i hosted a bachelorette party this weekend for my friend akilah. as befitting any bachelorette party, we had to outfit akilah in the finest apparel.
i’m not so into the stereotypical “accessories” for bachelorettes (i.e. anything with peens or rubbers and what not) and i knew that wouldn’t fly for akilah either, but what’s a bachelorette without a sash?
i made my first sash last year for another one of my friends’ bachelorette party. i volunteered to make a sash when one of our mutual friends [and bridesmaid] was worried about finding a nice looking sash for a decent price. you’ve seen what’s available at most party stores; its slim pickings.
the miss america inspired sash is super easy to make with virtually no sewing. i didn’t take pictures of the process but there’s nothing too complicated about the whole thing.
materials:
2 yards of sheer ribbon, 2 ½ wide
4 ¼ yards of silver sequin trim
blue puff paint
tools:
hot glue gun
white thread and needle
1] position the sash across your body and cut the ends as you see fit. i like the angled “fish tail” myself.
2] stretching the sash across the floor [or table], glue the sequin trim on one small section at a time. this makes sure the glue doesn’t try before you can place the rope over it. make sure to press down.
3] repeat on the other side
4] here’s where the minimal sewing happens. put on the completed sash and pin where you want to overlap the edges. sew the outsides of the sash. that’s it.
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5] for the lettering, i picked out a fancy font [this one was Splendid…it’s a free font that can be found at dafont.com and the like] and printed it out. adjust the sizing so it fits between the sequin trims. then tape it to the back of the sash and trace the lettering with the puff paint [this ribbon wasn't as sheer as the previous one so i had a little trouble following along with my guide]
6] let dry overnight and you’re done!
it comes out beautifully every time and it’s pretty impressive, especially when you consider just how little time you spend on it. i can bust one out in about an hour or so. probably in less time if i were ever focused enough to just get it done in one sitting, but i never get anything done in one sitting.
want to know how you can instantly increase the cost of any item in a blink of an eye by saying one magical word? you do? awesome, so here’s the word [and it's not bird]:
wedding.
serious. throw ‘wedding’ in front of anything and all of the sudden the retail price skyrockets to epic proportion. that wic machine is a genius.
obviously this little trick has not gone unnoticed…
but a real life case in point. today i was in my neighborhood joann’s craft picking up some ribbon and whatnot for a sash i’m making for my friend’s bachelorette party next weekend [i'll post pictures of the completed project, i've done it twice before] and meandered through the store looking for a barrette clip or hair comb for another flower hairpiece i’m making. i found one in the wedding section.
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perfect, i thought. perfect until i checked out the price: $9.99. obviously i was not going to drop that kind of coinage for some itty bitty metal comb so i left it there and meandered over towards the jewelry making section and wouldn’t you know, i found a similar comb, in black to match my hair [awesome!] for $1.29 for one. $1.29! the silver one was an astounding $1.49! it definitely pays to wander away from the wedding aisle to collect your odds and ends.