Veil Making - Attaching a Ribbon Edging by Hand

With a completed, unfinished edge veil, you can opt to have it match your dress. If your dress has an accent colour, you can incorporate it into the veil using ribbon or beads or both.


Study your dress carefully. Note the shape of the beads and shade of accent colour. Is it metallic? Matte?


Visit a craft store and browse through its ribbon and bead sections to get an idea as to what?s available. Fight your excitement, you want your veil to be perfect so take your time in selecting the right pieces. As well, buy more than you need and put the receipt somewhere safe. Unopened packages or unused ribbon can be returned but if you need more, there?s always a chance the product could be out of stock or, God forbid, discontinued.


If you decide on a ribbon, you must choose one that will be easy to attach. A satin or fabric ribbon may not allow a needle to pass through easily, it could leave holes. Some ribbons, mainly metallic ones, are weaved and are excellent for sewing. Select beads that have holes through them so they can be easily attached.


Once you have selected the ribbon and/or beads, find a matching thread.


Clear a work area. A dining room table or a neat bed are ideal. Have all your work materials handy. An important note, only sit down to work on your veil when you can devote a lot of time to it. It?s not worth pulling out all your materials if you only have 15 free minutes.


Starting from one end of the veil, begin to attach the ribbon a couple of centimetres or inches in from the edge. Lie the veil flat on your lap or on the table. Holding it too taut can make the tulle gather and too loose can cause it to pucker. Once you reach the end of the thread, tie the knot as close to the veil as possible and leave a long end.


If you are attaching beads, follow the same pattern. You can either use beads as an edging (again starting at the top and a couple of inches in), scatter them, or sew them alongside the ribbon. Thread through each bead, being careful not to pull the tulle too taut. For strength, double stitch every tenth or so bead.


Once you are finished, try on your veil. Ask another person to look at you in the veil, making sure the edging is straight and the veil hangs flat, ensure there is no puckering or gathering. If there is a problem, it is easy to pull out some stitches and rearrange the ribbon and/or beads. Fix the area and double check the veil again. Once you determine everything is fine, for strength, give the ribbon a second stitch. Fix the loose threads, tying all ends together, getting as close to the veil as possible, then trim the threads as close to the edge as possible. There will be no underside to the veil so you want to keep the seams as invisible as possible. Once you are satisfied that everything is perfect, trim away the excess tulle.


You now have a finished veil. Congratulations.