Fetish model and performer Courtney Crave is not only Texas Pin-Up Model of the Year 2011, as crowned at Hot Rods and Heels, she is a wiz in the kitchen- and she’s kind enough to share her amazing recipes (and their vegan counterparts) with us every month in Cooking with Courtney Crave!
Fudge
So much was going on with the holidays; spending time with family, avoiding being mauled by mobs while shopping, wrapping gifts, mandatory party appearances. Want to make something yummy and simple to treat yourself for surviving that whole ordeal? Fudge!
Ingredients
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1 cup butterscotch chips
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped pecans*
*Nuts are entirely optional, any type of nut will work but I prefer pecans or hazelnuts.
Directions
- Take a 9×9 inch baking dish and butter the inside. In a double boiler on medium heat melt the chocolate and butterscotch chips and condensed milk until the mixture is smooth. Take the mixture off the heat and add the vanilla and chopped nuts. Pour or scoop the entire mixture into the baking dish and spread evenly. Let it sit in the fridge about 10 minutes or until completely set. Cut into squares and share with friends! Or don’t, they’ll never know.
Hot Toddy
Baby, it’s cold outside. And I know some of you like consuming cocktails just as much as I do, but at this time of year I want my hands to be warm. There is nothing glamorous about enjoying a beverage in the mittens your great aunt Mabel knitted you with the little snowmen on them. So I this winter I suggest that you try a classic favorite, the Hot Toddy (also great for fighting off colds, don’t take my word for it, I’m not a doctor, I just dress up like one onstage).
Ingredients
- 1 oz (2 tablespoons) bourbon*
- 1 tablespoon mild honey
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup boiling-hot water
- Freshly grated nutmeg
*Scotch whiskey or brandy can also be used instead of bourbon.
Directions
- Combine bourbon, honey, and lemon juice in a mug or toddy glass. Add the hot water and mix until the honey is dissolved completely. Garnish with a little freshly grated nutmeg. Take off mittens and enjoy.
Schlep Sisters Darlinda Just Darlinda & Minnie Tonka. Photo: Clint Hild
Shalom! It’s December, which means it’s Hanukkah time! We, The Schlep Sisters, Minnie Tonka and Darlinda Just Darlinda, are thrilled to share our secret Hanukkah recipes, crafts, and tips on how to help enhance your holiday season! Whether you’re a yeshiva bocher, an honorary Jew, or a bacon-loving Heeb, The Schlep Sisters Hanukkah Guide will titillate and inspire your holiday spirit. Come join us in the festivities!
Before we get started, we’d like to give you a brief overview of Hanukkah: Hanukkah commemorates the victory of the Jews over the Syrian Greeks in 164 B.C.E., and is celebrated by lighting a menorah (candelabra), for eight days, eating oily foods such as latkes (potato pancakes), and playing Dreidel (spinning top).
THE SCHLEP SISTERS HANUKKAH RECIPES
The Whirling Dreidel
Ingredients
- 1 cup Manischewitz
- 1/2 cup Slivovitz (plum Brandy, traditional Kosher-for-Passover drink)
- 1/2 - 1 cup orange juice, depending upon taste
- 2 cups soda (soda water, sprite, ginger ale, or 7 up) to taste
- 1 lemon thinly sliced with rinds
- 1 lime thinly sliced with rinds
- 1 cup chopped apple, pear, or plum
- 2 bottles Prosecco (a Schlep Sisters favorite!) or champagne, chilled
Directions
In a large pitcher, combine the Manischewitz, Slivovitz, orange juice, and soda. Stir.
Add fruit. Next, pour in the Prosecco and stir. Serve as is or on ice.
The Whirling Dreidel will have your head spinning and it’s a sure hangover; but,
wowza, it’s delicious!
Lusty Latkes
Makes about 25 potato pancakes in about 45 minutes
Ingredients
¾ lb potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated
¼ lb sweet potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup vegetable oil
Directions
Stir together potatoes, onion, flour, eggs, salt, and pepper. Heat oil in a deep 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Working in batches of 4, spoon 1/8 cup potato mixture per latke into oil and flatten to 3-inch diameter with a slotted spatula. Reduce heat to moderate and cook until golden, about 1 ½ minutes on each side. Transfer latkes with spatula to paper towels to drain.
Serve with sour cream and Apple-Pear Saucy Schlep Sauce.
