If you’ve made a costume before, you know every costume has a story. Where the fabric came from, what the inspiration was, how the design transformed in the creation process…. But most often we don’t get to hear these stories. I’m ALWAYS amazed by how my students take what they learned, add their own inspirations and personalities, and create costumes… Read more →
In the last few years, many of you have noticed this trendy look of straps around the torso. These straps not only add sparkles to your belly, but also makes your torso look slimmer by creating this v-shape. It’s super easy to achieve this look, and I’m excited to share it with you in this tutorial. Let’s get started! Click… Read more →
I like belly dance costumes that have decorations sewn onto the skirt. 
For this type of skirt, you don’t have to wear a separate belt, which can be more comfortable for some of you. At least for me – less opportunity for costume malfunction 
But how do you sew decorations to the stretch waistband of… Read more →
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 →
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 →
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 →
