Project 31: 40s Fascinators

My friend Danu is getting married this year and for her Hen Night (Bachelorette Party for those of you back home) we decided to take her to a 1940s Blitz-themed club night in an old train tunnel that felt like an air-raid shelter. This sounds like it’s all rather bad taste but I assure you, it was very cool with a live swing band and everyone in war-time regalia. 

To help us all look the part my friend Han and I decided to make fascinators. First a trip to Primark to buy necklaces, brooches and hair ties with giant flowers that we could use as the feature for the headpieces. Next a trip to the fabric store to buy some netting in white, pink, purple and black. I wish I had taken photos at this stage but I was too excited to start playing with everything. 

We started with a piece for the bride that was a bit OTT and had a long veil. We wanted a looser, more open netting but this proved harder to find so we just got tutu style material. Some beaded cords and a little bit of bling and we had ourselves a bridal headdress.

The headline image on the ltop is the one that I wore – this flower actually came on a headband already so I left it on and added the silk rose as I had this on a brooch. The lace and beads hanging down were already attached to the rose. I’ve had this for years and never worn so I was stoked it finally had a purpose.

The rest were a bit more understated and I’m not sure how true-to-time they are. But I like them. Hannah and I worked out a few designs and then after she left I glued everything in place with a hot glue gun. I love my hot glue gun as it introduces a level of danger to my crafting. I redid all of the ones that had purple netting (which is why you don’t see any here) because I thought with the predominantly bright pink flowers they were looking very 80s and just a bit too modern. I replaced all of these with the black fabric which had tiny polka dots.

Finally just a few ones with the biggest flowers put on some netting in a bow fashion. I gave these to Danu’s home friends and I think they may have been the chicest ones in the lot. Maybe I’ll revisit this when the actual wedding comes round in August…