Oh my stars and garters

I fell in love with Florrie Mitton garters a while back. These garters are handmade in the U.K. and have been in several wedding magazines, so the prices are pretty up there for something that covers just a small expanse of your thigh (and will be hidden from everybody unless you toss it). Apparently Hilary Duff wore one in her wedding (When did she get married? Who did she marry? Last I checked she was like 12!).

I love the interesting lace and the soft, muted vintage color palette.

But, alas. I cannot afford $70+ for such a small detail. Believe me, I've been tempted to buy that last one up there. The swath of nude, sparkly tulle with the perfect little vintage applique had me pining.

However, I occasionally get really lucky on Etsy. Look at what I found (and bought):

Looks an awful lot like the applique on the garter, just in a bright white. If I pick off the pearls on the trim, cut it into a little applique, tea-stain it, and sew on some seed beads, I might achieve something similar but that I can completely customize.

From there, I'll just have to add some elastic (covered of course, for comfort while wearing), and figure out what I want the backdrop to be (a simple satin like the second garter, or a tulle like the third?). I can play with the colors and perfectly match it to my dress. I could probably even hand-sew the thing since it's so small. I'll keep you posted!