No-Sew Embellishments

Embroidery, applique, beading--they're all great ways to embellish a costume. But sometimes you just can't spend hours or weeks adding delicate touches to your project. Here are some super quick and easy ways to embellish any costume with trim, ribbon or braid.

Kreinik Iron-On Braid:

You'll need an iron (small craft irons work great for this) and some Mrs. K's iron-on braid. It comes in lots of colors, including metallics.

1) First, make sure your fabric can take an iron with out melting. Plastic-y materials like lame and tulle will scorch with too much heat. When in doubt, test it on a scrap with a press cloth.

2) Draw out your design in light pencil, chalk or soap.

3) Lay your braid on the lines you just drew and gently iron it down. You'll need to use a teflon press cloth to keep the braid from sticking to your iron. A small piece comes in the package with the braid.

That's all there is to it! Here's a quick video showing you how it's done:




Handy Tips:

• If you need to wash your costume, hand wash the embellished parts in cold water or dry clean.


• Make sure you iron slowly so the glue sticks to the fabric permanently. Otherwise, the braid will come up eventually. If that happens, just heat up your iron and press it down again.


• To turn tight corners, just fold the braid back on itself. It's fusible on both sides.


• Use different width braids together to create more interesting designs.


• You can also use this to secure an iron-on applique. Just iron the braid on over the edges of your applique for a professional look.


• Quilt designs and stencils make great patterns for this technique.


• If you make a mistake, you can pull the braid up gently while the glue is still warm, reposition and iron it down again.


• The braid works on a variety of surfaces include paper and cardstock. So, let your imagination run wild.

You can also do this technique in reverse:

Use fabric glue to draw the design, then lay any ribbon or braid on the glue and let it dry. This technique can be messy. But if you're careful with the glue, it will last a long time. Be sure you use flexible fabric glue that dries clear.

Applying trim with hot glue:

A hot glue gun can be a costumer's best friend when you're in a hurry. I don't recommend this method for high-quality costumes that need to be used over and over again. But for a quickie Halloween costume or school play, it works great!

Simply draw your design on the fabric, lay down a thin bead of hot glue on your design, and press the trim or braid onto the glue. Remember, hot glue hardens quickly. So, work in short sections. Lay down an inch or two of glue, then press on the trim, then lay down another couple inches of glue, then the trim. Don't try to do it all in one pass. By the time you reach the end with your trim, the glue will already be hardened.

Click here to check out Kreinik's iron on thread.