Apple-Pear Saucy Schlep Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 ripe Comice, Bosc, or Anjou pears, peeled, cored and quartered
- 3 apples (e.g., Royal, Gala, Granny Smith, etc.), peeled, cored and quartered
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup sugar, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons Slivovitz (plum Brandy, traditional Kosher-for-Passover drink)
Directions
Place all ingredients in a heavy saucepan and cover. Cook on medium-low heat until fruit is soft and starts to break down, about 12 to 14 minutes. Uncover and cook over medium-high heat until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Purée in a blender or food processor. If you like a chunkier saucy sauce, skip this step. Makes about 2 cups. Serve warm or at room temperature with Lusty Latkes.
THE SCHLEP SISTERS HANUKKAH GAME
Schlep Sisters Darlinda Just Darlinda & Minnie Tonka. Photo: Clint Hild
Strip Dreidel with The Schlep Sisters!
We’ve got an exciting new spin (pun intended) that combines strip teasing and the ancient Jewish game of spin the Dreidel – yep, you guessed it — Strip Dreidel!
The History of the Dreidel
The Dreidel isn’t only a fun holiday game it also has an important history! The Dreidel game harkens back to 164 B.C.E. when the Syrian Greek armies controlled the Holy Land (before the Jewish warrior Maccabees defeated them). The Syrian Greeks passed laws outlawing the study of Torah and other Jewish practices. It has been said that Jews played with the Dreidel in order to fool the Syrian Greeks if they were caught studying Torah. Therefore, once the Maccabees defeated the Syrian Greek armies, the game of Dreidel became a game of celebration, and is now a traditional Hanukkah game played all over the world!
The Hebrew word for Dreidel is sevivon, a spinning top. Dreidels have four Hebrew letters on them, which stand for the saying, “Nes gadol haya sham,” translating to “A great miracle happened there.”
While the Maccabees’ victory is viewed as a miracle in itself, the eight days of Hanukkah celebrate another miracle. In order to rededicate the temple after it had been desecrated, the menorah needed to be lit. However, there was only enough oil to light the menorah for one night. Supplies were scarce in and around Jerusalem after the war and it would take several days to bring more oil to the temple. The miracle of Hanukkah was that the small amount of oil found burned for eight days until more oil arrived. That is why Hanukkah is also called The Festival of Lights.
Note: In Israel, instead of the fourth letter shin (meaning “there”), the fourth letter is a there peh, (meaning “here”) –- the saying is “Nes gadol haya po”–“A great miracle occurred here.
So, now you’ve got the history…a smart stripper is a successful stripper!
What you’ll need:
- A minimum of four players
- At least 1 dreidel
- Lots of clothes. We recommend gathering up clothes that you’d like to donate and ask players to donate part or all of their winnings to tzedakah (charity). Look up your local donation centers.
RULES:
1. Make a large batch of The Whirling Driedel, The Schlep Sisters signature Hanukkah cocktail (see recipe on page above)
2. Start with as many clothes on as possible, it will make the game last longer and you’ll have more clothing to donate at the end of the night!
3. Each person adds some clothing to the communal pile.
4. There are four sides of the dreidel, from right: nun, gimmel, hey, and shin, take turns spinning the dreidel and when it lands on . . .
נ (Nun Yiddish for “Nothing”) – Take a sip of The Whirling Driedel
ה (Hay Yiddish for “Half”) – Take half of the clothing from the communal pile, another player(s), or some combination of the above.
ג (Gimmel Yiddish for “Everything”) – Claim everything from the communal pile of clothing.
ש (Shin Yiddish for “put in”) – Strip off 2 pieces of clothing and add to the communal pile.
5. Game lasts until everyone is naked or all participants are too drunk on The Whirling Driedel! Remember to also drink lots of water and eat the Lusty Latkes (The Schlep Sisters latke recipe) beforehand.
6. Whoever ends up with the most clothing is responsible for organizing the clothing donation!
Part II of the 2011 Schlep Sisters Hannukah Guide: Menorah Merkin
If you’re in NYC, be sure to check out our 5thAnnual Menorah Horah Hanukkah show on Saturday, December 17, 2011 at the Highline Ballroom!
