Belle's Bows: How To Make Hairbows
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Belle's Bows: How To Make Hairbows
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Basic Supplies and Instructions
18” 7/8” Grosgrain or Satin Ribbon
2” 3/8” Grosgrain or Satin Ribbon
Alligator clip
3” Beading Cord Elastic
Fray Check
Low Temperature Hot Glue Gun
Sewing Machine
Pencil
Cut three 6” strips of 7/8” ribbon. Use Fray Check on the ends and allow to dry. Use a pencil to make a small mark at the center (3”) of each strip of ribbon. Fold each end over and slightly past the mark. Use your sewing machine to stitch the loop together down the middle. It is easier if you do not stop and cut the thread, but continue with the other two loops leaving only a tiny space between the ribbons as you sew. When you are finished, you will have a string of three loops. Now, cut the thread. Starting with one of the loops on the end, fold it in half lengthwise - you want the middle of the loop on the inside of the fold and the sewn ends on the outside. Now, fold both edges back away from the center. The folds should be in the shape of the capital letter “M”. While holding the folds in the first loop, begin folding the second loop. Start with the end that is sewn to the loop you just folded. Measure against the folded loop and make another “M” shape with the second loop. Repeat this step with the third loop. It gets hard to hold all three folded loops - just do the best you can; it doesn’t have to be perfect at this point. Using the beading cord elastic, tie the loops together as tight as you can. The knot needs to be on the bottom or low on one side. Cut off the excess cord. Now, straighten your bow. Pull the loops this way and that until they are all even. When you are happy with the shape of your bow, take your alligator clip and slip the top prong between the bottom of the bow and the cord that you tied around it. Using your low temperature hot glue gun, put a dot of glue on the inside of the clip where it goes under the cord. Quickly place one end of the 3/8” ribbon on top of the glue and press firmly. Give it a minute to set, then wrap the 3/8” ribbon around the bow, working it in tight, and bring it back around behind the bow. You want it to go about 3/4 the way back across the alligator clip. Cut off any excess now. Hold the clip open, put a dot of glue under the loose end of the ribbon and press in place. Quickly wipe off any excess glue. Now, you just make any adjustments you need to on your bow and you are all done!
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Variations and Additional Information
4 Loop Bow: Use only 2 strips of ribbon instead of 3
2 Loop Bow: Use only 1 strip of ribbon.
Double Bow: Use three 6” strips of ribbon and three 4” strips. Fold and tie the longer loops first, making sure the knot is on the top of the bow. Then, fold the shorter loops, place them on top of the longer loops, wrap the cord around the top and then back around the entire bow. Tie at the back.
Tails Bows: If you want tails on your bows, simply do not sew a loop - leave the end of the ribbon loose. For bottom tails, use 1 strip of ribbon (any length you want) at the bottom instead of loops. For tails on opposite ends, sew only one side of the top and bottom loop, leaving the opposite ends of the ribbons loose. Tie as usual. Be sure to use Fray Check on the tails and cut them again after they are dry for a sharp finish.
American Flag Bow: Use 2 1/2 strips of red and white striped ribbon and 1/2 strip blue polka dot ribbon. When sewing the top loop, make the right side of the loop red and white and the left side blue. Just sew them together in the middle. If you are using a barrette, make sure that it will open on the side you want it to with the blue section on the top.
Korkers: To make korker ribbon, wrap 1/4” or 3/8” grosgrain ribbon around a dowel. Hold both ends of the ribbon in place with alligator clips. Soak with water, place on a cookie sheet, and bake in the oven at 200 degrees for 30 minutes. You can add korker ribbons on top of a regular bow or make an entire bow using only korker ribbons.
Shoe bows: Make a small bow and tie it off. Glue the center ribbon. Then, sew a bead large enough for a shoestring to go through to the back of the bow. You can put shoe bows on and take them off any time you want.
Alligator clips can be found at beauty supply stores. They come in single prong and double prong styles. The double prong ones are fine for larger bows, but the single prong clips are easier to work between the bow and cord - especially on smaller bows. I like alligator clips best for my 2 year old. I make ponytails with clear bands and then just clip the hair bows in at the base of each pony tail. Alligator clips stay in better than barrettes in fine baby hair, and if the baby or toddler does decide to pull it out, it doesn’t break the hair as bad as barrettes.
Barrettes: If you use French clip barrettes instead of alligator clips, you will not be able to put the barrette between the bow and the cord. Take out the center piece of the barrette. Glue the bow on top of the barrette, and the center ribbon around it. Replace the center piece of the barrette. Barrettes work better for big girls if you are not using pigtails or a pony tail.
Fray Check: Fray Check can be purchased in the fabric department at WalMart or at any fabric store. A little bottle will go a long way. You really don’t even have to use Fray Check if you are careful. I included it in my directions because when you are a beginner it can be very frustrating to finally have completed a bow only to have fuzzy strings poking out here and there where the ribbon is unraveling. If you don’t have 3/8” ribbon to make the center of your bow, you can cut a strip of 7/8” in half ribbon lengthwise, Fray Check it, and you can hardly tell the difference.
Beading Cord Elastic: This is also sold in the fabric department at WalMart or at any fabric store. It is usually with the elastic, but may also be with the beads in the craft section. You may not need to use the full 3” on each bow, but it is frustrating to try to hold the folds and tie a knot if the cord is too short. Start out with 3” and adjust later if you think you can get by with less.
Low Temperature Glue Gun: Please use a LOW TEMPERATURE hot glue gun instead of the regular high temperature glue gun. I always get glue on my fingers, especially when I am securing the last end of ribbon around the bow and to the back of the clip. A high temperature glue gun will cause serious burns.
Sewing Machine: I always use a straight stitch and white thread. As long as you sew in the middle of the loop, the thread will not show anyway so there is no need to match it to your ribbon.
Ribbon: You can make your bows larger or smaller by adjusting the length of the strips of ribbon you use as well as the width of the ribbon. Grosgrain ribbon is the most popular, but satin ribbon makes beautiful bows too. The two types can be used alone or combined with each other and/or sheer ribbon. You can use a button, flower, or other decorative accent for a bow center by simply gluing it on top of the bow. You can make your bow all one color or use different color ribbons.
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Coming Soon
I spent a long time trying to learn how to make pretty hairbows for my little girl. I bought ribbons and barrettes and struggled trying to figure it out on my own. I searched the internet for hours trying to find a site that gave free instructions. I finally bought a set of instructions off eBay for $25.00. I was thrilled to finally have something I could follow. But when I followed the instructions, I was very disappointed. I just couldn’t fold a bow from one piece of ribbon and make it look pretty.
That’s when I started cutting strips and sewing them on my sewing machine. It was SO much easier! And such a relief to finally be able to do something I had been trying for so long. Once I really got the hang of it, I decided to write my own instructions and put them on the internet for free. Soon, I will be adding pictures to make my instructions more clear. I hope my webpage will help other moms. I am glad you found my page! Please email me at JulieMooreDavis@aol.com if you have any questions or suggestions. And please feel free to direct others to my site.
Soon, I hope to sell enough of my hairbows to be able to buy supplies in bulk. When that happens, I will sell hairbow supplies as well as my hairbows on eBay. You will be able to find everything you need at great prices and never even have to leave your house.
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