Queen For A Day: Vintage Tiaras

Can't find a vintage tiara that suits you?  Here are four (with directions on how to make them) courtesy of Woman's Day Magazine circa 1953.

 

Sequined Tiara
 

Materials: 1 yard of 5/8" pale-green grosgrain ribbon; about 12 dozen pastel-colored sequins; milliner's plastic bicycle clip; 1 spool bead wire: household cement.

Twist wire to make about 20 twigs with three "branches" and one "stem", each 1 1/2" long in total; twist wire to make 15 twigs, each 2" long and with 4 side branches.  Leave loop for sequins at end of each branch.  Wrap bicycle clip with ribbon, catching stem of 1 wire twig with each twist of ribbon.  Bend end of wire around clip.  Use the larger twigs across center.  Tack ribbon at each end of clip.  Cement a sequin to each loop on twigs.

Silver-Braid Tiara
 

Materials: 14" of 1-inch silver braid; about 2 dozen blue stones; about 2 dozen rhinestones, cement-on kind; 14' of millinery wire; 2 small side combs; 4" of round elastic; household cement.

Join ends of millinery wire, making 13" circle.  Sew ends of braid together to form 13" circle.  Whip to wire base.  Spacing evenly, cement stones around tiara.  Center 2" of elastic along top of each comb; sew in place, and tack ends to inside of tiara, one comb on each side.

Felt Tiara
 

Materials: 2" x 13" piece of white felt; 14" of red velvet cording; 14" of millinery wire; 24" of bead wire; about 300 seed pearls; white cotton thread; 11 rhinestones, cement-on kind; 2 small side combs; 4" of round elastic; household cement.

Cut felt in shape of crown, making 11 points and graduating them from 1" high at center back to 2" high at center front.  Measure bead wire to fit along pointed edge of felt; add 2".  Whip in place.  String pearls on bead wire; twist ends of wire together.  Cement rhinestones 3/4" below center of each point.  String 10 pearls on white cotton thread; knot ends together to form a circle, and tack circle around a rhinestone.  Repeat.  Run millinery wire through velvet cording; join ends to form 13" circle; whip to base of crown.  Center 2" of elastic along top of each comb; sew in place, and tack ends to inside of tiara, one comb on each side.

Rhinestone Tiara
 

Materials: 1 yard of 5/8" black grosgrain ribbon; about 12 dozen rhinestones, cement-on kind; milliner's plastic bicycle clip; 1 spool bead wire; household cement.

Follow directions as above for Sequined Tiara.