How to Make Corkscrew Hair Bows

Beautiful hair bows made of colorful ribbon curling in tight corkscrews look expensive and difficult to make. Despite appearances, these corkscrew hair bows are simple to make. With some wrapping, pinning and baking, in a few hours the ribbons are curled permanently into a corkscrew that can be made into a hair bow using all one-color ribbon or two or more colors. You can also change the size and shape of the loops of ribbon--or use smaller hair clips--to produce a variety of different hair bows.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Grosgrain ribbon Wooden dowel rods Straight pins Hair clips Floral wire Wire cutters

1. Lay the end of the grosgrain ribbon at an angle on the end of a wooden dowel rod. Secure the end ribbon to the dowel rod with a straight pin. The width of the ribbon or dowel rod doesn't matter, but a good rule of thumb to remember is that the smaller ribbon and narrower dowel rods make tighter corkscrews.

2. Begin wrapping the ribbon down and around the dowel rod at an angle, overlapping the ribbon to the previous row. When you get to the end of the dowel rod, cut the ribbon and secure it with a straight pin.

3. Place the ribbon-wrapped dowel rod in a sink of water. Leave it in the water while wrapping the other dowel rods around ribbons. Put all the rods in the water and let them get soaked.

4. Place the soaked dowel rods on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Place it in a 200-degree Fahrenheit oven. Check the ribbon every 20 minutes by unpinning one end and checking to see whether it is dry. If it isn't dry, re-pin the ribbon and continue drying. Leave them in the oven until the ribbon is completely dry.

5. Allow the rods and ribbon to cool completely. Remove the straight pins and unwrap the ribbon.

6. Come in about 2 to 3 inches from the end of the corkscrewed ribbon. Lay that point onto the hair clip and secure it by wrapping the end of a long piece of floral wire around the ribbon and hair clip. Make a loop of the ribbon and secure it to the clip with the wire. Scoot the loop to the one end of the clip. Create another loop on the hair clip and wrap the floral wire around it. Scoot it near the other loop. Continue looping, securing the corkscrew ribbon around the hair clip. Secure the wire to itself under the clip and trim off excess.

Tips & Warnings

• Cut 3- to 4-inch lengths of corkscrew ribbon and tie to a covered rubber band for another cute hair ornament.
• Don't leave the ribbons in the oven unattended.