The Schlep Sisters are burlesque performers of the Jewish persuasion! Minnie Tonka and Darlinda Just Darlinda are long lost sisters who found each other while tracing the roots of Yiddish Theater and Vaudeville on the Lower East Side. Inspired by Manischewitz, the Barry Sisters, and Rock n’ Roll these ladies can cut a rug! They’ve been livin’ it up on stage together and captivating audiences across North America since 2004. From the New York and Toronto Burlesque Festivals to the Burlesque Hall of Fame in Las Vegas to the Key West Burlesque Holiday Extravaganza, and the USA’s Premier National Touring Burlesque Troupe, Dangerous Curves Ahead: Burlesque on the Go-Go!, these sassy sisters have so much love they schlep it all over the country! To keep up with The Schlep Sisters visit, www.schlepsisters.com.
Schlep Sisters. Photo: Don Spiro
THE SCHLEP SISTERS HANUKKAH CRAFT CORNER
Menorah Merkin/Hanukkah Hairpiece
Depending on what Hanukkah party you’re going to, you’ll want some holiday bling to stand out in the crowd! If it’s a family gathering your hairpiece will be the most festive fascinator at the party. If you’re planning a sexy date or a holiday burlesque act your merkin will remind your sweetheart or audience where to find the miracle of light!
SUPPLIES:
- Buckram (hat-making material; you can substitute with card stock or cardboard)
- Silver and/or gold fabric
- Red, orange, yellow and black tulle (optional)
- White, red, orange, yellow and blue sequins or crystals (it’s your choice, get creative!)
- Hot glue gun and extra glue sticks
- Beacon Gem-Tac (The Schlep Sisters preferred decorating glue)
- Menorah stencil (see attached photo, print out according to your sizing needs.)
- Hair comb (optional)
In honor of the eight days of Hanukkah, here are eight easy steps to making this interchangeable miraculous merkin/festive fascinator!
1. Print out your Menorah Stencil
Make this any size you want, you know how big your head/merkin area is!
2. Turn on your hot glue gun
It will take 1-5 minutes to heat up depending on your glue gun. Put the glue gun on top of a piece of cardboard covered in tin foil to prevent any mess on your table.
3. Prepping the base of the merkin/hairpiece
Print and cut out the stencil and trace it on to a piece of buckram. Cut the buckram and, voilà! You have a buckram menorah!
4. Glue and sew the comb to your buckram menorah (optional, you can also just pin your fascinator on with bobby pins):
Sew the comb to the buckram and reinforce with hot glue.
5. Glue buckrum to fabric
Using the hot glue gun, glue the buckram menorah to silver or gold fabric and trim off excess fabric. Let it cool to a warm (not hot) temperature. Then place and form it on your head/merkin area.
6. Decorate!
Use Beacon Gem-Tac to decorate your merkin/fascinator with sequins/crystals. It takes about 24 hours to dry, but it dries clear! Our preferred design is white for the candles, and red, orange and yellow for the flames. Blue to line the Menorah. Optional: add tulle to the flames to create a flowing fire/smoke look!
7. Wear it!
Wearing it as a merkin? Apply double-sided carpet tape to your merkin, remove the backing and apply to an (ideally) hairless merkin area. Please advise, we’re not advocating for a hairless bush. We just want to prepare you for the potential ouchies of taking off a merkin.
8. Werk it!
Wearing at as a fascinator? Style your hair or wig to showcase your beautiful locks. Attach your Hanukkah Hairpiece with bobby pins if you didn’t glue on a comb. You’ll be the shining light of the party!!
More Hannukah Fun with the Schlep Sisters
The Pin Curl Staff put our heads together and came up with the best gifts this holiday season for the pin-up or burlesque gal in your life. Happy Holidays!
We are completely in love with the gals at Sugarville Candles! Their unique candles, lip balms, & body butters smell so delicious, they are hard not to eat & the adorable pin-up girl labels are to die for! (S’mores and Birthday Cake are among our favorites!)
There are several burlesque autobiographies that scored high on our list of gift giving favorites. Check out: Georgia: My Life in Burlesque by Georgia Sothern, And Men my Fuel by Lili St. Cyr, Tempest Storm: The Lady is a Vamp by Tempest Storm, Gypsy: Memoirs of America’s Most Celebrated Stripper, The Days We Danced: The Story of My Theatrical Family From Florenz Ziegfeld to Arthur Murray and Beyond Any of which are sure to please the bookworm on your list.
For the fashion diva, we like Elegance Navy Polka Dot Dress by Bettie Page Clothing, The Birdie Dress by PinUp Couture is a fabulous holiday party dress, and for underneath we adore the Bernie Dexter Tigress Garter Belt and matching bra by Lucy B. The vintage lingerie selections sold by Shannon Doah at Vintage ShowGirl are not to be missed!
