When it comes to weddings dupatta plays an important role especially for brides. Infact these days brides are opting for the double dupatta drape where in one dupatta is draped around your waist like a saree and the second dupatta covers the head. All bridal lehengas come with just one dupatta but you can ask your vendor to accommodate a light second dupatta within the cost or by paying a little extra. But not all stores allow such customization and so you will have to end up making or designing the second dupatta yourself .


Adding a DIY element to your wedding outfit is always a good as this lets you explore the creative side of you and also adds a personal touch to your outfit making your special day very unique. Here i will help you design a simple dupatta which is embellish with kundan stones.

when i went shopping for my Cousins nikaah ceremony i ended up loving a blue lehenga anarkali but the problem was this suit set came with a piece of plain net as dupatta . I wanted to buy a suit with embellished dupatta for the nikaah because i would be required put the dupatta on my head during nikaah ceremony and there was no way i was using  plain net chit to do it. But i loved the lehenga anarkali a lot and i decided i would design a dupatta for it myself and purchased it.

These days even the most ornate anarkalis come with plain dupattas and if you plan to wear them at religious dos like a nikaah or anand karaaj then i recommend you get a dupatta done because when the dupatta is on your head most of the work on your dress is hidden and all that is visible is your dupatta.

First step when designing your dupatta is to decide on the fabric and colour you want to use. i used this Georgette fabric becuase it was the first time i was doing stick on work and i dint know how it will turn out on see through fabrics like net or chiffon. as for the colouryou can match your outfit or go for a  contrasting colour if you are designing a double dupatta for your lehenga. I decided to play it safe went with the colour of the net dupatta which came with my lehenga anarkali.
It is very important to get fabric in exactly same shaded as your dress if you decide to match your dress. my anarkali was in a very tricky shade of blue which isnt easily available so i decided to get it dyed.

The next step is to shop for borders or laces. Borders are what makes a diy dupatta exquisite so shop smart here. Adding more than one layer of thin borders is also a good idea. go for borders ingold, silver or copper according to the work on your outfit and add a thin strip of velvet lace in contrasting colour if you want to make it look more heavy . I found this perfect simple lace in gold with pink borders and grabbed it since my anarkali had gold work and pink accents in it.
Next shop for plastic crytals or kundans in the shape you desire and some fabric glue to stick it on. you can also add latkans to your dupatta.


Now get the lace stitched  on the dupatta from your local tailor or you can do this yourself if you have a sewing machine. since i dint want a very heavy dupatta and i was trying this for first time i used just 2 meters of lace and got it stiched on just one side of dupatta. But i really do suggest you to do it four sides as it will look really good that way.




after the lace now it is time to work on the main dupatta.  choose a pattern you want to put on your dupatta and then lay the dupatta on a flat surface to facilitate easy sticking. I suggest you put your dupatta on a layer of cloth like bedsheet or something and not directly on the floor because excess glue tends to stick on the floor leaving glue marks on it.

Now take the fabric glue and put tiny dots in your desired pattern and get sticking your kundans on this glue lightly. This could be a very tedious process and it took me 2 days with help of my sister to finish it but trust me it is totally worth it.
i put glue while my sister did the sticking job and it was easier this way . also i used a simple five dotted golden flower with pink center because it was my DIY attempt. i have tried many other amazing patterns and i will show them to you soon.


also keep lightly pulling your dupatta up from the floor gently from time to time while the glue is still wet to make sure your dupatta doesnt get stuck to the floor or bedspread with the glue.

I had to attend a wedding recently and i couldnt decide what to wear , an anarkali or a chudidaar dress. Anarkalis are quite a rage and everyone would be wearing one so i settled for a straight cut chudidaar suit. At the wedding i was shocked to find a girl wearing an exactly same anarkali like i was planning to wear. I thanked god for  not having turned up in the same anarkali.

The thing with DIY outfits is that it allows you to explore the creative side of you along with helping you cut down on cost. Also the probability of someone turning up in an outfit exactly like yours is very low. Since mehendi is a low key affair spending less on a mehendi outfit makes sense. This is also a function where you can add personalized touches with decor and outfit.
To design yor own outfit you need a vision because having the colour pallaete and cut in mind always helps . Here i present to you some DIY mehendi outfit ideas you could try out . You can try them as is or just take inspiration and and play more with colours cuts and fabrics. These outfits can also be worn for your engagement or sangeet .


