DIY 1940s fascinator

If you're heading to the races or perhaps a wedding or other special occasion this fascinator is a great way to accessorise. It's really simple to make and should take around 2 hours. You will need:

A strip of netting
One shoulder pad or other base
One hair clip
20 strips of the fabric of your choice (50cm long x 4 cm wide)
needle and thread
scissors

Start by sewing your hair clip onto the reverse side of your shoulder pad (the inside curve).

Turn the pad over and sew the netting along the straight side with some overlaps.

I recommend trying the fascinator on at this stage to make sure the netting is sitting correctly. You want some of it sitting over your face - more so your eyes than your mouth (you want to be able to eat and drink!).

Get one strip of fabric and iron the long sides together to create a fold down the length.

With your needle and thread do a running stitch down the length of the fabric about 1cm away from the open edges.

Once you are at the end, gently pull the thread so the fabric bunches into a flower shape.

Pull it tight and sew the ends together so the "flower" holds its shape. Choose its positioning on the shoulder pad and sew directly on. I suggest starting on the edge with the netting.

Repeat this process with all of your fabric strips, placing them closely together, until you are finished. Viola!

Position perfectly on your styled hair and you're done - use some bobby pins for extra hold if required.
You can easily add jewels, feathers and other embelishments if you desire.

Here are some beautiful ideas for inspiration.

Source: 100layercake.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Sophie on Pinterest