Princess on a Paupers budget

My daughter recently had her matric farewell.  Yes it was expensive and over the top, but when you seldom get chances to spoil your children, you do what you can to make it work. Not quite a "Pauper's Budget", but only because I was lucky enough to have the financial and physical help from family.


We found an amazing dress-maker who didn't charge the earth, but outdid herself with the beautiful classic dress she made to my daughter's specifications. (Dress paid by me and her paternal grandparents)

The  make-up and nails nearly caused tears and meltdowns, but thankfully we made a booking for a trial, and after a trial make-up appointment from hell, which resulted in her words "mom, I look like a transvestite" (and my reply: she made you look like a hooker. She hid your beauty!!). Cancelling all appointments with the salon, and managing to find angels last minute... her make-up looked beautiful, and her nails attracted attention everywhere she went. (Some ladies at work paid for the trial mess-up. My sisters paid for her make-up and nails).

Her hair we knew was in good hands. And we were right.  It looked fabulous!! (Hair paid for my parents and the hairdresser).

The finishing touches can sometimes cost the most...

Clutch Bag - we found one on the morning of the dance.  She needed a new asthma pump. Next door to the chemist is a Chinese clothing shop.  We found a beautiful clutch bag that matched with her dress for R140. Perfect.(I bought her the clutch bag)

Shoes - her cousin had her dance the year before, and her shoes were exactly what Ash wanted. So she borrowed her cousin's shoes for the night (luckily they're the same size).

Bangle - I made her a dainty slave bracelet (just her style - and what she asked for). 

Earings - proved to be a little tricky.  She doesn't have pierced ears.  I didn't think clip-ons would be so difficult to find - or make.  She finally saw a pair of earings the morning of the dance (for pierced ears) for R20. No problem. I cut the back off and set to putting a pair of earings together.  There I was gluing earings while she was having her make-up done. But they worked, and she loved them.

I couldn't find the sparkly clips for her hair, so the night before I made 8.  10 minutes before leaving the house (while she was putting the dress on) I decided we needed another 2, so quickly made them - nothing like the last minute!!

I'm quite glad I didn't find the clips - I've since discovered they cost a small fortune, and she lost a few on the night (and so did her friend, but her's were the expensive ones).

I'd like to share how I made them, just in case you need some help...

I found a pack of 10 cheap plastic pearl-look clips. They cost R10 from Pep (I had bought mine at a china shop for R12)

I used a hot set rhinestone tool with the correct (hot set glue back) rhinestones, but you could use the sticky ones for a less permanent job. You could also use the normal craft ones with a good glue.  The result was the clip below.

As you can see, you would never know they were quick (cheap) home-made clips.  And no worries that they didn't all come home.

I know she appreciated all I did, and I'm happy she asked for me to make her jewellery (she had the option to use jewellery that more than one person had offered). My beautiful "Princess for a night".