1. The Yellow and purple anarkali: This is my favorite DIY idea and i am wanting to replicate it for quite sometime now. Wearing chudidaar isnt the best idea for mehendi but if you do want to wear an anarkali this colour combination fits the bill.

Not all tailors will be able to stitch a kalidaar anarkali for you so go for an umbrella cut one. Any local tailor can definitely stitch up an umbrella style frock anarkali .

how to Replicate:  Get Half meter purple benaras silk for bust and  maybe around 1-2 meters for the borders. Yellow georgette of about 3-4 meters for the flare and 2 meters for the dupatta .  6 meters american crepe or santoon cloth for lining and chudidaar bottom . 1 meter each red and gold thick lace and thin gold lace of about 12 meters . small round Gold buttis or patches to stick or sew on the flare part.

Keep the sleeve length as is or go sleeveless. Also latkans at the back is important.  You can also go for a chiffon dupatta  instead of Georgette one.  Even for the flare dont restrict yourself to georgette go for embellished net or chiffon but make sure the lining is in a richer cloth as it will be seen.




2. Blue jacket Lehenga: When i spotted Kajal aggarwal wear this Sanjay garg jacket lehenga i knew i wanted one. The styling was so simple yet striking that i knew i would definitely style it exactly this way. This jacket lehenga is perfect for a brides mehendi . The jacket silhoute allows the bride to skip a dupatta which is abrether when yopu have heena on both your hands. also just a mang tikka means more comfort but ofcourse you should go for shorter sleeves or no sleeves at all for mehendi. The lehenga makes it perfect for a little dancing on your mehendi night. You could also wear it to someone elses mehendi if the function is a huge one.
This is the easiest style of lot because no appliques or laces is  involved making shopping for this more easy. I have already shopped for blue brocade fabric for my jacket and iam using a blue net lehenga i already own with this jacket . simple no?
how to Replicate: Get about 3 meters of  brocade silk in blue  for the top and plain raw silk  for lehenga . If you already have a lehenga in a different fabric or colour then get brocade in the same colour for the top . Also you can try colour blocking with lehenga and jacket in here . Try short sleeves if you are wearing for mehendi also try a different neck if yo want to flaunt some neck jewellery .





3. White brocade lehenga with green dupatta and blouse: Malaika Arora Khan wore this lehenga for the wedding of Arpita Khan in taj falaknuma palace. This is designed by Seema khan and well everyone is free to take inspiration .
how to Replicate: 5 meters of white gold brocade for lehenga . If you have green blouse use it or get green brocade for blouse. plain green chiffon for dupatta. Get gold shimmery lace attached at the bottom of lehenga. since green lace shown here can be difficult to find get a green velvet strip attched and get round gold motifs stitched on the velvet (optional. ). Thin gold lace for the blouse and dupatta. If you can find it then do put a neon orange gold lace all 4 sides of dupatta.



Refer the middle vikram phadnis lehenga for more ideas with borders of lehenga (click to enlarge)



4. Navy velvet lehenga with jacket :  This style may seem a little difficult but if you have good tailor and a worksman who can do zardosi work then this is definitely doable. I love this style for its ease and regal charm . The bare belly buton is a nice touch to this ethnic style. You could try this as is or  also replace the lehenga with cropped pants to make this outfit more mehendi appropriate.

how to Replicate: 5 meters of navy velvet and shimmery gold lace for the lehenga and 3 -4 meters of biege shimmer silk for the jacket. You may want to play with the neck design a wee bit and also with the sleeve size if you are planning this outfit for mehendi and ofcourse with this silhoutte going dupatta less is an easy option. You can easily skip the zardosi work on sleeves and neck and replace it with gold sequined lace but for the lehenga you should definitely get the zardosi work in gold done from a karigar . You can also leave the lehenga plain if your function isnt too big  or go for attaching embellished motifs and buttis in the place of zardosi work.

If this silhoutte and design interests you then you might want to check out blogger Hamis version of this lehenga on her blog Fashionmate here. She has replicated this style beautifully and has given detailed instrustions too.



5. Pink Gold lehenga: If you want to wear a lehenga for mehendi then it should definitely be light . This pink lehenga is perfect and the gold sequined blouse will give the required bling. Ofcourse you could play with colours and switch the lehenga colour from pink to orange to suit your needs.

how to Replicate:  Get a gold sequined cloth of about a meter for the blouse or just hunt down for a gold blouse in your or your moms wardrobe and use it!. For lehenga get pink raw silk or chanderi  and borders in shimmery gold and black velvet . Use the same borders  on a pale gold chiffon dupatta . Your outfit is ready. Make sure the blouse is hatke and stands out , go for a ribbon cut out or latkans at the back.
Dont forget the details... latkans for the lehenga and maybe even dupatta is important. Get some pre embroidered patches in gold (buttis) and stick on the black lace with fabric glue.
Also keep in mind you need to shop for the lining.

