DIY Birdcage Veil Tutorial

If I may begin this post with a bit of boasting, I'M GOING TO ENGLAND! *fangirl squeal* That's right, the setting of pretty much every steampunk book ever, and I get to go there for a family trip this June! I shall make sure to seek out vast quantities of awesomeness to post about.

I think this would also look quite nice in black, if one is going for a more Gothic effect.

In more immediate news, prom season is coming up, and I've been gleefully searching for lovely neovictorian dresses and accessories and such, and happened across this lovely tutorial by Trash to Couture. I think it would look quite splendid with a flowing ballgown, don't you agree?

Easy DIY Sandals

Ack! I haven't posted anything in the last two weeks! Really sorry; my schedule's been insane lately. I was, however, able to hack some things off of my endless list of places to be and stuff to do, leaving enough time for this simple sandal tutorial! The sandals appearing in the tutorial are a bit flowery for steampunk, but replacing the tropical patterns with a more neutral tone and maybe adding a little aged brass bling, and they'll be punked right up.

Scrollwork Ring Tutorial

A very simple ring that I designed for a jewelry making class, inspired by the ironwork gates of Victorian manors. This takes only a few minutes and supplies that can easily be found at a craft or hardware store.

1. Cut a length of wire (approx. 12 gauge) about 2 inches long. Exact length, of course, will vary depending on the size of your finger, so you may have to do some trial and error.

2. Use a pair of pliers to bend the ends of the wire into two spirals. To do this, curl the tip of the wire into a small hook, steady it with the pliers, and curl the wire around it. The two spirals should be pointed in opposite directions.

3. Curl the ring around a ring mandrel or other ring-sized cylindrical object that you find lying around the house. Gently pounding it into place with a wooden mallet will help it form a more geometric ring shape.

Skirt to Top Tutorial

I've had this skirt sitting around and collecting dust for a couple years, so I finally decided to do something with it. This was pieced together in a rather improvised fashion, with numerous mistakes, so please let me know if this tutorial makes no sense.

1. I started with an ankle-length velvet pencil skirt. It wasn’t exactly ugly, but it certainly wasn’t unique or steampunk. This needed to be fixed.

2. Cut the bottom third off the skirt. Hem the rough edges on the front, but keep the back as is for now.

3. Cut two strips of fabric, each about sixteen inches long, from the cut off bottom portion of the skirt. Hem all rough edges to make straps.

4.Sew the straps onto the waistband of the skirt. Trim the straps and the front of the waistband with lace.

5. Cut two pieces of fabric, each about 2x16 inches, and sew along the edges to make two long tubes. Sew these to the side of the top to make ties.

6. Take the remaining fabric and sew it to the back of the skirt, making pleats as you go. To make pleats, pinch the fabric, fold it over, and sew down the crease. 

Industrial-styled Lamp Made From Old Books

This picture isn't mine. Please don't sue me. 

I'm not sure I could bring myself to destroy a stack of books like this, even for the sake of art, but I have to admit that this tutorial looks pretty cool and remarkably easy.

DIY Jewelry Hanger

A simple jewelry rack made from some screw-on hooks and a wooden coat hanger. I really wish I'd found this tutorial earlier: http://www.ispydiy.com/2012/07/diy-collaboration-hanger-jewelry-holder.html.

Easy Mini Top Hat Tutorial

 Having received a surprise invitation to a convention in less than a month, I found myself in need of something outrageous and awesome to wear, and fast. So of course I went for a mini top hat.
I ended up getting caught up in the creation process and taking fewer pictures than I should have, so please let me know if this makes no sense.

You will need: An empty cereal box
                       A disposable cup
                       A hot glue gun
                       Some fabric (I up-cycled from an old shirt)
                       A ribbon


1. Cut two circles, about 1.5 inches larger in diameter than the disposable cup. Glue the two circles together to make a sturdy base for the top hat.








2. Cut a piece of fabric around the cardboard circle. Place the cardboard in the center and fold in the fabric so it wraps around both sides of the cardboard, with the gathering point in the middle. Glue it into place.

3. Trace the open end of the cup onto the cardboard. Cut out the resulting circle and cover it with fabric using the same method as in the base.













4. Cut a large rectangular piece of fabric and wrap it around the cup so that the sides are covered. Glue the bottom of the fabric-wrapped cup to the top of the base.















5. Glue on the top portion of the hat. Tie a ribbon around the point where the base and cup meet to hide any drippings of glue, and, if desired, adorn it with feathers, pins, or whatever else you'd like.

6. Glue it to a headband, ribbon, hair clip, etc, to keep it securely in place. It also makes a nice decoration for a steampunk-themed room.

Nautical-inspired Necklace Tutorial

This is a necklace that can be made with fairly basic materials. I think it has a Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea-esque look, but different colors of beads and chain could be used to create a variety of styles.
1. Start with a length of chain long enough to fit loosely around your neck. Jewelry-making chains from craft stores tend to be easiest to work with, but other kinds will work, as well.

2. Use two pairs of pliers to pry apart the last link of chain. Hook it onto a clasp, and use the pliers to close it again. Do this for both ends.

3.Arrange the beads next to the chain, varying them by color and size.







4.Cut a length of copper wire, about 1-1.5 inches long. Use a pair of pliers to curl one end of the wire into a hook.
5. Hook the wire onto a link of chain, and continue curling it until it makes a loop.









