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15 Christmas Gibson Girl Hairstyles & Holiday Hair Accessories

4th March 20211900s - Edwardian, Historical Hairstyle Tutorialsarticle, christmas, edwardian, flower, hairstyleLina

Over 15 Christmas Gibson Girl hairstyles & DIY Christmas hair accessories from the Edwardian era!

Gibson Girl hairstyles are in again! Gibson Girls were the it girls of the late Victorian and Edwardian era. The fashionable hairstyle of the Gibson Girl was the pompadour hairstyle. For Christmas parties, Gibson Girls wore elaborate pompadour hairstyles decorated with DIY hair accessories: From gilded leaf wreaths to hoar frost flower hair accessories, all these DIY Christmas hair accessories are easy to make at home. You’ll surely find some to your liking for your Christmas time outfit. Continue reading 15 Christmas Gibson Girl Hairstyles & Holiday Hair Accessories →

History Of Candles – Oil Lamps & Fatwood Torches

15th February 2021Themes Across Erasarticle, candle, DIY, medieval, victorianLina

History Of Candles

‘Artificial light is probably as ancient as the human race or the use of fire; but the means employed to produce it among the savage tribes have scarcely advanced beyond burning branches of trees or splinters of wood.

Torches were probably an improvement upon these; and lamps, even of the simplest kind, display a great advance in refinement, requiring a combination of contrivances, such as the preparation of oil, a vessel to hold it, and a proper substance for the wick. […] Continue reading History Of Candles – Oil Lamps & Fatwood Torches →

How To Make Rushlights

3rd February 2021Themes Across Erasarticle, candle, DIY, medieval, tutorial, victorianLina

Learn how to make rushlights with leftover cooking fat! You can use this DIY bacon fat candle with a DIY natural wick as emergency candle or as eco-friendly alternative to store-bought candles!

‘”I have no more influence than a farthing rushlight.” “Well,” was the reply, “a farthing rushlight can do a great deal: it can set a haystack on fire, it can burn down a house; yea, more, it will enable a poor creature to read […] Go your way, friend; let your farthing rushlight’ shine. (The Christian Miscellany, And Family Visiter, 1868)

Rushlights are one of the most ancient forms of lighting: They were already used in the Roman Empire and they were still used in the late Victorian era, especially in working class households. Rushlights were a cheap alternative to candles: They were usually made at home by children, women or older people.

Rushlights are really easy to make: You can still make them today as eco-friendly and cheap emergency candle. Besides, rushlights are a great way to use up leftover cooking grease! All you need to do is to gather rushes in summer or autumn, peel and dry them and then dip them into cooking grease or tallow. Continue reading How To Make Rushlights →

20 DIY Victorian Christmas Tree Ornaments

25th December 2020DIY Craftsarticle, christmas, christmas ornaments, DIY, roundup, tutorial, victorianLina

The Victorian Christmas tree was decorated with edible Christmas tree decorations such as fruits, nuts, homemade Christmas candy and cookies but also with DIY Christmas ornaments.

In the Victorian era, Christmas trees were usually decorated with real fruits and nuts. Fruits, like apples and oranges, as well as nuts, such as walnuts and acorns, were either used in their natural state or gilded with gold paint or imitation gold leaf before hanging on the Victorian Christmas tree. Continue reading 20 DIY Victorian Christmas Tree Ornaments →

10 Ways How To Get Rid Of Moths & Carpet Beetles Naturally – Historical & Today

23rd December 2020Themes Across Erasarticle, edwardian, laundry, outerwear, roundup, victorian, woolLina

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 Victorian Christmas Gift Wrapping Ideas

22nd December 2020Themes Across Erasarticle, christmas, DIY, edwardian, victorianLina

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 →

How To Make Tallow Candles

19th December 2020DIY Craftsarticle, candle, DIY, medieval, tutorial, victorianLina

Learn how to make a tallow candle with kitchen waste and a DIY wick made from natural materials! Tallow candles are great as emergency candles and for the holiday season.

Tallow candles have a long history. They were the most widely used candles since ancient times before paraffin and stearin were discovered in the Victorian era. Tallow candles were a cheaper alternative to expensive beeswax candles.

While tallow candles could already be bought at shops in the Middle Ages, tallow candles were often made at home: Because tallow and other animal fats were readily available in households. As wick they either used cotton string or dried rushes. Read on to find out how to make a molded or dipped tallow candle with a DIY cotton or rush wick. Continue reading How To Make Tallow Candles →

15 Victorian Bread Baking Secrets – Perfect Bread With Wild Yeast From Scratch

19th October 2020(Historical) Cooking Recipesarticle, bread, recipe, roundup, victorian, wild yeast, without commercial yeastLina

How Victorians baked perfect bread by making their own yeast at home from scratch. 15 Victorian bread baking secrets that are still useful today!

The Victorians usually made their own yeast at home from scratch, even if commercial yeast was already available. However, the Victorians believed that wild yeast bread from scratch was better, healthier, more digestible and more flavorful. So they made their own yeast at home with hops, potatoes, flour, peas or grapes. Over the years, I’ve tried different spontaneously fermented bread recipes from the Victorian era: Some failed and some turned out delicious! Continue reading 15 Victorian Bread Baking Secrets – Perfect Bread With Wild Yeast From Scratch →

How To Clean A Corset

11th May 2020Themes Across Erasarticle, corset, edwardian, laundry, underwear, victorianLina

How To Clean A Corset

‘Give your corset air and sunshine if you want it sweet and odorless. You should not expect the best results from your corset without a second one to wear alternately. Any corset needs a rest; two corsets worn alternately will give more satisfaction and service than the same two corsets, each worn continuously until they are worn out, just as two or three pairs of shoes last longer when worn alternately. Continue reading How To Clean A Corset →

1900-1909 Edwardian Fashion Timeline

1st February 20201900s - Edwardian, Themes Across Erasarticle, dress, edwardianLina

The Edwardian era covers the short reign of King Edward VII and lasted from 1901 to 1910. It was an era of luxury with elegant dresses, expensive fabrics and trimmings. Even lingerie was lavishly trimmed with rows of lace for the first time in history! Moreover, Edwardian fashion was characterized by the new S-bend corset, the pouter pigeon shape, high collars and hats. While high collars and hats remained popular throughout the era, the pouter pigeon shape decreased over the years. Continue reading 1900-1909 Edwardian Fashion Timeline →