Building a Fascinator/Part 3

In today's edition of building a fascinator, we're going to talk about building out the inside of the flowers. Of course, every fascinator is not the same, so this is more about inspiration that you can use while creating     your own personal project. One thing to remember is that we are not building reality, rather fantasy. Especially for this project, I want the piece to sparkle and shine.

So I begin with my basic silk flower that I cut off from the stem. The center is just a typical plastic boring center.

But, as I said, I want sparkle and shine. There are 3 layers to the center of the flower, wired round crystals, wired flat crystals and the glittery pieces. I just don't know what to call them!!! But they work perfectly for the look I want.

Begin by removing the center of the flower. If by chance the petals of the flower have lost their shape, you can always give them a little steam with an iron and then reshape them.

To really create interest, the stamen should have layers. The first layer will be the crystals. As you can see from the picture below, the crystal has been wired.

 Cut a piece of wire and thread the crystal through.

 Simply hold the wire at one end and twist.

 Place a small amount of hot glue in the center of the flower and then push the wired crystal through.  

I used 3 wired crystals in the center of my flower. They are staggered in their length.

Once I have finished with the center of the flower, I will cut off the excess wire.

 For my next layer, I am using the gold/silver glitter pieces. They have been cut to various lengths.

Put a small amount of hot glue on the end of each piece and then place it inside the flower. I usually hold it for a moment or so to allow the glue to hold the piece in place.

Continue until you have the look you desire.

For an added layer, and to catch a little more light, I want to wire some flat crystals. It's really quite easy to do.

Take a piece of wire and wrap it around something that is round. I use a small knitting needle. Hold the ends of the wire and twist the needle around like a propeller until the wire has completely twisted.

The wire will look like this once you have finished. You'll have a perfect little circle to glue the crystals to.

I use Fabri-tac to glue the sequins to the wire. 

Simply put a little glue on a piece of paper and then slide the circle through the glue. Pick up 1 crystal and place on one side and place another crystal on the other side. 

Before I place the wired crystal into the center of my flower, I make a small bend at the end of the wire. Place a small amount of hot glue on the end of the wire and then place in the center of the flower. As you can see in the picture, I had 3 wired crystals in the center of my flower.  

Two of my flowers are together. I may spray a little adhesive to the leaves of the flower and add a little glitter. Maybe. I can make that decision just before I attach the flowers to my base.

The next step will be to assemble the pieces and decide how I would like for them to be arranged on the base. Part of the decision process includes thinking about where you would like the piece to be worn on the head, so keep that in mind whenever you assemble a fascinator.
Tomorrow the piece will be just about finished, so tune back in to see just how it all comes together!