If you are looking more to decorate yourself from the neck up, we are head over heels for the work of Sharon Sullivan, the milliner and owner of Dream Hats! Whether you are looking for the perfect pillbox, fedora, or fascinator from her amazing line, or a custom one of a kind creation, Dream Hats is the perfect choice!
For stocking stuffers or the collector in your life, we adore the series of pin-up and burlesque gal drinking and shot glasses. The gals’ clothes disappear as you drink!
If those aren’t enough eye candy, there’s a fabulous collection of modern pin-up books out by photographers such as Viva Van Story, Gayla Patridge of 666 Photography, and Roy Varga available on Amazon.
If DIY is more your style, you’ll want to get to work on a Mikiphone- vintage or reproduction a Mikiphone is a nifty pocket phonograph popular in the 1920’s. It fits into a canister just a little larger than a snuff can. Certainly a lesson in patience and not for the novice builder, you can find plans and video online to build your own, or get lucky on Ebay! Either way you go, a wonderfully original gift for the music loving guy or gal in your life, and a superb conversation piece.
Of course, if you are looking for a practical yet fun gift that helps a good cause in the process, you’ll want to check out the 2012 calendars offered by pin-up centered non-profits such as Pinups for Pitbulls, The Pinup Angels, and Pin Ups for Vets. What’s not to love about flipping through images of lovely ladies with big hearts? Each are changing the world one centerfold at a time.
Christmas wouldn’t be complete without a lot of booze. For December’s Drink of the month, it comes in the form of the Merry Christmas Cocktail!
Ingredients:
1 oz Plymouth Gin
1 oz cranberry juice
1 tsp lemon juice
club soda
fresh or dried cranberries for garnish
Preparation:
Pour the gin and juices into a Collins glass filled with ice. Stir. Top with club soda. Garnish with cranberries and mint.
Too drunk, lazy, or busy to make drinks one at a time for guests? Try this fabulous Christmas punch!
Ingredients:
2 cups chilled unsweetened pomegranate juice
1 cup chilled cranberry juice
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (2-3 lemons)
1 cup Cointreau or other orange flavored liquor
1 cup chilled club soda
1/2 cup simple syrup
Fresh Cranberries frozen in ice cubes for garnish. (Stick 3-5 berries per cube mold in tray, top with water, freeze.)
Preparation:
Dump everything in but ice and stir. Add ice. Viola!
Customs By Cora – D.I.Y. Sewing and Crafting
Anyone who knows me knows I have a costuming compulsion…sickness…ok, possibly a serious problem. Thanks to Pin Curl Magazine, I now have an opportunity to share some of my madness with you. I hope that I can give you some ideas and information that will help you find new and fun ways to express yourself and make the world a more beautiful (or crazy) place…Enjoy!
Here’s Looking At You…The Googly Eye Series.
We all know that shoes covered in rhinestones are amazing. But, what about another material? In the middle of creating some new costumes for our yearly Zombielesqe show, one of my dancers sent me a picture of shoes that had goggly eyes on them. WHAT??? Googly eyes? This must happen!
I should say at this point that you can apply this whole column to rhinestones as well, but for this project, I was using goggly eyes.
Step 1- Grab a pair of shoes. Anyone who knows me, knows I have an entire room filled with costumes I have made and an embarrassing stock of materials I think I “might” use someday. Patent leather shoes are always my shoe of choice for these kinds of projects. With patent leather, I have had the best luck with glue adhering to both the shoe and the rhinestone. Plus, they are really affordable.
Step 2 – Make sure the surface of the shoe is really clean. I use Clorox Wipes, but then I use them for just about everything including taking makeup off my face (Insert horrified look here).
Step 3 – Once your surface is clean and dry, grab your supplies. In this case, eyeballs, a wax stick and glue. I used goggly eyes from Joann but I am sure you can get them just about anywhere and they are surprisingly cheap. My glue of choice for ANYTHING on a shoe or flexible surface is E-6000. E-6000 can be found in most craft stores. Warning: use E-6000 in a well ventilated room. The vapors can be pretty toxic, but, I have found nothing that works better. I use a wax ended stick from www.hotfixqueen.com to place the rhinestones/googly eyes. I understand that beeswax, museum wax and crayons also work. I’ll have to try that someday. But for now, I am sticking with what I have.
