How to Get Wrinkles Out of Hair Bows

Kids are rough on their stuff. Sometimes they wad up their hair bows or shove them in drawers causing wrinkles in the ribbon. How can you give new life to those old hair bows? Well, it depends on the type of bow and ribbon, but most bows are easily taken care of.

Most likely your hair bow is made of polyester. Most grosgrain and satin is polyester. However, some are blends.

Organza-
I don't recommend steaming organza at all. I once steamed a dress and it altered the texture of the organza. Getting the wrinkles out of an organza hair bow will be nearly impossible, to retain the shape. You can try wetting it and shaping it, but I've never had much luck.

Polyester-
Take the part that is wrinkled and hold both ends, sort of stretching the wrinkled part. Hold it over (not on) a burning light bulb of a lamp. Careful not to burn yourself or touch the ribbon directly onto the ribbon. Don't hold it in the same spot too long either. The heat of the light bulb acts as an iron, but gives a good shape to work with the loops of the hair bows.

You can also use a narrow, low setting flat iron. I would only use a cheap one! No Chi flat irons!

*Warning - My advice is based on my experiences with my bows. I'm not there and can't verify what type of bow or ribbon you have. So use this advice with caution and at your own risk.

Headbands for School Uniforms

School Uniforms can be a bit dull. Headbands made to match school uniforms can give those boring outfits just a touch of personality. Plus, headband are appropriate for all ages K-12 and even college. The headbands can be made in any size from 1/2" to 2", with the 1" size being the most popular for the younger girls and the 1 1/2" being the most popular for the preteen and up range. These school uniform headbands can also be made with up one, two, three or even four different colors.


Adding a Hair Bow to the Woven Headband:

For younger, or more frilly girls, hair bows can even be added on. These two pieces can be worn separately or even together as a duo. Most style hair bows look great on these and as long as it has an alligator clip, it can easily be placed on and off. I think the korker type bows look super sweet with the woven headbands, but for older girls, the boutique, pinwheel or tuxedo style bow might be a better choice.

M2M Gymboree Growing Flowers Line

In shades of green, tangerine, blue, white, pink and brown, this bow/headband set is made to match Gymboree's Growing Flowers Line. The line was released in December of 2011, but is the first to appear of the new spring items.

This set is a woven 1" headband and a matching korker hair bow. The set can be worn together, or separate. Perfect for one girl, or to share with sisters or friends. The headband will fit most children and adults. I can make these sets to match any Gymboree line, current or past.

I look forward to making more of these style sets because they are just too stinking cute!!!

How to Fix Fraying Ribbon

Learn how to fix fraying ribbon and add more life to your hair bows and dress sashes. Ribbon will ravel out and fray if the ends are not treated or sealed in some fashion. Even when they are sealed, with extended wear, ribbon can begin to ravel and fray. Try these tricks to fix your ribbons.

1) Heat Seal - It's VERY important to use this method on 100% polyester ribbon only. Most (but not all) organza, satin and grosgrain ribbon are polyester. Simply trim off any excess frayed ribbon on the ends. Then take a lighter and quickly run the flame across the ends. It must be quickly to just seal and not melt the ends. It might be necessary to run the flame across the end more than once. Some ribbon has rough, thicker edges than others. Organza and Satin ribbons will burn the quickest, so be careful!

2) Liquid Fray Check - This product will send the ends of any type of fabric or ribbon. However, you should check the fabric/ribbon ahead of time for staining. I don't like using liquid fray check unless necessary because it can stain or leave watermarks on the material. This type of sealing method seems less permanent to me as well. It doesn't hold up as well as the heat method. However, it is best to use the fray check if you are unaware if the ribbon is polyester or not and if there is a danger of ruining other parts of a hair bow or dress by using a flame.

To apply the liquid, place a small, thin stream directly above the end of the ribbon. Allow it to dry, then trim off the edge. It might take it several hours to dry. I would wait at least overnight before trimming. Be careful where you lay the material to dry. I like to hold the wet part up off any surface. The substance is kind of sticky.

If you have any questions about fixing your hair bows or sealing the ends of ribbon, please don't hesitate to ask me. I'm happy to help you get the most out of your hair bows.

