So I set out looking for tutorials, and found a few and tweaked them based on supplies we already had, and set out to make it as easy as possible. This is what I came up with; here's how you can make your very own Fairy Crown.
What you'll need:
You'll begin by making a cardboard form for your crown to set on. Measure the head for which the crown is intended and cut your cardboard 1 inch longer. My daughter's head was 19 inches so I cut a 20 inch length and a 5 inch width to make it a bit wider than my lace. So I cut a 20" x 5" length.
I then made a cylinder and overlapped the ends by a 1/2" and taped it. I then covered the outside in the tape also to create a barrier so that the glue didn't saturate the cardboard.
Next mix equal parts white glue & water together in a container, and soak your lace for about 10 min.
After your lace has soaked, remove it from the glue solution and gently ring out the excess glue. Fasten the lace around your form and secure the ends with a tiny bead of hot glue.
Put your form and lace onto a microwaveable plate, I used a paper plate for easy cleanup. Place the plate and form into the microwave in 30 second intervals until the lace is dry. It took about 5-6 intervals before my lace was dry. Remove the crown from the microwave and use your paintbrush to paint another layer of the glue solution onto your crown and repeat this process until you have reached your desired stiffness. I found 3 rounds/layers of the glue to be stiff enough.
This next step can be omitted if you please. You might like the white, or you might be able to find lace that is already coloured. I chose a metallic paint, and I found that this step made the whole thing even stiffer. You will have to wait for this step to dry the old fashioned way or use a hairdryer, as you don't want to microwave your paint, especially metallic. Remove the crown from the form to paint it. the crown will become a bit limp again from the wetness of the paint.
Once you've painted the whole crown, you can either put it back on the form to dry, or take this opportunity to cover it in glitter like I did. This is the best time for the glitter because it'll stick to the wet paint.
Now for the best part. Once your crown is dry you can EMBELLISH it! With a glue gun I fastened a royal purple velvet ribbon to the base and some rainbow coloured jewels to the points.
We made a second one for her little sister, and I'm thinking I might want one of my own next. Making this adorable fairy crown is super simple, and it can be used for dress or dress-up!
