veil!

Back

I used the same method of the traditional veil but did the running stitch method on 3 of the 4 sides.  Also, I added a flower piece to the comb for a more dramatic look.

Side View

{Kind of Blurry- Oops!}

Wedding Veils

So whether you are a traditional bride or if you are looking for something different, creating your own Wedding Veil is so easy and fun! The total cost of each veil was around $5.00.

What do you think? Would you consider making your own veil?