Decorating with Tulle

If you’ve already shopped around for tulle wedding veils then you’ve probably noticed how pricey they can be. Cheap ones start out at around $30 and the nicer ones can go for as much as several hundred. However, if you decide to make it on your own you can literally do it for dollars. It only takes a little bit of time, some basic sewing skills, and few tools and supplies to make it all come together. This is the ideal tutorial for anyone wanting to learn how to make a tulle wedding veil own there own. So without further ado, let’s begin!

What you need:

- Tulle (cut for length you desire)

- A sewing needle

- some sewing thread (color explained below)

- fabric glue

- fabric scissors

- hair comb

*You may also want to include some satin or cord for edging the veil, some embellishments such as sequins, and most likely a tiara or headband

It’s highly suggested that you bring a swatch of your wedding dress material that you intend to match with you. This will help ensure that both the tulle wedding veil that you’re about to make as well as your sewing thread will match perfectly with the rest of your tulle wedding dress. Keep in mind that you can never go off of the fabric name alone as most manufacturers shades of colors are all slightly different than one another.

Another helpful hint went shopping for discount tulle to make your first tulle wedding veil is to buy more than you need. You just never know when something may go wrong and you need to start over…practice makes perfect anyhow. After your tulle wedding veil project is complete, let’s just hope that it’s the last one you ever have to make if you know what I’m saying.

Step 1:

To create a single layer wedding veil, first gauge the length that you want the tulle wedding veil to be. Average length is between 25 and 30 inches, which will bring the veil to about the elbow area when sitting upright. *In wedding veils of more than one layer, the top layer is typically elbow length.

Standard veil lengths are as follows

- Shoulder 24 inches

- Elbow 30 inches

- Fingertip 40 inches

- Ballet/Waltz 52 inches

- Chapel 90 inches

- Cathedral 110 inches

So begin by using fabric scissors to cut the desired veil length you want.

Step 2:

Fold the tulle in half, length-wise and cut the bottom of the tulle so that you form a large “U” shape when it’s unfolded. This is done to help ensure that the shape at the bottom of the veil is a symmetrical shape. This is also the step where embellishments, if being used, should be incorporated onto the veil. Using either glue for rhinestones or sewing on sequins and what not.

Step 3:

Proceed to unfold the tulle and iron out any unsightly creases that are visible using a iron on extremely low heat. Then thread a needle with button thread, the extra strength of the button thread will help to hold and gather the tulle and sew it onto a comb. Next, you want to use a whip stitch technique to run some thread along the top edge of the tulle veil. Ease the tulle along by pushing it against the thread to assist in gathering it all up. Next, tie a knot to secure the tulle so that it is about three inches wide at the top, or the same width as the comb to which it will be all be attached to.

Step 4:

Using some more button thread, sew the gathered veil to a comb. A metal comb is preferred at this point since it has a lower profile and grips the hair better than plastic combs do.

Step 5:

After attaching the veil to the bridal loops, it is now ready to be attached to the hair using bobby pins or hair pins. You can also attach it directly to a tiara with snaps, or with velcro if the tiara is wide enough. Thin strips of velcro are sewn onto the tiara. This will allow the bride to wear the tiara during the reception and easily remove the veil at the same time.

- Take a look at other easy to do tulle wedding decorations

How to clean Tulle:

First, I highly recommend testing a piece of the fabric first, just to be safe if at all possible. Do so by cutting a small sample of the tulle then hand wash and dry it on low heat to see how it reacts to the method of cleaning. Although tulle can be machine washed, you need to do this with extreme precaution. Make sure the temperature is low, around 30 degrees or so. The safest bet is to stick to the simplest method hand-washing it with a gentle soap and rinse very well using some cool water.  Then allow the tulle to drip dry naturally.

If the tulle is wrinkled after cleaning it, spritz it with some water and fluff the fabric. It should dry without much fuss and the wrinkles can be kept to a minimum. Whether cleaning or drying, always handle tulle gently. Tulle is very fragile as it can and will often times snag or tear.

Store your tulle skirt or tulle gown upright to avoid it from flattening, do so by always hanging it up in the closet after use and avoid laying it down in a box.

How not to clean Tulle:

Dry-cleaning, which seems like an obvious choice is actually more of a detriment to the fabric. This may help to deteriorate the fabric, flatten the “full” look of the tulle, and /or will lose the crisp feel.

Dry the tulle on a high heat. A dryer on high heat may either melt the fabric or cause it to become dry and brittle. Remember that tulle naturally dries fast due to it’s inherent nature and composition.

Don’t scrub the tulle too vigorously because it could easily rip or otherwise get damaged.

Don’t try to bleach the tulle. Tulle is extremely porous and you risk creating a mess and bleaching other items.

Avoid ironing tulle. Tulle will burn quickly and become unusable altogether. If you do decide to iron, be sure to use a low heat setting and place a cloth over the tulle to avoid the direct heat.

Cleaning Lipstick off of Tulle:

You first want to scrape off any pre-existing residue from the tulle using a dull knife. Then with an eyedropper, apply some acetone to the underside of the tulle. Proceed to flush the area with alcohol, tamp it down, and continue to repeat this a couple more times. Rinse as thoroughly as possible with a detergent premix to remove any remaining stain and then simply wash it in hot water with detergent. This works with most stains on tulle, but like everything else in life there are no guarantees.

Either use fabric glue or a good old-fashioned needle and thread and tack them to the tulle.