How to Make an Easy Child's Hairbow
It is quite easy to make a child's hair bow with ribbon from a fabric or craft store. You can also recycle scrap ribbon from leftover sewing materials. No sewing is required and the project takes only a few minutes. You can make a child's hair bow to match or complement an outfit for school or celebration. In addition, the project is so simple that it makes a creative project for an older child's party.
Things You'll Need
- Ribbon, 1 1/2- to- 2- inches wide
- Lighter
- Ribbon, 1/4-inch wide
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks
- Hair clip or barrette
Instructions
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1
Cut 5 to 6 inches of wide ribbon. The ribbon can be any width, but 1 1/2- to- 2- inches wide makes an adequate hair bow. Experiment with widths to find your favorite. If the ribbon is synthetic, pass the cut ends quickly through the flame of a lighter to prevent fraying.
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2
Fold the ribbon in half. Crease the center of the fold well so you can still see it when it is unfolded. Unfold the ribbon and lay it horizontally facedown on your work space.
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3
Place a bead of hot glue slightly to the left of the center crease. Bring the left edge of the ribbon to the crease and press it into the glue. Hold it in place until the glue cools and dries. Now you should have a loop for the left side of the ribbon.
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4
Repeat the step for the right side of the ribbon. Now you should have two loops in the ribbon and it should begin to resemble a hair bow.
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5
Fold the looped ribbon in half lengthwise so the seam is on the inside. Hold the fold between your finger and thumb in the middle, along the seam. Slightly open the fold enough to dab a drop of hot glue into the middle of the fold. Pinch it back together and hold it until the glue is cool. Now the ribbon has a fold in the middle with open edges of ribbon on one side and a folded edge of ribbon on the other.
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6
Place a drop of hot glue on the outside of one side of the fold you made and glued. Fold two layers of the ribbon back on itself to meet the folded edge. The fold in the middle of the loops of ribbon will begin to resemble an accordion fold. Hold this fold in place with your finger until the glue is set.
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7
Turn the hair bow over and repeat for the other side. Now the middle of the loops in the hair bow is glued into an accordion shape. The ribbon now looks like a bow.
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8
Cut a small length of ribbon, about 1/2-inch-wide and an inch long. Pass the ends through a lighter flame to keep it from fraying. Hot glue the narrow ribbon around the middle of the wider ribbon bow. Cut off the excess. The narrow ribbon conceals the folding and gluing you did in the middle of the wider ribbon and finishes the look of the bow.
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9
Hot glue the finished bow onto a hair clip or hair barrette to complete your hair bow.
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Tips & Warnings
The wider the ribbon the bigger the bow; use smaller ribbon for a smaller child's hair bow.
Use the same or a contrasting color or pattern for the narrow ribbon to add interest to your child's hair bow.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
