I’m not a big fan of belly dance costumes that are any more naked than they already are, but sometimes that “naked” design details on costumes can be visually interesting and also create beautiful lines. And when I say “naked”, I mean those cut outs that show your skin or details that mimic the colour of your skin.… Read more →
In my last video, you saw how to make a heart shaped beaded applique. And this week I want to share with you this paisley beaded applique. I love paisley designs, and they look great on costumes in every colour. Let’s get started! Download the free paisley patterns here! To make these paisley appliques, you need: Felt – to use… Read more →
Valentine’s Day is coming up! So today I want to share with you how I made this heart shaped beaded applique. It’s perfect for Valentine’s Day theme costume decorations or just make one as an accent piece like a hair accessory or Valentine’s Day decor or DIY gift. If you stick to neutral colours like I did here, you can… Read more →
I wanted to start off the new year with the most common costuming problem that belly dancers have – gaping bra cups. Our body goes through changes, but most belly dance bra cups are not so flexible. And most of them are heavily decorated, so cutting up the bra cups is too much work and you may wreck the beautiful… Read more →
A couple of months ago, I asked on Sparkly Belly’s FB group what everyone wanted to see on Sparkly Belly. And the most popular request was plus size costuming tips. So! Here are my take on plus size costuming. I focused on the 3 plus size costuming challenges I hear from Sparkly Belly readers most and used their words to… Read more →
Christmas has passed, and it’s the end of the year. How was your 2016? My 2016 was lots of learning and meeting new people online and in person. I learned many little sewing techniques while making Sparkly Belly tutorials, and I also took a business program this year. I launched new ebook, Belly Dancer in Business, and new course, Swirly… Read more →
If you came to my website for the first time from other belly dancers’ Belly Dancer Affirmation Cards posts, welcome! Take your time and enjoy browsing through my website 🙂 And welcome back, returning readers! 🙂 We have something different today…. What do you think when you hear the word “affirmation”? Positive words, powerful meanings, strength…. Then… Read more →
Welcome back to the Holiday DIY series! In my last 2 posts, you saw how to make a sleeveless choli top with cute double bows and a super easy no-sew skirt for your holiday costume. But I mean, these are great all year around! And today, I want to show you how to make these sparkly star appliques to add to your… Read more →
This may be the easiest DIY I’ve done… 😉 In my last post, you saw how to make a sleeveless choli top that’s perfect for your holiday theme performance. In this post – Holiday DIY series Pt 2 – I’ll show you how to make a SUPER EASY skirt with ruffles. This is so easy that I’m not sure I call… Read more →
Ohhh the festive season has begun! Thanksgiving family fun, Black Friday shopping fun, and holiday dancing fun…. 😀 (oh, speaking of Black Friday, check out Sparkly Belly’s Black Friday fun here!) Since holiday events are coming up, in the next 3 posts, I’m going to do a holiday DIY costume series where I’ll show you how to make this sleeveless… Read more →