How to Use and Make Your Own Hair Accessories and Kanzashis

Depending on your type of hair, the situation of use and the style of hair accessory you want, you need to choose a different way to attach it to your hair. For example, combs are a great way to put them together in coiled, curled and waved hair, but it tends to slip in really straight ones. Hairclips make wonders fixing ornaments in any kind of hair, but can't be used with to big/heavy models. Barrettes also set up really nicely, but should be used with precaution: it's hard to combine them without looking a bit outmoded. Hairpins are lovely, but hard to fix in any kind of hair with no help [generally, from bobby pins]. Headbands are a great way to set up any kind of decoration in any kind of hair; the only problem is in the headband itself; some are too tight, other just don't get still; the best thing is to buy it and test it before doing anything with it. Hair sticks are only functional to people with looong hair, and even though, they are not very flattering....

Nowadays, the most common motif for hair accessories are flowers or flower shaped, but butterflies, insects and feather arrangements are also very fashionable. The shape and the position are very important if you want to value yourself. Here are some tips of shape and positioning depending on your face shape.

Oval Faces
Women with rounded shaped faces or chubby cheeks should avoid anything with circular shapes; it can be just the petal shape or the shape of the whole conjunct; the roundness in the accessory will accentuate the curvy aspects of hers face. The best choise for these kinds of face are long and sharp pieces, like Iris or Wisterias, placed vertically closely to the narrowest place of the face [maybe the forehead or, if you got long hair, near the chin high?]. Another great way to "slim" your hole figure is to attach to your headpiece a long, vertical feather; it will make you look higher and thinner.

Square Faces
In a different way from oval faces, square faced woman should adore circular forms; they make the facial angles look smoother, but likewise the oval shapes, long ornaments also help. So, elongated semi-circular shapes will make wonders with you if that's your case! A good choice is a arrangement with a central motif [can be a flower, a insect or whatsoever] and with two curved feathers; one coming down, near to the face, and making its shape look softer, and another going up, making the hole display seems more lengthened and elegant.

Long Faces
Watch out for feathers, because you got to avoid them as much as you can! Long feathers sticking up will only make your face looks even longer. If you really love feather, you can try to use them pointing back, but be careful; if you have a strong nose your silhouette will resemble a seesaw. Full, rounded pieces are the best choice, and they are best placed at the eye high.

Triangular faces
There are two kinds of triangular faces; narrow chin and wide forehead and vice-versa. Depending on that, there are different features that you need to put emphasis. If you got a narrow chin, you got to make it look a bit wider and your forehead a bit narrower, and the best way to do that is with a model which has most of its traits at the chin high. For example, a beautiful a full chrysanthemum set up just beneath the ear with some triangle shaped feathers or leaves going up. For the opposite triangle shaped, use opposite rules; imagine the same fascinator but used upside down at the forehead high.

There is no right or wrong embellishment or composition; anything can look good depending on the context. There is not much to say here; if you have a good eye you can put together great displays; if you don't, you can practice until you have it. A bit of art theory, specially in compositon can make wonders! Some of the pics used in this lens were made by Alphons Mucha, one of my favorite painters and one of the best ones in headgear registration! You can get some great ideas out of his work!

But remember that nothing is perfect by the first time, so before put everything glued or wired together, try a bunch of displays. Also, forgive yourself if your earliest attempts are no so great; practice is everything everywhere and also in headwear design.

In accessories, there are some fundamental shapes, like a full circular flower or a elongated twig that can be reproduced with a countless number of materials. Here are some examples.

From Be Gurple.

From Acquire.

From Twig and Honey.