How to Make Cheerleading Hair Ribbons
We've all seen those adorable ribbons that cheerleaders wear and wanted them. Well, that is, until we see the price. Imagine your own custom-designed ribbons for just a fraction of the price. It's as simple as a trip to your nearest craft store. When you break it down, it's amazing how simple these elaborate looking bows really are.
Things You'll Need
- 30 2-inch pieces of korker ribbon
- "L" brackets
- Jewelry string
- Lighter
- French barrette
- Glue
- Coordinating ribbon
Instructions
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1
Place two "L" brackets facing one another so that the ends touch. Leave less than a 1/2-inch space between the brackets. In the space, place your jewelry string. Choose a string in any color, but it is recommended that you use a neutral color and one that will blend in with your bow. Cut your string long enough to wrap around the ribbon; for beginners, at least 12 inches of string is recommended (you can always trim it down later).
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2
Stack your pre-cut korker ribbon within the confines of the brackets. When stacking, alternate colors to provide an even spacing of your colors and patterns throughout the bow.
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3
Pull each end of the string up and to the middle, eventually clasping both ends between two fingers. You may need to straighten those pieces that try to break free. When all pieces are in place, transfer crisscrossed ends to each hand and pull tightly. Double knot (triple and quadruple knot, if necessary).
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4
Now that all the pieces are bound tightly together, heat seal the ends.
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5
Prepare your hardware for attachment to your bow. Use French barrettes on korker bows. If you wish to make smaller bows, use alligator clips. To use the French barrette, simply open the barrette and remove the tension bar. Set the tension bar to the side.
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6
Determine what type of glue you want to use to attach your bow to the hardware. Hot glue is subject to temperature for hold; colder weather seems to give hot glue permission to release on occasion. Also, you will need to lay out a strip of additional ribbon that matches your bow.
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7
Using the open French barrette, run a strip of glue across the wide part of the barrette and place it face down against your bow while wrapping your extra piece of ribbon around the bow and barrette, tying in a double knot. Trim the extra ends. At this time, replace the tension bar; it helps to hold the hair better in place when the bow is in use.
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8
You've completed your korker bow! Now you can do the additional touch-ups that are needed such as trimming ends to make a perfectly even bow. Also, look for any ends that may need heat sealing/resealing. You may wish to give your bow a gentle shake to fluff those pieces that shifted during the attachment step.
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