Step 4 – Pour out your goggly eyes into a small tray with sides. Anything will work, but I like a flat lid or something that will allow me to shake out the eyes/stones when they are not right side up. This flips them over rather than having to do it one at a time. I find this step saves me a lot of time.
Step 5 – Apply small dots of E-6000 wherever you want to put your embellishments. I do multiple dots at a time. Just make sure that you do it fast enough that the glue doesn’t dry before you get to it. Touch the top of the eyeball (yuck) with the waxy end of the stick and it will pick it up. Then gently press the bottom of the eyeball down into the glue. Try to get just the right amount of glue so it just barely comes out the sides. This will make the strongest bond.
Step 6 – Pour yourself a glass of wine and settle in. This is going to take a while…
Step 7 – Make sure when you are finished you give the glue at least 24 hours to cure and you will have an amazingly crazy pair of shoes!
But, I had leftovers….so…
An eyeball bra!! I took a bra (again from that room of craziness) and got to work. Note: a hard cup bra works best for gluing on any embellishments. I used the same application process and a few hours (and glasses of wine) later, I had eyes down where we always say they aren’t. Get it?
Another warning: the early feedback I have gotten is that men are freaked out by boobs staring back at them. So proceed with caution…and awesomeness.
Until next time…xoxo Cora Vette www.coravette.com
DIY- The Perfect Shave
While winter is the time when most are considering becoming lazy with their shaving, those of us in the industry don’t get a break of being perfectly shaving under unforgiving spotlights. Here’s some of the best tips we’ve gathered for getting the perfect shave and avoiding unsightly bumps and razor burn.
Step 1: Sugar Scrub
This step is great for prepping the skin before shaving. A good sugar scrub exfoliates and lifts all of the little hairs so they are easier to get in one swipe. Many companies make great options, or you can make your own using equal parts white processed sugar and oil (avocado, almond, or olive) and a few drops of your favorite scented oil if desired.
Step 2: A good shaving gel & really hot water
Good shaving cream or gel makes a huge difference. I wish the manufacturers had better names for their products, but alas products like Koochie Kreme actually work really well. There’s also Bikini Zone’s Anti-Bumps which is great and has a much less offensive name.
Step 3: A good, new razor
Seems simple, but you’d be amazed how many gals use cheap disposable razors, or the same razor way too many times. Use at least a double blade razor and no more than three shaves out of any one razor. If you shave your legs at the same time, you may be down to two uses.
Step: 4 Pat dry, don’t rub
When you leave the shower, pat yourself dry. Rubbing can irritate the already sensitive skin of your bikini zone.
Step 5: Solid, white, unscented, antiperspirant
Using a solid, white, antiperspirant over the newly shaved areas will go a long way in preventing redness and bumps. I like Dove Unscented. Be careful though, as this is intended for outside the body, so make sure to not get your overly sensitive areas.
Repeat steps often, as the more often you shave, the less “shocking” it is to the system each time. Less re-growth, means less razor burn, ingrown hairs and bumps.
Candy Corn. Love it or hate it; it is certainly synonymous with Halloween. According to Candynomics, candy corn is still the #1 Halloween candy, and Americans purchase 20 million pounds per year! If you are one of those confectionery enthusiasts, these cocktails are for you!
Candy Corn Cocktail
Ingredients
2 oz. Pineapple Infused Vodka
1.5 oz. Orange Sherbet, softened
1 oz. Pineapple Juice
1 oz. Milk
1 oz. Simple Syrup
Directions
Combine Pineapple Infused Vodka and pineapple juice in cocktail shaker with ice. Strain over fresh ice into a clear Collins glass. Combine softened orange sherbet and ice in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously. Strain, and pour over bar spoon to layer in the rocks glass. Then, combine simple syrup and milk in cocktail shaker and shake vigorously. Layer milk mixture on top of sorbet mixture.
Simple Candy Corn Shooter
Ingredients:
1/3 oz Galliano
1/3 orange curacao
1/3 oz cream
Preparation:
- Pour the Galliano into a shot glass.
- Float the orange curacao on top.
- Float the cream on top.
Candy Corn Jell-o Shot
This recipe is a little time consuming and complicated, but super original and well worth the effort. Created by MyScienceProject.org
White Layer
1 envelope Knox unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup canned, unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Vanilla Schnapps
Sprinkle the gelatin over the coconut milk and water in a saucepan and let sit for a few minutes. Heat over low heat, stirring, until the gelatin starts to dissolve. Add the sugar and stir till dissolved. Cool till just warm. Stir in the vanilla schnapps.
