So exciting, from Part 3 of the How to Make a Belly Dance Bra series, now you have a bra base that fits you well and is covered in the fabric of your choice. It is time to decorate it!
How you decorate your bra is completely up to you, and it should suit your needs and preferences. So in this video, I am going to show what materials you can use to decorate your belly dance bra and ideas that I have found helpful in creating my own design.
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What to decorate your belly dance bra with
There is an infinite number of options when it comes to decorating your belly dance bra. Here are materials that are used often:
Appliques and rhinestones
Beads
Sequins
Feathers
Flowers
Recycled necklaces, chains and pearls
Coins
Ruffles and lace
Now you may be wondering how to attach these things to your costume.
From what I hear, many dancers prefer to sew on their trims, because that is the most secure way. That being said, some things such as small rhinestones and pearls may not come with little holes to put your needle through.
For this type of trims, my recommendation is E6000. This is an adhesive created to meet industrial standard, and once dry, it holds very well. You can find it at craft stores like Michaels. It’s the toughest glue I’ve used, and works well on fabric and plastic. Make sure to ventilate the room when you use this. I have used hot glue gun, and works great but I use a lot of it to make sure things don’t fall. If you are using hot glue gun, make sure to use high temperature glue.
How to Create Your Design
Take the supplies you have, and lay them on your bra to see what you like. You can make your design symmetrical or not symmetrical. You can work from a theme like peacock, butterfly, flowers or you may be inspired from your choreography. Or cover your bra with fabric with patterns or sequins sewn on it already, and add trims to make the patterns stand out.
It is your art, but if you are not sure where to start, here are my top 5 practical ideas on how to start creating your design:
#1 Pick the center pieces and place them
This can be big pieces of gemstones or appliques. Placing big pieces helps you visualize what your bra is going to look like.
#2 Play with strings of sequins or beads to find patterns that you like
Take your trims and try making shapes. For the costume I’m working on right now, I like the shape of a flower, so I decided to make appliques in the shape of a flower. You can do the same, make your own appliques, and attach them to your costume later.
#3 Trims along the top edge give a nice, polished look
This is a piece of advice from my fashionable mother. And this type of beading around the edge is quite common for cabaret style costumes.
#4 Place beads that dangle from the center
Again, another popular choice for cabaret style costumes.
#5 Orders and patterns create balance
Try playing with polka dots, lines, arches… instead of placing things everywhere. This is another great piece of advice from my mother. You can play with same or similar colours or opposite colours and make orderly patterns.
And lastly, browse the internet, look up your favourite dancers and costume designers for inspiration. I often get inspiration from people other than dancers for interesting colour combinations and fabric combinations.
This is just a guideline to help you get started. Costumes are a big part of your performance, and it’s your art. So have fun decorating your bra top and please share photos of your creation on Sparkly Belly’s FB page. You will inspire other dancers to make their own costumes!
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Click here to get the PDF version of the entire Bra Making Ultimate Guide for free!