How to Make a Hair Bow for Daisy Scouts

Learn how to make a hair bow for your little Daisy Scout!

I put together this tutorial so that mother and/or scout leaders can make hair bows for the Daisies. This is pretty simple as long as you have some patience. I made this one rather large just for the purpose of the tutorial. You might want to scale your Daisy Scout hair bow down.

Supplies Needed:

• 10 grosgrain ribbon stripes that match Daisy Scout colors (these are cut 7 inches long in this tutorial, but I made one using 6 inch ribbons after)
• Lighter to seal the ribbon
• Long needle and embroidery floss
• Small piece of felt (optional)
  
• Got glue or fabric glue
• Buttons or other garnish for the center
• Hair clips, bands, etc..

Step 1:
Gather your supplies and seal the edges of the ribbon. Do this by quickly running the ends of the ribbon through the flame of the lighter. *Make sure your ribbon is 100% polyester or else!*
Step 2:
Arrange the ribbons in the "color wheel" of the Daisy Scout.
-Green, light pink, lavender, light blue, yellow, bright green, red, orange, purple and hot pink

Step 3:
Beginning with the first color on your "wheel", fold the ribbon strip in half.

Step 4:
Now fold the edges over on each side, lining the ribbon up on all ends. It will resemble a heart, sort of. *Picture explains this better*
Step 5:
Run the bottom edges through a piece of thread, placing it in the middle of the thread.


Step 6:
Continue doing step 5 for all of the ribbons, being sure to hold them all near the middle of the strand of thread.


Step 7:
Once you have finished all of the ribbons, you can might want to put a small dot of glue between the ribbons and then tie them in a circle OR tie them off in a circle, then add the glue.Be sure you don't tie the ribbon off too tightly though. If you are gluing your bow to a large hard surface, like a plastic headband, you can wait and glue it on there. However, I glue mine onto a small felt circle to hold the shape after I tie it off. This worked well for me. The flower hair bow needs some sort of support.



Step 8:
Once your flower structure is secure, you can add a middle by using a button, flower, or some other type of garnish. *The one I used is just something I had on hand, wasn't the best pick*



*You can also fan out your hair bow as seen in the picture, but do that before gluing it together!

Step 9:
Attach your made to match Daisy Scout hair bow to a clip, headband, etc.. You can also make a brooch out of these or attach them to a hat, even flip flops. *You might want to do a better job than me at aligning the colors, I didn't pay attention when I glued it down until it was too late.*


Please visit my Etsy store for hair bows. I plan to include a full line of "Made to Match Girl Scouts" hair bows and accessories as I find time to add them to my library. In the meantime, you can contact me at my shop or my facebook page about custom orders.

To keep up-to-date on the latest Girl Scout happenings, visit this awesome blog from MommyMommyMommy... After all, she knows best!
Girl Scout Leaders Blog

Thanks for visiting!

M2M LSU Mini Korker Hair Bows

LSU's (Louisiana State University) colors are purple and golden. Many times there will be some white thrown into the mix. I had a special request for these LSU colored mini korker hair bows earlier today. They are pretty cute. These little bows are great for showing team spirit. They actually look like little cheerleader pompoms.

Slowly, I'm trying to add more and more school colors to my shop. I can always make some at request. To be honest, I'm not a big sports fan so this is an area of hair bows I'm having to learn.

Zebra Pony O Streamer

Zebra print is more popular than ever. However, a little goes a big distance. Zebra striped ribbon looks best when mixed with solids and polka dots. I made these streamer with that in mind for older girls.

Shocking pink, white and black is an excellent combination for this type of hair bow accessory. It can be made longer or shorter upon request. I actually put spikes at the top to give it a more polished and hair bow look over the simple square knot on the streamers.

Valentine Funky Loop Hair Bow

This Valentine funky loop hair bow is a contestant in a competition at Hairbow Wars over at Facebook. The administrator of this Hairbow contest welcomes friendly hair bow makers and fans to enter and vote on their favorites. There is always a theme and this month's theme is Valentines - Love is in the Bow.

Usually about the 14th of the month, the new bow pictures are posted. Hair bow lovers then vote on their favorites. The winner gets to pick next month's inspiration. This contest is a great way for hair bow makers to promote their work and business, and for fans to find unique outlets for purchasing. It's really a great group of gals (possible a few guys, who am I to discriminate?) Again, it's for nice, friendly people. No trolls or sour grapes!

