Two-step Tutorials: Veil and Table Runner

I know I have been promising to write a veil tutorial forever, and I just have been putting it off. Plus, tulle-on-ivory-carpet is not the easiest thing to photograph. Today's explanation of how I successfully made a walking length double layer veil for $16 will be pretty sparse on photos; rather, I'll describe the tutorials and references that helped me. Next, I'll explain the easiest sewing project you can take on for your wedding: table runners.

The Veil

My DIY veil ambition began when I started reading other tutorials about how easy (and cheap) they are to make, looonnnng before I was even engaged. I thought it was a phenomenal idea even as my ideal veil style changed from mantilla (expensive) to horse hair trimmed (very expensive) to this simple two layer/two length veil I tried on at David's Bridal:

http://www.davidsbridal.com/Product_Two-tier-Walking-Length-Veil-with-Raw-Edge-VW370025

When I found my dress, we paired it with a very similar raw-edge veil with a more rounded shape. Ultimately, that's what I ended up re-creating.

This tutorial was one of my most helpful references - I'm so sorry I don't have the patience to spell it out step-by-step like the lovely blogger did. Then again, she wrote her tutorial after her wedding, so maybe I'm not completely hopeless. In any case, she provides some extremely helpful links and I referred to this one extensively/exclusively while measuring and cutting my tulle. I ended up purchasing 108" wide ivory tulle, a metal hair comb, and see-through thread from Jo-Ann's. The hardest part was definitely sewing the gathered strip across the top of my veil fold and then sewing the veil to the comb, as clear thread is REALLY tricky to work with! I used regular fabric scissors to cut and round the edges of my giant tulle rectangle. Make sure you don't round the wrong corner when the tulle is folded in fourths like I initially did! Luckily, I had plenty of extra tulle to work with, and it's cheap anyway. Like the old saying goes, "measure twice, cut once."

In short, if the professional seamstress who has been altering my dress thinks my veil looks good, any one who does a little research can definitely make a simple veil for much less than you'll find in a store. And hey, if you're really anti-crafty, I'll bet your mom or aunt or friend Nicole can help you out.

Table Runners

I think table runners can really add a rich, elegant feel to your reception tables, even on a budget. To keep my budget (and sanity) in check, I opted to only make a few table runners for the "King's Table" (head table), dessert table, and card table. Plus, if you're going for a 12" wide table runner, 54" wide fabric should give you 4 table runners with plenty of room for hemming the edges. I waited for this fabric to go on sale and ordered 5 yards (15 feet) of it - partially so I'd have some extra and partially so I could qualify for free shipping.

Our king's table is going to be 9 feet long, and I wanted a 1.5 foot overhang on either side of the table. The gift and dessert tables will be 8 feet long, so I decided to simplify things and make all of the runners 12 feet long - the overhang can just be a little longer on the shorter tables. Luckily, the straight lines of the fabric made it quite easy to cut and eventually sew. After I cut the fabric into 4 equal runners, I got out my iron and pressed and pinned one long edge of one runner, then sewed it before I repeated for the other side and the short ends.

Without a kitchen table in the new house, I had to improvise. Today, I am sewing on a confusing piece of furniture that resembles both a standing-height hamper and a bedside table, and it's working out great.

My sewing machine is a $50 mini-guy from Big Lots with a f-ed up bobbin winder, but I'll bet if you have a real sewing machine you could press/pin/sew all 4 edges at once. It's a simple project that I think will add a lot of impact for not too much money - and of course, I'll definitely attempt to sell them on Craigslist after the wedding.


Sewing might seem a bit old-fashioned, but I think it's fun to be able to create easy (read: straight-line sewing) things like curtains, table runners, and pillows. What would you sew for your wedding?