Make it big. Make it small. This minimal yet lavish-looking headband will give the floral statement you’ve wanted for a fairy-tale, summer look. Inspired by a Garosu-gil find but unsettled by its hefty price tag, we found a way to get the look without the splurge. With the right materials and a little labor, nobody will be able to tell the difference.

Buying the Materials
Dongdaemun Shopping Complex is the place to score all your material goods at once.

A first-time visit to the shopping complex may strike you as a human hodgepodge: svelte designers zipping by with their sketches fluttering after them, shop owners jabbering in “number language” on the phones and at customers, hunched-over ajeossis with rolls of fabric hoisted on their backs barking to clear the way. Then there are the purse-lipped “I-can’t-justify-paying-250,000-won-for-that-floral-headband-I-saw-in-a-store-so-I’m-making-my-own” crafts-hobbyists like me, and you, presumably. Like any other commercial district in the city, this market is no refuge from human traffic and noise.

To make your shopping experience a less abrasive one, refer to the information below for suggested stores and prices. As many shops do overlap and tend to sell the same thing (albeit at varying prices), feel free to explore your options.

The shopping complex is divided into four districts (dong)—A, B, C and a shopping town. All the materials for this tutorial can be bought on the fifth floor in A-dong.

Dongdaemun Shopping Complex is near Dongdaemun Station, line 1 or 4, exit 9. Business operates from 8am–6pm on weekdays and is closed on Sundays.

Materials / Store / Price
felt sheet / A5090 / 300 won
headband / A5180 / 1,500 won
assorted fabric flowers / various / 1,000–15,000* won
* Prices range depending on the size and intricacy of the pattern. All are handmade.

Tools
glue gun
scissors
fabric pen or pencil

Step-by-step Tutorial

Step 1: Draw a shape of a leaf on the felt with the fabric pen or pencil.
Depending on the look or how much surface area for the flowers you want, the size will differ. (Image example is 24cm long and 15cm wide.)

Step 2: Cut out the leaf.

Step 3: Place the leaf on top of the headband at midpoint and glue it in place.

Step 4: Continue to glue along the surface until you reach half-length of the leaf.

Step 5: Start gluing on the flowers.
Starting from the top is easiest.

Voila! Flaunt your masterful handicraft at a wedding, a terrace-party, or that movie-snack jaunt to Family Mart. Rest assured; wherever you go, you will look fabulous.

About Vivian Lee

Vivian enjoys the thrill and chase of finding new scenery and happenings the city has to offer. Visit her Tumblr for more.

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