Making Antique Baby Headbands

Nothing says adorable like a sweet baby girl sporting a trendy headband. Antique-style accessories in particular can transform any outfit into a cute ensemble, whether it is intended for a play date or for a formal family portrait session. By selecting materials in pale shades of mauve, cream, rose or lavender, you can create your own vintage baby headband from stretch lace or crochet fabric and artificial flowers.

Things You'll Need

• Stretchy crochet fabric or lace
• Tea bags
• Cup, bowl or pan
• Tape measure
• Scissors
• Artificial flowers
• Shank buttons in pearl or brass
• Needle and thread

Instructions

1. Make the stretchy material appear aged by soaking it and a few tea bags in a cup, bowl or pan of hot water. Leave the cloth in the tea for up to half an hour. Wash, rinse and dry the material before continuing to make the headband.

2. Cut a strip of stretchy crochet fabric or lace to a length of 13 inches for newborns or 15 inches for babies aged 3 to 6 months.

3. Sew the ends of the strip together. Sew a thinner strip on top of a thicker strip if you would like to layer two colors.

4. Separate as many artificial flowers as you would like to use on the headband from their stems, and discard any plastic attachments.

5. Attach a shank button (a button that is rounded on top and has a loop in the back) in the middle of each flower. Sew the buttons on, rather than hot-gluing them, to make it difficult for an infant to pull them apart.

6. Sew the flower petals onto the headband, overlapping them with one another for a clustered look. Make sure that there is substantial cloth behind the loop of each button so that the infant will be comfortable while wearing the piece.

Tips & Warnings

• Choose stretchy crochet and/or stretch lace headband material with a width of 1 1/2 to three inches

• Brass or pearl buttons for the middle of the flowers are most in keeping with an antique style.

• Ask an associate at a crafts store to help you find antique-style artificial flowers and stretchy crochet or lace fabric ribbon if you are not sure where to begin.

• Rinse the fabric completely after dyeing it, and wash the fabric before letting the headband come into contact with baby’s sensitive skin.

• Sew the flower pieces on securely to prevent a possible choking hazard.