How to Make Cute Hair Ties
Don't settle for plain ribbons when you need to tie your daughter's hair off of her face. Design hair accessories that are as decorative as they are functional. Adorn ribbon or strips of colorful fabric with an assortment of embellishments, hand-drawn designs or themed shapes that you've created to suit the outfit or occasion. Ask your daughter to help you complete craft that's so simple, you'll also be able to make customized hair ties for her friends to wear.
Things You'll Need
- Ribbon or fabric
- Scissors
- Fabric paint markers
- Scrap paper
- Stencil, pen and felt
- Silk flower or fabric appliqué
- Needle
- Thread
- Straight pin
- Rhinestones, sequins or buttons
- Fabric glue
- Elastic ponytail holder
Instructions
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1
Cut an 8-inch-long piece of 2-inch-wide ribbon or fabric strip with scissors. Cut each end of the ribbon at an angle or loosely fold the end of the ribbon in half and make a diagonal cut from 1/2 inch up on the folded side down to the opposite corner to make a decorative "V" shape in each end of the ribbon.
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2
Create a design on the ribbon with fabric paint markers. Cover the work table with scrap paper since the paint may bleed through the ribbon. Write the child's name, draw swirling hearts and colorful flowers or use the pens to create a plaid, striped or polka dot pattern. Let the paint dry for one to two hours.
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3
Add one eye-catching dimensional accent to the center point of the ribbon. Use a stencil and pen to trace a cute shape onto a piece of felt and cut it out with scissors; choose a colorful silk flower; or use a fabric appliqué of the child's initial or a favorite cartoon character.
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4
Stitch the accent to the ribbon with a needle and thread. Pin the accent to the center of the ribbon with a straight pin. Pull the needle up through the ribbon and the center of the accent and push it back down through the accent and ribbon. Repeat the process two more times, and then remove the straight pin, knot the thread and use sharp scissors to cut it from the needle.
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5
Embellish the hair tie with additional accents such as rhinestones, sequins or buttons affixed along the ribbon with fabric glue, if desired.
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6
Pull the child's hair back with an elastic ponytail holder, and then tie the embellished hair ribbon into a bow or a simple knot around the ponytail.
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Tips & Warnings
If you don't want to use paint pens to make hand-drawn designs on the hair ribbon, use rubber stamps and solvent ink that won't smear on the fabric. Use alphabet rubber stamps to add the child's name or press an image stamp several times along the ribbon to generate a decorative background motif.
Use the crafting technique to create more sophisticated hair ties that adults can wear by stitching a simple cluster of beads or a single silk flower onto a muted color of ribbon like white, cream or black.
Get double duty out of the embellished ribbon ties by using them as fabric bookmarks or ribbon bracelets.
