Learn how to make a straw hat from scratch with straw or grass!
In the Victorian era, straw hats were made from scratch: Straw or grass was cut, bleached and then braided. By the way, straw braiding was called straw plaiting or straw platting in the Victorian era. These straw braids were then sewn together to make DIY straw hats. Continue reading How To Make A Straw Hat From Scratch
Make a decorative DIY gold leaf wreath from scratch with leaves and metallic acrylic paint! No glue required!
For this DIY gold leaf wreath from scratch all you need is fresh leaves, wire and gold acrylic paint! And like all my DIY craft projects, this natural leaf wreath is made without glue! Continue reading DIY Gold Leaf Wreath From Scratch
How to prevent moths from eating clothes? How to get rid of moths and carpet beetles? Are you wondering how to store your expensive vintage and historical wool clothes to keep them save from moths? And how did the Victorians prevent moths damage to clothes and carpets? Find out how to prevent and get rid of moths and carpet beetles effectively and naturally!
If you find holes in your woolen clothes, you know you have a problem with fabric pests! There are two main insect species that damage woolen clothes: clothes moths and carpet beetles. The larvae of moths and carpet beetles eat irregular holes into wool clothes, especially in the summertime.
Clothes moths, as well as carpet beetles, can do serious damage to expensive and valuable historical wool clothes. Continue reading 10 Ways How To Get Rid Of Moths & Carpet Beetles Naturally – Historical & Today
10 festive DIY Christmas gift wrapping ideas from the Victorian era.
‘Christmas presents must be wrapped very daintily this season’ (The Guthrie Daily Leader, 1909).
The traditional colors for Victorian Christmas gift wrapping were white and red: either white paper with red ribbon, or red paper with Christmas ribbons. But the Victorians also knew fun ways to wrap small gifts or give money as a gift: Victorian Christmas gifts were disguised as faux snowballs, Christmas crackers or even sausages! Continue reading 10 Victorian Christmas Gift Wrapping Ideas
Gilded acorns, walnuts and pine cones were popular Christmas tree decorations in the Victorian era. Continue reading DIY Golden Acorns – Natural Christmas Ornaments
If you follow me on instagram, you know that I’m sewing an Edwardian shirtwaist costume at the moment. It consists of a refashioned men’s shirt-turned-Edwardian blouse, a black wool skirt, and a black leather belt and chatelaine bag. And because Edwardian wool skirts were usually worn over colored real or faux silk petticoats I made this pink faux silk petticoat for it. Continue reading Edwardian Pink Faux Silk Petticoat
Make delicious wild yeast bread with hops yeast water starter from scratch!
The Victorians usually made their own yeast at home from scratch, even if commercial yeast was already available back then. But they preferred bread with homemade yeast because it was more flavorful and healthier.
In the Victorian era, homemade yeast from scratch usually contained hops. Just like beer, hops yeast bread tastes bitter because of the hops. This bitter taste is unusual in bread but not in an unpleasant way. And besides the bitter taste, hops yeast bread is also very moist compared to other wild yeast breads. Continue reading Hops Yeast Starter – Victorian Wild Yeast Bread
An Edwardian summer corset was on my sewing list for a long time! My Edwardian summer corset is a single-layer batiste corset with blue binding and external boning channels. Continue reading Edwardian Batiste Summer Corset
A vintage sewing hack how to sew perfect scallops quick and easy by hand! Embellish your dresses and blouses with a perfect scalloped hem.
Scalloped edges were very popular in the Victorian and Edwardian era: dresses, blouses, petticoats, chemises and nightgowns – all were trimmed with hand-stitched scallops. Continue reading How To Sew Scallops By Hand – Quick & Easy Hand Shell Edge
This refashioned Edwardian blouse is totally wearable today: With Edwardian underwear it’s an Edwardian shirtwaist but without it’s just a cotton summer blouse!
This is my third men’s shirt refashion but this time I didn’t turn it into a top or blouse. I made an Edwardian shirtwaist instead! In the Edwardian era, blouses were usually called shirtwaists. The shirtwaist costume – cotton blouse plus wool skirt – was a favorite costume of the Edwardian summer girl and the Edwardian business woman. Shirtwaist were worn for work, for sports, in summer and winter! Continue reading Men’s Shirt To Edwardian Blouse Refashion