DIY LOVE: Headdresses and Hair-Pieces

Forget the completely boring world of hair bands and hair-pieces. We're going nature, natural and native. Indians keep hold of your horses, the cowboys are coming to town...

You'll need a headband that's either elasticated (flapper style) or a normal headband. It need's to be good for tying things onto it and into it. Peacock's gem headband is perfecto, so I'll give you a DIY tutorial with it in mind.

Ribbon: Tie it in neat bows or stream it down your hair, ribbons are a great thing for making a look eccentric. Make sure you use a figure of eight as the tying method so it stays attached. You could even take thick pieces of ribbon and sew mini sequins along it.

Feathers: If you want the feathers to point upwards, choose short ones, but for feathers that lie flat down your hair, choose long and lustrous versions. Take a needle with thread, and sew into the calamus (or stem) from top to bottom, making sure you pass through it at least 5x. Then start to sew round the headband, making sure you keep it tight. Or, if you prefer, don't sew in tightly round so that the feathers pour down your head even further.

Mesh and Lace:

Cut a piece of mesh that is oval (to fit your face), in any colour or style. You can get ones with miniature flowers attached, beaded versions and scalloped edge versions. You can usually find them in a good material shop. Then, turn the headband over and add a line of super- glue across the whole of the inside (make it thick). Make sure you cut the mesh/ lace appropriate to the curve of the headband. Or, if you have one that goes round your head (hippy band), then glue onto the inside part of the band that will sit frontwards. Then stick the lace to the glue, making sure no raw edge goes over the back. Hold it in place for at least five minutes before releasing your hand to reveal a veiled headband. Make sure you wear gloves when handling super-glue.