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Mrs. Spider, New York Age and Occupation: 27, Paralegal Fiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Advisor Research Engagement Date: December 30, 2005 Wedding Date: October 2006 Venue: Jericho Terrace - Long Island, NY About Me: My favorite parts of wedding planning are DIY projects and figuring out ways to incorporate old traditions into a modern affair.
About Mrs. Spider

DIY Veil 2.0

July 31st, 2008 @ 4:15 pm by Mrs. Spider

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Remember the veil my Dad made me? Sigh, it meant the world to me.

When it came time for my cousin to shop for her veil, I showed her this lace edged delight that inspired Mrs. Bellpepper’s mother to make her veil. At $800, this veil is priced to leave you homeless.

bellpepper

Inspired by the prowess of Mrs. Bellpepper’s mother and of my own poppa’s, I offered (and begged) to make a similar veil for my cousin.

She was open to the idea if not a little skeptical. First we took pictures of the (not yet sewn on) lace on the train of her gown.

lace

With print-outs in hand, I went to trim and lace store extravaganza M&J Trimming and two hours and $25 later, came out with two different types of lace trim and a little metal comb. I had my mom contact her tulle hookup for a few free yards (normally about $30) and then followed the instructions here to cut a cathedral length veil. After I pranced around the house for a bit with the veil fastened to my head, I sat down and very carefully (using cuticle scissors) cut out pieces of lace from the trim. The lace I bought was double-faced which is imperative for the sewing (more on that later) and a symmetrical layout.

yard

Next, I spent a thousand hours laying and re-laying out different patterns around the edge of the veil.

peak

layout

When I was finally, finally satisfied, I pinned all the little pieces of the lace down to the tulle.

DSC05607

Then I spent the next million hours carefully hand-sewing each piece of lace onto the back of the tulle. In order to ensure that nothing snags, you literally have to sew the entire perimeter of each piece of lace onto the tulle but not actually through the lace (which you would then be able to see on the “good side”) but between the threads of the embroidery. Brutal.

DSC05664

After all the little bastards were secure on the tulle, I gathered the top edge and sewed it onto the little metal comb. I sewed a little white satin ribbon over the bunching just to give it a smoother look. In this picture, the comb is meant to be tucked under a hair bun. Of course, on the morning of my cousin’s wedding, I realized she wanted to insert the veil OVER the bun so I had to quickly cut the comb loose to flip it and reverse it.

veil on

Her professional pictures are not yet all ready (some are here) so I am forced to reveal my final creation with this rather lackluster photo of my cousin in a classroom at the Brooklyn Botantic Garden.

While the final cost was only $25, the amount of hours I spent on this project made me understand the $800 price tag (a teensy bit). But my cousin loved it which made everything worthwhile.

43 Responses to “DIY Veil 2.0”

1.
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Mrs. Penguin says:

SO HOT. Bowing down to your greatness. I cant believe how amazing this turned out. I feel like making one just for fun. I mean, it doesn’t look fun, but the results are gorgeous!

2.
Christine says:

Wow, you did an amazing job! It’s SO gorgeous!!

3.
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Mrs. Violet says:

Truly amazing! Your cousin is so lucky to have you. You really went above and beyond!

You look beautiful in the first photo.

4.
Lucy says:

Looks gorgeous!!! I wonder if a little bit of work could be saved by ordering an inexpensive plain veil from veilshop (or the like) so that all that’s left to be done is sew on the lace?

5.
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Mrs. Lemon says:

The next time I complain about sewing, I will think of your tired little fingers with the itty bitty stitches and the super delicate lace, suck it up and keep going.
This was such an ASTOUNDING project, and even more so because it was an amazing gift from the heart.

6.
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Miss Espresso says:

So BEAUTIFUL! I can’t believe you made that Spider! Pure Genius… and wow you have a lot of patience!

7.
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Mrs. Jasmine says:

What an incredible gift– that veil is exquisite!

8.
nowmrswhite says:

so dang beautiful! sooooo well done! great job!

9.
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Mrs. Lovebird says:

you rock spider!!!

10.
Vee says:

Mrs. Spider, you are soooo awesome! I miss your posts…

11.
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Miss Cherry Pie says:

Wow, nice job!!

12.
nejireta says:

WoW. That’s all I have to say, wow.

