Hair bows are great for children but can also be a classy and stylish way to add contemporary flare to headbands or formal wear. With only a few simple materials at home, you can get creative in fashioning a bow yourself. Begin with a few simple styles, and then try more elaborate steps to make truly unique pieces. Ask your kids what their favorite colors are if you're crafting for the younger crowd, or match beautiful ribbons to your own garments to complement your style.
Ribbon & Materials
For a plain and simple boutique bow, opt for a medium-thick ribbon in the color or pattern of your choice; for more complicated looks, more than one ribbon can be combined into the same bow. Choose a few complementary colors that you would like to see in your final product. Different widths can work together when the smaller size is used on the outside of the bow, and creates a nice contrast. Boutique hair bows are typically three-to-four inches across upon completion, so you'll want to select enough ribbon to tie into a bow with extra length left over. You can always trim afterward. Try purchasing about two feet of ribbon per bow, per color.
Method
You'll want to heat up your glue gun in advance, as the process for making your own boutique hair bow is simple and quite speedy. Lay your ribbon in front of you and be sure that you layer multiple ribbons in the order that you want them to appear, facing out and up. Try a large solid ribbon with a small patterned ribbon on top. Keep all your ribbons together as you tie a central knot. Build your bow on top of this, going slowly so you can adjust the ribbon and smooth the folds of the knot for best effect. Before you pull the bow completely tight, consider adding a drop of hot glue to the underside that will hold the top knot to the central, starting knot. This will help your bow stay put, especially if worn by young ones!
When you trim the tail of your ribbons, always do so at an angle. V shapes can also work nicely. You don't have to trim all ends of the ribbon to the same length, so if you want to really feature two ribbons tied together, consider cutting the top ribbon just a bit shorter than the bottom one. Use as little hot glue as possible to affix your finished bow to your headband, tie or barrette. You may want to glue the tails of the bow along the band or barrette to cover any metal or plastic that is still showing.
Accessorize
Buttons make a great center for a boutique bow; sew these on after tying your bow but before gluing to your hair accessory. Glitter, fabric glue and other craft supplies can also make bows fun for kids. Try buying thick white ribbon and letting your child color their own design on it with a fabric pen or paints, for a personalized accessory and fun activity.
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