Orange Layer
3 oz. pkg Orange Jell-O
1 cup water
4 oz. Orange sherbet (about one scoop)
1/2 cup Vanilla schnapps
3 Tbsp Butterscotch schnapps (optional)
Orange food coloring (if desired)
Bring the water to a boil. Add to Jell-O and stir till dissolved. Add sherbet while still warm and mix thoroughly as it melts. Allow to cool to room temperature. Stir in vanilla and butterscotch schnapps. Add a few drops of orange food coloring to make the color more vivid if you want to.
Yellow Layer
3 oz. pkg Pineapple Jell-O
1 cup water
1/2 cup canned coconut milk
1/2 cup Vanilla schnapps
Yellow food coloring (if desired)
Bring the water to a boil. Add to Jell-O and stir till dissolved. Allow to cool to room temperature. Stir in coconut milk and vanilla schnapps. Add a few drops of yellow food coloring for more vivid color.
Directions:
Mix the white layer first and fill your Jell-O shot cups about 1/3 full (about ¼ inch deep on a 2oz cup), then chill till firm. Mix the orange layer and fill the cups till they’re about 2/3 full. Keep in mind that you’ll need a little room at the top because you won’t be filling the cups to the brim with the final layer. After the orange layer has chilled, mix up the yellow layer and top off the shots.
Candy Corn Cordials
Originally published by Food Network, Photo: Levi Brown.
Ingredients:
For the infused vodka:
1/2 cup candy corn
1 1/2 cups vodka
For the cordials:
2 ounces orange liqueur
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 large egg white
Candy corn, for garnish
Directions
Infuse the vodka: Combine the candy corn and vodka in an airtight container; set aside for at least 3 hours, then strain.
Make the cordials: Add 4 ounces of the candy corn vodka, the orange liqueur, lemon juice and egg white to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously for at least 30 seconds. Strain into 2 chilled martini glasses and garnish with candy corn.
Not Enough Candy Corn Yet? Check out these simple Candy Corn Cupcakes!
Congrats to Silver Kitsune of Charlotte, North Carolina, who won First Place in our recent DIY contest with this Fascinator Project!
How to make a professional looking fascinator:
The word “fascinator” has recently come into the public consciousness due to certain royal hijinks revolving around horse races and weddings. Worn instead of a hat, the modern fashion world has taken to reviving the idea of feathery, flowery and bedazzled headpieces with a will. Increasingly brides are choosing to wear fascinators because of the endless customization options available.
Those of us in the burlesque/pin-up world are left wondering what the fuss is all about, because we’ve been using them for years! Anyone in the burlesque world will tell you that any good costume includes a headpiece. It adds the perfect amount of sophistication and, with an endless array of choices, it provides the artist with a quick way to change up their look during a show without having to completely redo their entire ‘do. With most of the women that I work with operating on a tight budget, I am often astonished at how much a performer will be willing to pay for a simple flower-and-feather clip. The favorable comments about my first few fascinators at shows lead me into making them professionally and I’ve put together a tutorial to help out my fellow ladies make an elaborate (and cost effective!) fascinator for their very own. All supplies could be easily found at a local craft store!
Materials:
I’ve listed exactly the “ingredients” that I used for the fascinator in the pictures, but you could use a mix of materials based on this basic pattern to create a one-of-a-kind fascinator!
-large faux rose (red)
-one large ostrich feather (black)
-goose feather biots* (red)
-pheasant feathers* (red)
-coque feathers* (red)
-stiff black felt
-one large hair clip (I recommend alligator-style clips, I’ve had the best luck with these)
-scissors
-hot glue gun and glue cartridges
-large needle
-rhinestones (basic crystal)
-glue (I recommend GemTac, it dries clear and is easy to use)
-beaded string or ribbon
*Most feathers can be found in mixed bunches in the same area of a craft store as the faux flowers, it’s a good way to get a pile of different feathers without having to buy them all individually, all they require is a bit of disassembly.
Step 1:
Begin by breaking down your materials. You’ll need to remove the rose from its’ stem, cutting as close to the base of the flower as you can. Next you’ll need to disassemble the feather clusters to get at the individual parts. Set these aside in piles so that they’ll be ready at hand and easy to get to.
