Golden Goddess Horned Headdress

In this instructable, I will walk you through making a DIY Golden Goddess Horned Headdress. It is relatively simple to make and can be put together in just a couple hours. If you are looking for a statement piece, a headdress is a fabulous option. It can add some intrigue to any outfit and is great for festivals and photo shoots.

Gather together the following items:

E6000

Duct Tape

1 Can Gold Spray Paint

1 Pair of Horns

1 Spool of Ribbon

1/8 Yard of 1/2 inch Thick Foam

16 Gauge Craft Wire

1 Lomey Pedestal Holder

Floral Wire

Scissors

Wire Cutters

Hot Glue Gun

Glue Sticks (4-6 mini sticks)

1 Bunch (5 stems) Golden Hydrangeas

2 Cream Hydrangeas

1 Delia

5-6 Rose Budding Stems

4 Open Rose Stems

1 Cream Grass Bunch

2 Golden Amaranthus

2 Rusty Brown Amaranthus

2 Autumn Leafy Stems

You should be able to find everything at your local craft store with the exception of the horns and the pedestal holder. Some craft stores may have the pedestal holder, but many do not carry them. If you seem unable to get your hands on one, you can always make one with some duct tape and dry foam.

In a well ventilated area, spray paint the horns per the manufacturer's directions. Apply as many coats as needed to hide the original color. You can move on to the next step between coats of paint. Once the horns are dry, do one last check to make sure they are fully painted from every angle. If you find a spot that is lacking, apply more paint and leave to dry. My horns took three applications before I was satisfied with the color from every angles. I think I could have had it in two applications, but I didn't want to get hasty and end up with a paint drip

Ideally, you will want the individual the headdress is for present. If they are not available, you can use your own head for the mold or that of a willing friend. I am using a mannequin, as it is the easiest way for me to show the process. Should you own a mannequin and elect to use it, check the sizing as you go to be sure it will also fit your head properly. Gather the foam, ribbon, scissors, wire cutters, E6000 and duct tape.

Starting an inch or so past center, on your models head, bend the wire down towards the ear. At about the ear, bend the wire back up, over the head and down to the other ear. Bend the wire again, this time, going back towards the center of the head. You will want there to be an inch or two of overlap where the wire meets. Cut the excess wire. It should roughly resemble a head band.

Take a short strip of duct tape and wrap it around where the wires meet. The tape only needs to wrap around the two wires a few times. Place the newly formed band back onto the head. Form the, pressing it against the head till it sits snug to the head.

Taking a hold of the wire, mold another piece for around the base of the head. It should run about ear to ear. Most importantly, it should run below the curvature of the head. If it is too high, the headdress will easily fall off when the wearer looks downward. You will want to bend the ends up to attach to the previously formed band.

Take small strips of duct tape and attach it to the band. Check the fit and make any adjustments as needed.

Make two more attachments at the top of the head connecting the front and back of the band. Space the two connections 1-2 inches apart connecting them to the frame with duct tape.

Cut the foam into one inch wide strips. You will need enough length to cover all of the wire frame. Put some E6000 on the end of your ribbon and on the end of the foam. Starting at a joint, fold the foam around the wire. With the foam around the wire, start wrapping the ribbon around the foam. Carefully move around the frame, closing the foam and wrapping in ribbon.

Once you reach the end of each section, put some E6000 on the foam and the ribbon's end. Hold the freshly glued end for about a minute before moving on to the next section.

When the entire frame is padded and wrapped, check to fitting again.

Note: If you cannot find foam, it is not necessary. I add it, as I believe, it adds a little extra comfort.

Once your horns are adequately dry, attach them to the pedestal holder. You will want to tighten the band that holds the horns together. This can be done by simply untying the strap and retying at the desired size.

Poke a small piece of wire through the pedestal holder being sure it goes around some plastic. Through a premade hole on the horn, attach the horn to the pedestal holder. Make sure the wire is twisted tightly. Repeat for the opposite horn.

It is now time to attach the pedestal to the base frame. Stick two pieces of wire through the pedestal holder, again, being sure that it passes around plastic. Wrap the wire around the top of the base frame securing firmly to the frame.

Place the headdress framing back on the model. Make any adjustments as needed.

Gather together the flowers you wish to decorate the base and a glue gun. I listed in the supplies what flowers and the quantity I ended up using. You are free to use whatever flowers you like and in any color you desire. If you feel a little lost in picking your selection, you can use my list as a general guide of what to get.

Note: If you select seasonal flowers, at the end of the season, you can purchase them for up to 80% off. I often go at the end of a season and stock up for future projects.

Starting in the front and working around, use a glue gun to attach leaves to the base frame. In the back, you can glue the leaves to each other, allowing them to lay smoothly around the back of the head.

Place drooping flowers or greens on both sides of the head. I used amaranthus. Hold the stem at the desired location to determine where the stem should be cut. Cut the stem and slide into the pedestal holder.

Cut the hydrangeas from the bunch to desired length. Insert the stems into the pedestal holder. Try to make them as balanced as possible

Part the grass out to smaller sections. I hit mine with a tough of the gold spray paint. Bend the wire in the grass stem so that it has a nice curve to hang down. Place a piece of grass on both sides of the back hydrangea. Place another one on the front of the headdress to the left side

Add the final hydrangea to front of the headdress. Place it low and to the center. If you are happy with the current placement of the flowers, add hot glue at the base of the stems. It doesn't take much to help hold them in place. Be sure not to cover the foam up to much as there are still more flowers.

Start filling in the areas left void with the roses. If need be, give the rose stems a little bend here and there to get them to flow how you like. When you are satisfied with their placement, again, add hot glue around the stems.

Use the cream hydrangeas to fill in any remaining gaps. The hydrangeas, depending on the size, can be parted out. The ones I had could be dismantled into 3 parts, a center and two rings. The centers were used for the right and left side of the center rose in the back of the headdress. One of the remaining 4 rings was used around the dahlia which was placed in the center near the top of the front of the headdress. If you have small gaps that need filled, you can snip of small sections of the hydrangea and attach them to a new stem with wire. When everything is in place, add one last dose of glue around the steams. For this final phase of gluing, you can use the E6000 or the hot glue.

I hope you have found this instructable helpful. I would love to hear what you created your headdress for and see your beautiful creations.