DIY Burlesque queen - how to make your own burlesque nipple tassles!

by Roswell Ivory

Nipple tassels (aka "pasties") are the ace up a burlesque dancer's proverbial sleeve as she turns her back to the audience to remove her bra and reveal she's topless... but not quite!Nipple tassles are not just for a burlesquer. They are a perfect way to end a sexy striptease or to complete an outfit and even better, while lingerie companies charge an arm and a leg, you can make them yourself!

You will need:

- Thin card
- Material and any extra decor*
- Scissors
- Double-sided tape or glue
- Measuring tape
- A compass and pencil

*for example: diamante stones, glitter, sequins, sew-on flowers, feathers, beads, lace, ribbon, tassels (to twirl)... and anything else you can find in the sewing shop!

Measuring your nipple tassles

May I ask a personal question? How big are your nipples? If they are small, you can probably get by on good guesswork but if they are big, measure your areola (the brown part) from top to bottom, and then left to right. Write down the widest measurement.

This is so that the finished tassels will be the right size - if they are too big, it's not a catastrophe- at worst you will look like you're wearing a mini-bra, but if they are too small, this is a catastrophe as wearing tassels with a ring of uncovered nipple around the edge is not sexy!!

Pasties - the first step

Using the compass, draw a circle on the piece of card, using your measurement as a guideline. The circles diameter should be about a centimetre wider than your measurement because the circle will get smaller when you make it into a cone later. (This is just a guideline- obviously you know your nipples better than I do (!) so adjust the figures to fit you.)

Draw a straight line from the centre of the circle to the edge, then cut out the circle but leave the line intact for now.

Tip: Use card that is the same colour as you want your tassels to be- this will make any joins and edges less obvious.

Tip: If you are making elaborate designs, e.g. heart shapes, sketch your design first and make sure the line you will later cut along is at the bottom of the design (e.g. at the point of the heart).

Making your burlesque nipple tassles cone

This depends on how you want to decorate your tassels. If you are going to use diamante crystals or glitter, go straight to Step 2b.

If you are going to use material, turn the circle over (so that the line you drew is on the bottom) and cover the top side in either glue or double-sided tape, then stick the material down. Wait for the glue to dry, then cut around the card circle so that the loose edges of the material are cut away.

Step 2b:

Cut along the line you drew earlier. Now, make a cone shape by overlapping the edges- it should just cover your nipple. Stick the edges together so that the cone stays in shape.

Tip: - It is better to use double-sided tape on the edges as you won't have to hold it in place until it dries.

Decorating your burlesque nipple tassles

Decorate with diamante stones (use glue and tweezers to stick them in place) or glitter (brush glue over the area you want covered, then shake the glitter over the top.)

Add any extra decorations you want, and you're done!

Tip: To attach a twirling tassel, puncture a hole through the point of the cone with a needle, then pull the thread of the tassel through and tie a knot in the end (so the tassel hangs from the front and the knot is at the back). Trim off the excess thread.

And now - be a burlesque dancer

Stick the finished tassels over your nipples. Ann Summers and La Senza (UK) sell tit tape (tape designed to keep low-cut tops in place) - which works very well but make sure you don't stick the tape over the nipples themselves as it will hurt when you peel it off. Eyelash glue is also good but can be messy and most brands smell like rancid fish! Choose the method that is easiest for you.

Nipple tassles online for busy girls:

If you're busy, lazy or just really really clumsy, here are some places you can buy tassels from:

Titmore and Asspley (http://www.myspace.com/crystaltassels) sell everything from crystal eyepatches to novelty shaped tassels (sacred hearts, flowers, bows etc) and even have a "crystal service" so just about anything can be diamanted! You need some cash to splash but they are worth it if you have the money.

Jane Doe (www.janedoelatex.com) is for all the fetish girls out there! Designer Nina Kate sells a range of classy appliquéd latex pasties from her website.

Dolly De Lash makes a wide range of nipple tassels and pasties. She does it the hard way, not with cardboad as described above. Her sequinned range is hugely popular, but do check out the range of bespoke designs as these are amazing!

Have fun - getting covered in glue and glitter is inevitable!

Mookychick loves Burlesque and Pin-up Glamour:

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Mookychick believes that climbing trees and riding giant turtles is more fun and girly than worrying about make-up. But if you want to worry about make-up instead of turtles? Fine by us. Be you feminist, kitten, punk, emo, indie, goth, witch, vegan, horror junky, intellectual, christian goth, corset queen, geek, unicorn, sea monkey... be you into alternative style, alternative health, spirituality, comics, manga, j-pop, harajuku or jock culture... we will always love you.

Burlesque pasties and how to make nipple tassles

You can also check out Burlesque tassles as they do lovely tassles and pasties that start at £4 at time of writing!

alternative goth model Roswell Ivory is a writer and fetish model; she lives in the UK with several hundred books, a huge wardrobe and an impressive collection of clutter. She loves in-depth conversations, wildlife, the paranormal and eight-inch heels. Roswell also writes columns for magazines including Alt Fashion and The Fetishistas. When not writing about life and latex, she's working on a novel. She has a blog and a portfolio of her modelling work; her new website is under construction so watch this space...