6.Put a bead on the open end of the wire, and curl the end to hold it in place.

 5. Repeat this process until you have a bead attached every few links across the entire chain, using varying lengths of wire to create a wave-like effect.

Pulley-Operated Curtains

            This is an idea I came up with after getting sick of trying to keep track of curtain ties. It’s really quite simple to set up, and it greatly eases the complications that come with flowing, Victorian-style curtains.

1.Hang up your curtains normally.

2. Affix three fairly sturdy nails evenly spaced a few inches above the window, putting the middle nail slightly higher than the other two.

3.Hang a double pulley from the  middle nail.

4. Cut two very long (about seven ft.) pieces of string. Tie a small loop on each end.

5. Attach one end of a string to the back of the curtain, about halfway down the window. I used safety pins, but sewing would probably look more professional. Do this for both sides.

6. Thread each string over the nail on its side and through the pulley, so both hang down in the center of the window. The ends of the ropes should reach a few inches above the bottom of the window.

7. Affix another nail about four inches below the bottom window, positioned so that it lines up with the pulley and the dangling ropes.

8. To open your curtains, pull down your ropes and hook the looped ends around the bottom nail.  

T-shirt to Tank Top Tutorial 2

A bit more complicated than the last one, but very cool, and I think the braid in the back is quite steampunk-looking. 

Fish and Chips Recipe

With Victorian London being the center of the Industrial Revolution, as well as the setting for a large number of novels and films, England and steampunk have always been closely connected. In honor of the Olympic games being held in London, I'll post this recipe for fish and chips. These are baked, and are therefore more healthy but less authentic, although it could easily be adapted into a fried meal.

Ingredients: Fish (Cod works best)
                  A small amount of flour
                  A couple eggs
                  Breadcrumbs
                  Red Potatoes
                  Olive oil
                  Malt Vinegar

1. To prepare the fish, dredge it in flour, and then coat it with eggs and breadcrumbs. Bake on a greased pan at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until flaky.

2. To make the chips, slice the potatoes into wedges and coat them in olive oil. Bake until browned.

3. Serve the fish and chips together, topped with a little salt and a lot of malt vinegar.

DIY Steampunk Pants

A tutorial from Abney Park:

Here's a top I made using roughly the same method:

No-Sew Floral Lace Fascinator Tutorial

1. To begin with, you’ll need a little bit of felt, a simple headband, about two yards (this may vary, depending on the size of your fascinator) of fairly wide lace, and some hot glue or textile glue.

2. Cut a circle from the felt. Mine is about two to three inches in diameter. Keep in mind that, due to the width of the lace, the finished product will be a few inches larger than the felt circle.

3. Pin the inner edge of the lace to the outer edge of the felt circle. It's okay if the lace warps from  being pinned to a round surface; this gives it a more realistic petal-like shape.

4. Remove the pins one by one, replacing each with a dab of glue. Allow the glue to dry.

5. Repeat this process a little bit at a time, gluing the lace in a tight spiral pattern. As you near the center, you may want to fold the lace in half to give a more rounded effect. Continue until you have made a rose shape.

6. Glue the fascinator to the headband. Cut another circle of felt, and then glue it on so that the headband is sandwiched between the two felt layers.

7. Wait for the glue to dry, and it’s done.

Ribbon Choker Tutorial

            So since I was gone all last week, I’m doing more posts than usual for a little while. Here’s a tutorial for a basic choker made from a ribbon. I like to think of this as the neo-Victorian equivalent of the punk dog collar. It’s quite versatile and looks great when layered with a pendant or longer necklace.

1. Cut a piece of ribbon about two inches longer than the circumference of your neck.

2. Fold over the end of the ribbon. 

3. Push down on the fold to make two flaps

4. Sew it down, making sure to leave the two flaps separate. Iron them flat.

5. Repeat steps two through four on the other end.

6. Place the two hook clasps between the flaps on one end and hand sew into place. Repeat on the other end with the eyes.

7. Sew on any ornamentation, beads, etc, if desired. 

Here's a finished one, layered with a cameo necklace.

      

How to Make a Bow from Almost Anything

            This is quite possibly one of the easiest DIY projects in existence, and all it really requires is some type of fabric and a pair of scissors. For this one I used scrap fabric from an old pair of pants, but nearly any material would do. This is my first time writing a tutorial, so sorry if the pictures are all blurry and it makes no sense.

1. To begin with, you’ll need two scraps of fabric: a large rectangular one and a long thin one. I folded the larger one over and sewed around the edges to give it a more finished appearance, but this might not be necessary, depending on the look you want.

2. Fold and pinch it in the middle, so it makes a bow shape. Tie the longer piece of fabric around this spot. Trim the excess from the longer piece. 

3. And that’s it! Put in on a hairclip, sew it onto another project…whatever you can think of.

DIY Clothing Tutorial: T-Shirt to Tank Top

            I realized, a little belatedly, that I failed to mention the do-it-yourself aspect of steampunk in my intro post, so I thought I’d introduce it here with this simple tutorial: converting old T-shirts into tank tops. It takes almost no materials and just a few minutes, and it’s a great way to steampunkify a distinctly modern but all-too-common clothing item.

http://www.crafterhoursblog.com/2011/08/tee-to-tank-tutorial-by-jen-from.html