Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Ribbons and Bows


My daughter was bald until she was 2 years old and when her first strand of hair came in I couldn't wait to put a pretty little bow in her hair! Instead of paying a fortune for buying bows in retail stores I decided to learn how to make them myself and it really is a lot of fun. OK, so you have to be a little bit crafty to think it's fun =). Here is some info if you are interested in learning about making bows:
  • Girly Things is a great web site with step by step bow making instructions. The basic boutique bow is a nice one.
  • Wal-Mart has a large selection of ribbon at a decent price. If you plan on making a lot of bows you can find better deals on-line. I like RibbonsandBowsOhMy.com
  • Sally Beauty Supply sells alligator clips at a great price.
  • To line the alligator clip cut 4 1/2 inches of 3/8th ribbon for a partially lined clip or about 7 inches for fully lined and hot glue to the clip.
  • You'll want to heat seal your ribbon so it doesn't fray. I use a lighter (the kind used for grilling that can be turned off) but some people use fray check.
  • "Girly Things" doesn't specify what kind of thread and needle to use. Use something strong that you can easily pass through a thick bow. An embroidery needle and embroidery thread work well.
  • If your child has very fine hair you might want to add something to the clip so it doesn't slip so easily. I cut a piece of bubble shelf liner or velvet ribbon and hot glue it to the inside of the clip.

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