Middle Eastern Dance
Veil Wraps
This page lists descriptions of various ways you can wrap your veiil around you.

Sari Wrap
This is actually an Indian dress which although it's not exactly for
bellydance it can still work for pieces which may have Indian influences
or in pieces which utilize a longer piece of fabric either way their still
beautiful.  A sari is a lot longer then a veil it's at least 6 yards as opposed to
the traditional 3  yards.  To do this you should have a tank top, short T-shirt,
or at best a choli and a long skirt (preferably drawstring).
Step 1: Tuck the top of the fabric into the skirt just left of the naval and
   wrap it once around you so that you are back at your starting
   point.  Tuck the top of the fabric into the skirt all the way around
   you. 
Step 2: Now you will need to make pleats with the fabric.  Most people
   will make 7-10 pleats but it will depend on your size and how
   much extra fabric you have to use up.  When you have made
   your pleats tuck them into your skirt, this should be front center.
Step 3: Wrap the fabric around behind you again.  When you bring it
   around to the front this time you will gather the remaining fabric and drape it over your right shoulder.  If
   you want you can secure the fabric by pining it to your shirt.  If your going to unwrap as part of your
   dance I suggest either leaving it unpinned or securing it with a bobby pin which does not need to be
   removed.
A similar effect can be achieved by using two regular veils which can work for double veil routines.  The first veil ends
up getting wrapped like a skirt with the pleats while the second veil gets tucked at the side and wraps round behind yo
and then up and over the shoulder.  To modify this for single veil you simply tuck the veil into the side wrap it around
behind you and up and over the shoulder.  You tuck it into the shoulder or you can secure it with a bobby pin.

Basic Wrap
This is a very common and easy wrap to do.  And is just as to unwrap.  If you want to tuck the opposite way, just
replace all the rights with lefts and lefts with rights.
Step 1: Extend your left arm out to the side.  Drape your veil over your left shoulder and arm equally, with half of
    it in front and the other half behind you.  The side closest to your body will now be referred to as the inner
    portion and the side closest to your left hand (furthest from your body will be the outer portion.
Step 2: Tuck the inner portion of the veil in under the left bra strap.  You shouldn't have to move anything since it
    should be laying over the shoulder already so just tuck it under the strap to secure it in place.
Step 3: Grab the inner portion of the veil in front of your arm and pull it across the body to the right.  drape it
    over to the side of the right breast and then tuck the end into the belt on the right hip, allowing the bottom
    to drape freely.
Step 4: Pick up the inner edge of the back portion which is still hanging behind your left arm and tuck
    it into the right side of your hip belt, allowing the bottom part to drape freely.
Step 5: (This is optional) pull the edge of the veil that is draped over the chest up a little and tuck it into the right
    bra strap.

The Long Scarf
This wrap gives a lot of coverage.  You will want a longer veil; minimum 3 yards but, 3 1/2 or longer will work better. 
Even shorter people will want a minimum of 3 yards. 
Step 1: Hold the veil from one of the short sides and tuck one corner under the bottom of the belt on the left and
    the other under the bottom of the belt on the right.
Step 2: Bring the veil gently up and bring it over one of your shoulders.let enough hang in the front that it has a
    slight drape or hang in the front.  It shouldn't be a tight line from the belt to the shoulder.  Open the veil up
    so it covers the chest.
Step 3: Grab the veil that's behind you now and bring it around the neck and back over the shoulder.
Step 4: Grab the ends and tuck them in under the bottom edge of your belt.  You should try to tuck close to the
    sides of the belt so that the ends tucked in the front and back are right next to each other.

The Cape and the Arm Wrap
This isn't exactly a wrap but it is very simple, elegant, and easy to use.  Simply drape the veil around your neck so that
it hangs down behind you with approximately equal amounts on each side.  You can enter like this or put your veil
here instead of discarding it.  You can also bring  your arms back and wrap your arms around the veil then bring your
arms back out to the side.  The veil will now be wrapped around your arms and there should be a little left to hang
down from mid-forearm.  You can wrap it a second time if you don't want anything hanging down but the dangling
ends usually look better and add more interest.

Criss Cross
This wrap covers only in th front leaving the back open. 
Step 1: Wrap the veil around the neck so that it is aound the back of the neck and the ends are hanging in front of
    you.
Step 2: Take the right side and tuck the ends into your hip belt on the left.  Spread out the veil so that it covers the
    chest.
Step 3: Take the left side crossing over the right and tuck the ends into your hip belt on the right.  Spread the veil
    out so that it covers the chest

Unwrapping
Unwrapping is generally very simple.  Whatever you did to wrap yourself, reverse that and you can easily unwrap
yourself.  Certain wraps, all you need to do is hold one end and give a slight tug and then everything else comes out
and you can slide your hand along the edge till you've got a good hold on the veil.  Remember that there is an art to
this so take your time unwrapping and make it a good show.

Oriental Woman and her Daughter by Narcisse Diaz. French. Oil. 1865.
Oriental Woman and her Daughter by Narcisse Diaz. French. Oil. 1865.