13.
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Mrs. Cherry Blossom says:

daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaym sistah! BOW DOWN BOW DOWN to the spider!

14.
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Mrs. Eggplant says:

*hands Spider “cousin of the year” award.*

Can I adopt you into my family?

15.
Jenny Louwheeze says:

Wow. I am blown away!

16.
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Mrs. Gingerbread says:

You deserve the “best cousin in the universe” award! What an amazing gift!!!

17.
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Miss Green Tea says:

wow, it’s like a christmas miracle! ;)

18.
AliCherri1 says:

WOW WOW WOW! You are my hero! Excellent work Mrs. Spider!

19.
ChicagoSarah says:

Incredible!

20.
MsPopcorn says:

I took a little short cut when I trimmed my veil in lace. I fabric glued it first so I’d only have to stitch a little! after all the glue dried, I just stitched what I thought needed reinforcing.

I would absolutely do it again for a bride I loved.

21.
Tara says:

Wow!!! That’s excellent!!! How beautiful!!

22.
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Mrs. Toucan says:

so.freaking.awesome. yes, i’m talking about you!

23.
Linda says:

lovely! you’re awesome!

24.
melodicsighs1 says:

that’s so beautiful! i’m in complete awe. you’re cousin is one lucky lady.

pee.ess. i love your cousin’s dress. can i get more info on who made it?

25.
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Miss Margarita says:

wow, you are amazing! it turned out gorgeous. i want you to be my cousin now. haha ;)

26.
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Miss Sea Breeze says:

Wow. Truly a gift from the heart. Plus, you will be a legend forever since I’m sure she will pass it down through the generations. What a lovely thought!

27.
Carolyn Clark says:

OH MY GOSH!! This is so gorgeous…what an incredible gift.
http://www.serendipityandspark.com

28.
psu01 says:

Holy smokes! Fantastic job!

29.
Tosha says:

Utterly gorgeous!

30.
Bride888 says:

Wow, and you had to beg to make it. Great job!

31.
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Mrs. Spider says:

@Lucy: you can def. buy the veil already cut but it didn’t take long to do from scratch. all i did was cut the length and round out the train.
@melodicsighs1: her dress is by Marisa Bridal and is Style No. 474 which we never did find on the internet. She got it at a small bridal salon in New Jersey.
@ EVERYONE: thank you for the kind remarks!!!

32.
Tea says:

i bow down to the veil master! man that’s amazing that you sat there and hand sewn that lace on. amazing!

33.
Cindy says:

Hot dang! That’s a great job! My veil is edged in lace also and she’s cutting me a fabulous deal at less than 100 bucks considering the work that goes into it!

34.
saketini says:

that’s incredible!!!!

35.
cindie_rella says:

that is fantastic!!!!! it gives me hope that i can make my own veil too (i am NOT shelling out a bunch of cash for a little elbow length piece of tule)

36.
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Miss Avocado says:

Spider, what a labor of love! I think my favorite thing about weddings is how families and friends come together and make sacrifices for the bride and groom. Definitely something to treasure.

37.
Kimberly says:

Hi Spider,

What width or tulle did you use? 72″ or 102″? Also, what color was your cousin’s dress, and what color was the tulle/lace? Thanks!

38.
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Miss Hot Cocoa says:

Wow. Let me know if you need another cousin. I’m totally available!

39.
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Miss Sundae says:

Seriously, I can’t get over this. Ignore all those other offers and come join my family!

40.
Kristin says:

The veil is beyond gorgeous. But what gets to me and makes me cry is the sentiment. I wasn’t willing to spend the money on a veil and made my own. I absolutely love it and tell everyone and plan to save it forever. I love that you made it for someone else. :) That’s amazing.

41.
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Miss Pomegranate says:

That turned out INCREDIBLE Spider! Wow! I’m amazed by your handiwork.

42.
Guilty Secret says:

Aw that was so lovely of you to put all that work in - and the veil is beautiful!


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Mrs. Spider Mrs. Spider, New York Age and Occupation: 27, Paralegal Fiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Advisor Research Engagement Date: December 30, 2005 Wedding Date: October 2006 Venue: Jericho Terrace - Long Island, NY About Me: My favorite parts of wedding planning are DIY projects and figuring out ways to incorporate old traditions into a modern affair.