Steampunk Corset Dress

I’ve been working on so many “pretty” projects lately I decided to do a steampunk-themed one to get the taste of pink out of my mouth.

The top of the dress is made from 2 sets of chipboard corsets.  I used two so that I could make the dress 3-D.

On the back of the two pieces of corset, I used a piece of tape to join them.  I did this for both sets of corsets.  I used a tissue paper texture technique to cover the corsets back and front (click here for the video tutorial).  Don't glue the pieces of the corset together as you need a little give in the centers when you bend them slightly to attach the two sets together.  After applying the tissue paper, I stained them with Vintage Photo stain and then applied some Inca Gold Gilders Paste.  I thought the finished result looked like worn leather.

The black piping on the corset is stickers.  The stickers work great as they are pliable and you can apply them along a curve.  I used silk ribbon to lace up one set of corsets.

The shoulder straps are made from braiding 3 pieces of wire.  I used filigree butterflies (that are easy to bend) to attach the two corsets together.  

To make the dress I used beaded lace and velvet fabric (from my stash) and black tulle. 

Once I finished adding all of the embellishments and fabric, I mounted the dress onto a stand made from gluing together wooden candlestick holders.  I painted them black then highlighted them with Gilders Paste.  The holders are the perfect size to fit between the corsets.

The final touch is the ray gun perhaps used to deal with unruly aliens.  It’s made from clock parts from my stash, a fuse, and a domed apothecary bottle.