How to Make a Hair Ribbon Bow

To make a hair bow, you can simply wrap a piece of ribbon around a section of hair or ponytail and tie the ribbon in a bow. But, to get a fancy hair bow, you’ll need to make the bow ahead of time and attach it to a hair clip or barrette. Craft stores sell ribbon in a wide variety of colors, widths and prints. Ribbon that’s about 1/2 to 1-inch wide will be easiest to work with. Polyester, satin or grosgrain ribbon all work well for hair bows.

Things You'll Need

• Ribbon
• Scissors
• Clothespin
• Hair clip or barrette
• Hot glue gun
• Hot glue sticks

Instructions

Make a Hair Ribbon Bow With Loops

1. Start the bow a few inches away from the end of the ribbon, to leave a tail for the bow. You make want short tails for a compact puffy bow, or long tails to stream down the back of the hair or ponytail.

2. Make a loop in the ribbon about half the size that you want the finished bow. Hold the loop together with your fingers. Make another loop the same size on the opposite side of the bow.

3. Make a smaller loop of ribbon on top of the first loop. Make another loop the same size on the opposite side.

4. Continue making loops until the bow is as full as you want. Cut the ribbon, so that the ribbon tail is the same size as the ribbon tail on the first side.

5. Place a clothespin in the center of the bow to temporarily hold the loops together.

6. Cut a piece of ribbon that’s long enough to wrap around the center of the bow. Wrap the ribbon around the center of the bow, then glue the ends of this ribbon together.

7. Fluff out the loops so that the bow looks full and even.

8. Glue the hair bow to the top of a hair clip or barrette.

Make a Hair Ribbon Tailored Bow

1. Cut a piece of ribbon that’s about twice as long as you want the bottom of the hair bow. Hot glue the ends of the ribbon together to make a circle.

2. Put a small dab of hot glue on the inside of the circle, where the ribbon ends overlap. Press the top of the circle onto the hot glue to make the circle into two loops.

3. Make two more sets of ribbon loops, each slightly smaller than the previous one. Stack the loops on top of each other, with the largest loop on the bottom and the smallest loop on top. Hot glue the ribbon loops together in the center.

4. Cut a piece of ribbon that’s long enough to wrap around the center of the bow. Wrap the ribbon around the center of the bow, then glue the ends of this ribbon together.

5. Cut pieces of ribbon to make tails for the bow (optional). Glue the tails to the back of the bow.

6. Glue the tailored hair bow to the top of a hair clip or barrette.

Tips & Warnings

• You can trim the ends of the ribbon tails at an angle, or cut V-shaped notches into the ends for an extra decorative look. This also helps keep the ribbon from raveling.

• You can also glue extra tails to the back of the hair bow if you like the look of ribbon streamers.

• Be careful not to glue the hair clip or barrette closed when you attach the hair bow.

• Use caution when working with scissors and hot glue guns. Keep the glue gun out of the reach of children and let the glue gun cool completely in a safe place.