DIY Tutorial: How to Make an Easy Tiara

Learn the basic technique to create a tiara from a simple base, with Brazilian artist Fernanda Guimarães

In ancient Greece and Rome, like animal horns, crowns were a symbol of power and status, recalling ideas of elevation and enlightenment. The same could be said of all kinds of modern headwear and accessories. They have the power to imply importance, character, tradition and fantasy.

Fernanda Guimarães (@s.e.r.divina) founded CAN CAN Acessórios out of this belief 11 years ago. She specializes in unique accessory designs with fantasy, bridal wear, festival and nature themes.

Nature is a prominent feature of her creations. It inspires and protects through materials including seashells, snail shells and semi-precious stones.

In the following video, Fernanda shows you how to create a tiara using basic accessory design techniques. Don’t miss her tips!

Materials

- Cutting pliers, snap-action pliers and bending pliers
- Scissors
- Contact glue
- Wooden toothpick
- Metallic wire
- Finishing wire
- Gorguron
- 16 mm wire
- Metal hoop

Wrap the thread around the wire base

Choose a suitable wire for the base of your tiara, then add a little glue to one end and start tightly wrapping the golden thread around it.

It’s important to keep the thread under a bit of tension, to make sure it stays firmly in place.

Tie a knot when you reach the end of your thread

If the thread runs out, tie a simple knot to stop it from coming undone. Then carry on with another piece of thread, to finish decorating the base.

Join the two tiara bases

About 3 cm before the end of the wire, attach it to another base. This will make your design firmer and more stable.

When the golden thread reaches the tip of the wire, apply a touch of glue to fix it in position and provide a finishing touch.

Attach the wire to one end

Use a flexible golden wire, which will allow you to add gems and pearls, and attach it to one of the ends of your first base.

Make a pearl sequence

Then decorate with gold beads, pearls or your favorite stones. Try to always start from the smallest to the largest beads, and space them with a gold bead.

Now’s the time to let your creativity guide the process, and customize the tiara to suit you.

Decorate the second base and fasten off the gold thread to stop it from coming loose.

And you’ve finished! Your tiara is ready to wear.

Love this tutorial? If you want to learn how to create your own accessory collection and crown your brand with Fernanda Guimarães, don’t miss her online course: Hair Accessories Design.

You may also like:

- My Materials: Epoxy Resin Jewelry
- 20 Craft Artists to Follow in 2021
- Design and Creation of Beaded Jewelry, a course by Fatto
- Macramé Jewelry, a course by Fibra Bohemia
- Resin Jewelry Design, a course by Mia Winston-Hart