Working with Coins for Costuming

Working with belly dance costuming coins can be easy!

This is a topic that I've covered in years past, but it might be worth talking about it again. This information will can be helpful to anyone that uses coins in belly dance costuming or for other DIY projects like boho clothing and accessory embellishment.

Using tribal coins to decorate dance costumes is quick and easy. Coins add shine, sometimes a bit of a jingle and really are the original tribal decoration! The Red Camel carries coins that have soldered loops that attach from front to back (that thread from side to side), but there are some that have loops side to side (which thread front to back), and some simply have holes drilled through.

Most coins used for belly dance costumes are either newly made reproductions (easily told by the light weight), or are real Indian or middle eastern coins, usually Pakistani, Afghani or Persian. Real coins can generally be told by the older patina and heavier feel. Moroccan coins are seen less often, and some of these are small and lightweight, but most are larger and look and feel like 'real' coins. There are also other real and reproduction coins available. Any of these can be used for costuming and methods for attaching are generally the same for all.

Coins with drilled holes can be sewn directly to your costume. If you want to use jump rings, you can attach them to chain or some kind of cord and either sew the chain/cord down for a nice even row, or let it drape over the belly or swag around the hips.

Middle Eastern coins are the most plentiful for costuming and have wide loops soldered to them that thread from side to side. Indian coins can have either loops that thread side to side or front to back. The loops that thread front to back can be sewn individually to your costuming piece with relative ease wherever you need one. The loops are small enough that the coins don't move around too much and will stay in place fairly well.

Coins with wide loops that thread side to side need a little more stability and look better strung on a cord of some type to help keep them in place when they are attached and thus give a more consistent look. Sometimes you can find coins that have been removed from old clothing and decorative items that are still on their original cords. The added bonus of this is that these coins are usually all the same size and shape and are already spaced out fairly evenly along the cord. Most old cords are either rolled fabric or are a flat braided cord, sometimes consisting of two or three separate strands sewn together.

These are a breeze to just sew directly to your costume. The cords can be cut to any length, generally without having to worry that they will come undone. Just giving it a few stitches along the end is enough to keep them from unraveling. If the cords aren't the right color, you can try dying them a darker color with some RIT dye. Be careful with this though, because I am starting to see synthetic cording, which doesn’t take dye well at all.

Coins with wide loops that have already been removed from their original cords can easily be restrung. The easiest way I have found to do this is to braid some yarn and run it through the loops. The best yarn to use is the cheap stuff from a craft store. Added plus, it comes in every color! Use 6 pieces of yarn, 2 in each strand, to make a cord that fills the loops and holds the coins in place well. Make the braid a little bit longer than you need for your project. Then take a piece of scotch tape and roll it around the loose ends, like a shoelace end. This will easily pass through the loops on the coins and prevent the braid from coming undone. After your coins are strung, sew the cord down, evenly spacing the coins. Don't forget to cut off the tape and secure the ends of your braids well so they don't fray.

For an interesting variation, try alternating large and small coins in a row or making a pattern with various sizes and shapes.

This should give you a great start on using coins for costume embellishment. They're a super easy way to add authentic decoration to your costumes!