Kokoshnik is an old headdress of Russian women, which had the shape of a comb. The name came from the Old Slavonic word "coconut", which translates as rooster or brood hen. The crest of the kokoshnik can be different: in the form of a rounded shield, a crescent, high pointed, wide cylindrical, low with a cap, in the shape of a crown.
Now this type of headgear is often used by girls and little girls who wear national costumes for the holidays, for practicing folk dances, on matinees in kindergarten and school. This is a very beautiful product, which is traditionally worn by the Snow Maiden, the granddaughter of Santa Claus for the New Year holiday. For a holiday, a child can make a kokoshnik for a life-size pattern for the role of a snowflake, Snow Queen or Snow Maiden.
Necessary materials
To sew a kokoshnik, you need to have a dense cardboard for the comb itself, material for gluing it, for example, brocade or satin. It should be bright and brilliant, so that the Snow Maiden sparkles in the light of lights for the New Year . Some craftswomen use a wire frame when sewing, so that the kokoshnik in a full-size pattern does not fall, but keeps his shape. If the headgear is not too high, then only a cardboard design will be sufficient.
You also need to take care of decorating the kokoshnik. He was always beautifully decorated with beads, embroidery, sewn edging, pebbles. Now in stores of sewing accessories you can pick up a huge amount of modern materials so that a life-size kokoshnik sewn on a pattern is the most beautiful and elegant.
After the headgear is ready, it needs to be fixed on the child’s head with something. To do this, prepare either a wide elastic band, or ribbons for the main color of the kokoshnik or dresses of a fairy-tale character. For a pattern, you will need to draw a template on a piece of paper. You will need a compass, a simple pencil, an elastic band, and patterns.
Drawing patterns
A full-size kokoshnik should be drawn after the choice of the silhouette of the comb is made and measurements are made. To make the pattern even and symmetrical, it is better to fold the paper in half and make a template for one half of the headgear. The article presents the average size of the pattern. After the pattern is drawn, you need to draw decorative elements with a simple pencil and roughly think about their placement on the crest. Next, the pattern is transferred to a thick cardboard according to the cut out template . Then cut out with scissors.
Crown of the Snow Maiden
A life-size kokoshnik pattern for the Snow Maiden is drawn in the shape of a crown. This is a special ridge shape with beautiful carved symmetrical elements. Here you will need a compass, or you will need to completely redraw the pattern given in the article. When decoration is in progress, crown tops are decorated with the same elements.
The symmetry of the remaining parts of the ridge is observed. You can lay out the pattern on the table and try on all the elements, placing them beautifully on the entire surface. Then the pattern is transferred according to the cut out template on thick cardboard, and each element is carefully cut out.
Cardboard blank
To keep the crest of the Russian kokoshnik full-size according to the pattern on his head, he needs to cut a support hoop for him. It can be placed both in front of the ridge and on its back side. To draw support, you need to measure the distance from one ear to the other along the line of the forehead. By these standards, a crescent moon is drawn on cardboard. Two centimeters must be retreated from the inner semicircular line and draw a semicircular line parallel to it. This strip will be the hoop-support.
You can simply stitch the cardboard with dense cotton threads, or you can make a frame out of wire, as in the photo above. Then a full-size Russian Russian kokoshnik pattern from paper will keep its shape well, and the Snow Maiden will be able to move and dance freely, not being afraid that the kokoshnik's crest is deformed.
Different forms of kokoshniks
The article showed life-size kokoshnik patterns for a girl, namely a comb. Readers also understood how to draw support hoop. But there are still other types of kokoshniks, for which it is enough to carve long ends and sew satin ribbons on them, with the help of which the garment will be held on the head of the child. You can also accurately measure the circumference of the head and sew a wide elastic band, then the kokoshnik will be put on quickly and easily.
There are also options for holding the comb on the head. They do this with the help of a cap, which is sewn around the circumference of the crest, and is pulled together on the back with an elastic band. You can still imagine the support in the form of a scarf, preferably from organza or plain thin fabric. She is also sewn from the inside on the circumference of the kokoshnik and is tied in a knot from behind under the hair.
Kokoshnik sewing
When the life-size kokoshnik pattern according to the scheme is made of cardboard, it is pasted with cloth on both sides. Support or hat is made, ribbons or elastic are sewn. Make a fitting on the child’s head. Kokoshnik should not be cramped and uncomfortable. After all, the holiday lasts a long time, and the child should feel comfortable throughout the entire action. The back side remains in its original form, and the front part of the product is decorated.
Next, we consider in more detail how to decorate a kokoshnik with the help of modern decorative elements.
Kokoshnik decoration
As can be seen in the photo, in the kokoshniks the frontal part of the head is often closed with a mesh of beads. It can be bought separately in a store, and if you want to weave on a fishing line of beads of different sizes and colors. It is advisable to acquire oval and elongated elements so that the decoration is more flat. Side bevels are also adorned from below. There they sew long identical pendants made of thread with shiny beads or balls. You can use plastic pieces of Christmas garlands of silver or blue. On the kokoshnik itself, you must first draw a pattern with a simple pencil, according to which the pattern will later be applied with pebbles, rhinestones or half beads. You can trim the edges with edging.
Crown decoration
In the manufacture of a kokoshnik for a pattern for cutting and sewing in the shape of a crown, all the elements of the tops will have to be decorated equally. Only the central part may differ. Also, a stripe around the forehead and support, if it is available on the frontal part of the head, in front of the crest, should separately stand out.
Useful tips for beginners
- In order to firmly adhere the fabric to the cardboard, use transparent Crystal glue. From it there are no spots on the fabric, and it is very strong. Dries fast enough.
- You can decorate the kokoshnik using applique. To do this, you need to make elements on the adhesive non-woven for sealing. Artificial material is taken, usually an satin or crepe satin. Elements are cut out by a burning apparatus. The edges are weathered and the fabric does not roll.
- Individual elements are glued to the kokoshnik using an iron and adhesive tape.
- The braid and rhinestones are glued with an adhesive gun. Golden braid of various shapes looks beautiful. The edges of the kokoshnik are glued with braid with coins (with round identical elements), and the frontal semicircle is glued with braid with braids. They hang on the forehead, and then it will not be necessary to make a grid of beads.
- On the back side, instead of the ribbons that need to be tied, you can sew a wide elastic band on which a large satin bow is attached in the color of a kokoshnik with hanging long ends cut at an angle.
The article describes the patterns of different kokoshniks in full size, describes in detail the types of different kokoshniks, both semicircular and in the shape of a crown. The methods and secrets of the original kokoshnik jewelry are given. It is told the better to decorate it and what kind of glue it is desirable to use. We hope that by reading the recommendations and tips, the novice master can easily make such a beautiful headdress, as in the photographs above. Have a good work!