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Designing your outfit is a risky affair for sure but here are some more tips for you 

• For a perfect DIY outfit all you need is a decent tailor and some good fabric stores. In Bangalore by lanes of commercial street is the best place to buy fabric , latkans and lace for ethnic wear. You can also check out chikpet for silk fabric.
•  With DIY it is always good to skip the intricate detailed work and go for rich fabrics, layered borders and play with colours.
• If you are investing a lot on your DIY outfit then get the tailor to make a trail piece in cheap crepe or cotton material only after you are satisfied get the final outfit stitched. 
•  carry photos on your phone to show your tailor exactly what you are looking for. 
• Ask your tailor properly of the meters of cloth required for your height and style before heading out to buy. 
• If you dont get fabric in your desired shade or colour then get it dyed. DIY outfits are all about colours , dont compromise on that , not one bit. 
• Make sure the Materials you are buying is of high quality. Even in stuff like brocades , nets and velvets a lot of varieties are available. To make your outfit look amazing the fabric has to be of good quality.
• If you are not a fan of patchwork or appliques then find a local kaigar who can do seuqins , zardosi and embroidery for you. 
•  For more inspiration check out fashion week collection of inidan  ethnic designers. 
• go for rich fabrics like brocades and velvet instead of going for hand work . This cuts down costs and the risk also goes down .
• Make laces your best friend. 2-4 layers of lace is enough make your lehenga and dupatta look regal. Go for laces in gold, or silver along with velvet strips .
• If you want to give this DIY a try at first then hunt down your moms wardrobe for unused sarees and get your outfits made from them. 
• If you have some good dupattas with  just gold or silver work then get an outfit made in similar colour and use the dupatta to save costs. 
• If you want your outfit to flare out then get a layer of full length can can skirt attached underneath your lehengas .  The can can can give the whole outfit a more volume

It has been a while since a friday five was featured in here but here I am bringing you a beauty and skin care edition of fab fives.


All of us pamper our skin with luxurious skin care products to keep our skin glowing, nourished and beautiful . But these products have an overload of chemicals which is best avoided. Including some inexpensive home made DIY beauty remedies in your beauty regime is always a good idea.
I am big time lazy and Do It  Yourself stuff is just not for me, but ive discovered some very easy and effective remedies which involve easily available stuff from the kitchen. Do try them
Lip scrub :
Brown sugar+ Almond oil + Honey
I mix the three in a spoon and scrub, wash, exfoliating done. Try this once a week and you will never have to buy any lip scrub ever. But make sure almond oil you use is 100% organic. you can even replace almond oil with jojoba oil.
Detan with a Tomato:
This one is the easiest of all. Just slice a tomato and and rub on your face and neck for a good five minutes and done. Do this every second day for a glowing tan free skin. You can top the tomato  slice with a little yoghurt for better results, but that’s a bit too much work for lazy bums like me! Also I am too busy to try this every second day . But this works like charm
Besan Face pack:
This works well for dry skin . Mix almont oil , a pinch of turmeric and besan and apply on face for moisturized skin. Wash off after it is dry (15 minutes or so)
Banana and almond oil hair mask:
Mash up a banana and mix with one tablespoon of almond oil. Massage this mixture into hair , especially the ends  and leave for 30 minutes. Was for smooth soft hair. This mask helps protect natural elasticity of hair and locks in the moisture. I do this in winter.
Condition hair with Warm coconut oil:
This isnt really a DIY as such but I use virgin coconut oil religiously to tame my dry hair. Coconut oil deep conditions and moisturizes hair like no other serum can. I oil my hair with warm coconut oil and leave it overnight for best results. Apart from adding shine and stength to my hair coconut oil also acts like a soothing balm for me relieving stress.
These are real simple DIY remedies I recommend to all. Do try incorporating these in your beauty regime and cut down on pimples.

Stay beautiful

~ Kamar jahan

Are you bored of your old earrings and wanted to try something out of the box ?
DIY jewelry is the way to go!
Accessories are a fun way to personalize an outfit with your own unique flair, and these DIY jewelry ideas are offering fashionistas some creative ways to make such things as bracelets,necklaces and rings straight from scratch.