Here is the promised tutorial for an African Juju hat knock off made using vintage book paper. I shared a little history about these gorgeous ceremonial headdresses in this post. Instead of using feathers, I used vintage book pages.
To make a Juju hat knock off, start with a round cardboard base. I used two pieces of 24 inch diameter corrugated cardboard, glued together to create a really sturdy base.
I covered the base pieces with vintage book pages, just in case some of the base showed through when the project was done, but that turned out to be unnecessary, as the base ended up being completely covered.
For the next step I took sheets of vintage book pages, and folded them in half and cut a fringe into one side (not the folded side). Those fringed folded sheets were then wrinkled slightly and glued around the perimeter of the cardboard base.
After gluing a couple of layers of fringe, I glued down some crinkled sheets to give the wreath dimension. Then more fringe was glued down, alternating with crinkled sheets until the entire wreath was filled except for a small area in the center.
For the center area, I actually cut skinnier and shorter fringe, and then crinkled it up before gluing it down.
The end result is this luxuriously full Juju hat inspired vintage book page wreath! The texture and subtle aging of the paper is really gorgeous.
This is a very simple DIY Juju hat that can be created with "found material" and a bottle of white school glue (or any glue you prefer).
I loved the first Juju wreath so much much, I made a second smaller wreath, also using vintage book pages. The second wreath was created using a different technique for a different overall effect, and I'm really loving it!
Watch for the second Juju inspired wreath tutorial in a few days. This is a super inexpensive and eco-friendly project, using re-purposed materials and less than a dollar's worth of glue!
To make a Juju hat knock off, start with a round cardboard base. I used two pieces of 24 inch diameter corrugated cardboard, glued together to create a really sturdy base.
I covered the base pieces with vintage book pages, just in case some of the base showed through when the project was done, but that turned out to be unnecessary, as the base ended up being completely covered.
For the next step I took sheets of vintage book pages, and folded them in half and cut a fringe into one side (not the folded side). Those fringed folded sheets were then wrinkled slightly and glued around the perimeter of the cardboard base.
After gluing a couple of layers of fringe, I glued down some crinkled sheets to give the wreath dimension. Then more fringe was glued down, alternating with crinkled sheets until the entire wreath was filled except for a small area in the center.
For the center area, I actually cut skinnier and shorter fringe, and then crinkled it up before gluing it down.
The end result is this luxuriously full Juju hat inspired vintage book page wreath! The texture and subtle aging of the paper is really gorgeous.
This is a very simple DIY Juju hat that can be created with "found material" and a bottle of white school glue (or any glue you prefer).
I loved the first Juju wreath so much much, I made a second smaller wreath, also using vintage book pages. The second wreath was created using a different technique for a different overall effect, and I'm really loving it!
Watch for the second Juju inspired wreath tutorial in a few days. This is a super inexpensive and eco-friendly project, using re-purposed materials and less than a dollar's worth of glue!