How to Make Hair Bows With a Sewing Machine
Women have adorned their hair with fashionable accessories since ancient times. According to UKHairdressers.com, women in ancient Greece adorned their hair with gold powder, flowers and jeweled tiaras. The fascination with hair trickles down to the decoration of children's hair. Just as grooming takes on a care aspect in the wild, so the care lavished on a child's hair demonstrates a parent's affection. Hair bows are a colorful way to add adornment. Sewing hair bows with a sewing machine is a fast way to create even loops before applying the ribbon to a barrette.
Things You'll Need
- 3-inch wide satin ribbon (12- to 18-inches per bow, according to desired fullness)
- Sewing machine
- Straight pins
- Thread
- Scissors
- Glue gun and glue sticks
- Craft wire
- French clasp metal hair barrette
Instructions
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1
Cut a piece of 12- to 18-inches of 3-inch wide ribbon. Place the ribbon on a flat surface. Hold the end of the ribbon with the left hand and fold the ribbon with the right hand, right sides of the ribbon touching, from the right to the left forming loops of approximately 3-inches long from each fold (accordion style but loops, no creases).
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2
Pin to hold loops on the tops and bottoms of the loop folds as needed. Create four to six loops.
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3
Sew, using a straight stitch on the sewing machine, with a ¼-inch seam allowance, the bottom loops pressed upon by the right hand. Remove pins as your sewing progresses.
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4
Repeat looping four or five additional loops and then repeat the sewing steps across the bottom of the loops. When the bow has achieved the desired length (of the length of the French clasp barrette) continue to the next step.
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5
Using a glue gun, place glue under the bottom of the sewn loops and glue the seam to the French clasp barrette.
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6
Wind five to six loops of craft wire under and around the barrette to secure the sewn, glued loops of ribbon to the French clasp metal barrette.
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Tips & Warnings
Two-toned bows can be sewn by placing two different-colored, same-width ribbons on top of one another and completing the bow steps. Once the bow has been attached to the French clasp metal barrette, use your fingers to pull the inner colored ribbon out from inside the outer ribbon and fluff.
Use caution when operating glue guns as some brands reach extreme temperatures and may lead to burns.
