How to Assemble Hair Bows & Barrettes

You can make and assemble your own custom hair bows and barrettes for your children right from your own home with some basic materials found at a local craft or fabric store. The barrettes and bows can be any size you wish, and the bows can have long, dangling ends or the ends can be clipped short. You are only limited by your imagination and supplies.

Things You'll Need

• ¼ to ½ inch ribbon, various colors and patterns
• Plain rectangular metallic barrettes
• Shears
• Glue gun

Instructions

1. Select and measure a piece of ribbon across one barrette lengthwise. Cut the ribbon to fit the exact length of the barrette. You may need to cut two pieces and lay them side by side or slightly overlap them, depending on the width of the barrette.

2. Glue the ribbon piece or pieces to the top of the barrette lengthwise. This will form a decorative backdrop for the bow.

3. Select a different but complementary ribbon and decide if you want it to have long, dangling ribbon ends or short ends.

4. Tie the ribbon into a bow as you would tie a bow on a shoelace, making sure to pull the ends to the length you desire.

5. Cut the ribbon from the spool.

6. Put a dot of glue from the glue gun on the back center knotted part of the bow and press it to the middle of the ribbon-covered side of the barrette. Allow to dry.

Tips & Warnings

• You can hold two different colored yet complementary ribbons of the same width together when tying a bow for a fancier, fuller look.

• Experiment with pairing plain and patterned ribbons together.

• Barrettes are generally not for children under the age of three because the small size of most barrettes poses a choking hazard for small children.

References

• GirlyThingsBows: Tips
• EleganceInBloom: Hair Bow