Jewelling Tiaras

A step-by-step guide

STEP 1: Before removing the tiaras from their frame coat them with gold or silver paint (to match the colour of ballentine you will be using).  I use either 18ct Gold or Sterling Silver Spray paint or Leafing pens by Krylon.  I like the leafing pen best as it is great for touchups after you shape the tiaras and also has lots of other uses like adding gold accents to furniture, china etc and in the long run I think it is more economical as there is no overspray.	STEP 2:  Using the long nose pliers bend the tiaras into a circle shape to fit the piece of dowel.	STEP 3:  You can leave them all on the dowel and do them all together or just do one at a time.   For the purposes of this tutorial I will do the top two tiaras pictured one at a time.
STEP 4:  Working on the first tiara and using your needle, take a little glue and run it in a thin line around the round hole in the centre.  Pick up the ballentine one by one with the wet toothpick and place them on glue around in a circle – you will probably use about 6 ballentine to do this.  What we are doing is creating a ‘setting’ for the jewels.	STEP 5:  Using the same method as step 4 alternately lay glue and then ballentine on the ‘spokes’ coming away from the circle and do two more circles – one on each side.	STEP 6:  Fill the outside edges with ballentine in the same way (refer to picture) leaving gaps to form a triangular ‘setting’ for the jewels.  LEAVE THIS TO DRY BEFORE MOVING ONTO THE NEXT STEP.

STEP 7:  Take a little glue (not too much) and drop it into the centre of the setting.  Using your wet toothpick pick up a rhinestone (touching the toothpick to the coloured part of the stone) and drop it into the centre of the setting.   It is best to do these one at a time – glue then rhinestone then move to the next setting.   Use your toothpick to get it straight and push it down a little to make sure the glue will hold it.  Let it dry.	STEP 8:  Fill in the any remaining gaps with ballentine.  If you are going to put the tiara on a doll just ballentine the front of the tiara and a little down the side so you can slip the tiara through the dolls hair.  When it is dry, touch up any spots that need it with the gold paint then give it a good coat of Modge Podge to set all the ballentine and jewels and hold it all together. Make sure you get it in all the crevices but do it quickly so the Modge Podge doesn’t go smoky.  When it is dry finish with acrylic sealer front and back.
Your tiara is finished!     Now move on to the next tiara using the same technique.  There are no set number of ‘settings’, just make as many as you want.  You don’t have to have them set right against each other as I have or as many jewels as I have – you could have just one central jewel and cover the rest in ballentine – do your own thing and have fun!
	SECOND TIARA
STEP 1	STEP 2	STEP 3
MORE PICTURES OF FINISHED TIARAS