Remember: a neat workspace saves you time, hassle and possible big, sticky messes if you’re a haphazard hot-gluer like me!
Step 2:
Take the black felt and cut it into a rounded teardrop shape. You will then need to take your clip and secure it to the felt base, using hot glue. Make sure that you coat all but the very end of the clip with glue so that you will have the most secure base possible. The levering end of the clip should be aligned with the narrowest end of the felt, with the clip’s opening pointing towards the widest part. Leave a bit of the end sticking out past the felt, this will make it easier to put the clip on later.
Step 3:
Take your ostrich feather and coat the base with hot glue, you will need to apply enough glue so that the feather is secured along the entire length of the felt base. Align your feather in a way that maximizes the beauty of the ostrich feather, any overhang at the tip can be trimmed away.
Step 4:
Take a look at your pheasant feathers. In this piece, I’m using three of them, but feathers are like snowflakes and no two are alike. Take a moment to decide where and how you’ll want to place your feathers to best minimize any imperfections. I’ve decided to layer mine in unequal lengths, which will add depth and texture to the fascinator.
Now secure your pheasant feather in the same way that you secured your ostrich feather. Use hot glue at the base of each feather and wait until each is fully attached before adding the next one. Make sure your glue extends to the end of the felt base and be careful of your fingers, hot glue is just that: hot! Once again make sure that you trim the ends of your feathers, doing this as you go is much easier than trying to do it once you’re done.
Step 5:
Now you can move on to the coque feathers. I’ve added four of these to the base of the pheasant feathers in a fan shape. Secure these in the same way as you did the ostrich and the pheasant feathers. These feathers will be a little more tricky because they are a little more “fuzzy” than the others, just be patient!
Step 6:
Using goose feather biots can be tricky, but they add a real professional look to any hair piece. Deceptively delicate looking, they can be manipulated into almost any shape. For this piece, you’ll need to first secure one end of the biot to the base of your clip, wait a few moments and then glue down the other end. Viola! You now have an fascinating looking feathered loop added to your fascinator! Keep adding biots in this manner until you’ve got a large fan of loops, making sure that you don’t clump the bases all in one place. Your base is cut to make sure that you have plenty of room to spread out your glue.
Step 7:
Next, take your beaded ribbon and cut a few different lengths, you can then glue these in loops to the end of your base to provide a nice cascade of beads to give your fascinator a more elaborate look. I’ve found that this is a nice touch, but also one that can be easily left off according to personal preference.
Step 8:
Now comes the easiest step! Put a nice big dollop of hot glue on the bottom of your rose and attach it to your base. Make sure you check your positioning BEFORE you attach the rose, since this is the point of no return! Attach the rose in such a way that it covers up all the little ends of feathers and beaded stands. No one wants to see a messy base!
Step 9:
Because of the way a faux flower is shaped, you will usually be able to see underneath the where some of your messy ends are. This may not seem like a big deal, since you are viewing your fascinator from above, but it can easily be seen from the front when worn. So simply place a dab of glue on one of the bottom petals and press it closed over the base, that way all anyone will be able to see from the front is a beautiful flower!
Step 10:
Now for embellishment! The first thing one usually notices about a burlesque costume is the sparkle, so we’re going to add a bit of sparkle to our fascinator. I like to use GemTac or a similar product for this, using hot glue is too bulky and messy and using superglue will leave your crystals with a film that robs them of all luster.
a) Squeeze out a bit of glue onto a plate or a spare piece of felt. Use your needle to dab a line of glue down the shaft of one of your pheasant feathers. Following the natural line of the feather is the easiest way to figure out where to add rhinestones.
b) Now just place your crystals along the line of glue, tap down with your needle and wait for the glue to dry!
Now you can wear your very own handmade fascinator however you like! Use them for shows, costumes, photo-shoots, parties, weddings or even make a few small ones for everyday wear. The possibilities are literally endless. You are only limited by what sorts of materials you can find! The total cost of this project was less than $20 starting from scratch and almost all of us have a collection of supplies we use in costume making, so if you look around your craft space, you probably have most of the supplies already on hand!
Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is one of the most unique holidays in the world. Originating in Mexico, it is a celebration of the lives of those who have passed, and an invitation for them to return to visit for a day. More recently, it has become an American pop culture obsession. Want to join in on the celebration? Enjoy this handy DIY make-up tutorial on calavera, or skull, make-up applications.