The Valentine funky loop bow contains over 10 yards of ribbons and trims - glitter, tulle, grosgrain, stripes, polka dots, conversation hearts and solids. It's an explosion of pink gooey goodness.

Horse Accessories

Horse print ribbon is really cute for the cowgirl in us all. The pony O streamer pictured is great for older girls who have outgrown boutique style hair bows. I used over 2 yards of ribbon to create this hair accessory.

I usually attach them to the metal free ponytail holders. However, I can attach them to alligator clips or french clips. Most people tend to want these metal free because of school regulations. Sports will have a no metal policy that includes hair clips.

How to Starch Hair Bows?

You may need to know how to starch hair bows due to flimsy ribbon. Some grosgrain ribbons are thin or shiny, and don't hold shape that well. Believe it or not, there are several different methods that can be used to stiffen hair bows.

This article, written by myself, discuss 5 different ways on How to Stiffen Hair Bows. I have used all 5 methods and discuss the ones that I like best and the pros and cons involved in the process. I hope that you can learn from my experience. Not only will starching a hair bow help it to hold shape, it acts as a barrier to protect the ribbon from staining, which little ones are notorious for.

You don't have to be a crafty person to apply some of the methods in the article to your little girl's bows. Some processes are as simple as 1, 2, 3... maybe even more so. Please let me know in a comment here or at the article if you have any questions.

Rainbow Korker Hair Bow

Rainbow striped ribbon mixed with solids and polka dots makes a vivid, adorable hair bow. While pastels and brights are great, sometimes it's good to get back to primaries. I remember in the 1980s having dark jeans with rainbows embroidered on the back pockets. How cute would this bow had been with those?

I don't remember ever seeing korker hair bows as a child. It doesn't mean they didn't exist, but the internet sure has made it handy to find more unique products. I doubt the Woolworths had too many hair bows to pick from in the 80s. Of course, most of my clothes were made from fabric samples from the remnants house. Then sewing was necessity, now it's a skill many wished they had learned. The arts and crafts movement is strong and hopefully more people will take sewing in school now.

I can make these hair bow in sets, smaller, clips, etc... I can't make it in the mini korkers. I'll be happy when I can find a place to buy printed 1/4" grosgrain ribbon!

Soft Winter Colors

Soft colors are not just for winter time. When I was a child, you'd never see anyone wearing pastels in the winter time. Those soft shades of colors were reserved for spring time.

In honor of the "Soft Winter" collection from Hanna Andersson, I made these mini korker hair bows.

• Wild Orchid
• Light Blue
• Taupe
• Sage Green

These hair bows are not vivid but still super fun! I like colorful accessories, but sometimes it's just too much. I never was much into the neon colors, expect for a tiny stage in the 80s... but let's forget about that. I guess ever generation has their moments.

Cotton Candy Hair Bows

Cotton candy hair bows will take you back in time to carnivals, festivals and fairs that were visited. The soft shades of blues and pinks are just what that sugar floss candy looks like when mixed on a large display.

Hair bows are best made when they are inspired by a subject, just like art. When I was a child, cotton candy was a real treat. My brothers and I would only get it at the fall festivals at school. Now, it's easier to have this treat more often. Many of the local grocery stores sell it year round now. While I'm glad it is more accessible, I think it would remain more special if it weren't.

With appliques being more popular than ever for little girls, it really goes allow one to be more creative with the color combination and inspiration for hair bows. Remember the old days when hair bows were limited to strictly 1 solid color. I think this might be the number one reason that many people starting making their own.

M2M Merry Occasions

This M2M Merry Occasions hair bow was a special request ribbon hair bow from a customer. I made this one in particular to fit onto an infant headband. It measures about 2 3/4 inches across. I made a matching mini korker set for the older sister, which measure right at 2 inches round each. The colors include: black, cranberry and ivory.

I plan to introduce more M2M products in the future... in the meantime, you know what to do. Just simply put in a request!

Moonstitched Ribbon

What is moonstitched ribbon? It's a grosgrain hair bow ribbon that is edged with a crocheted type trim. The trim can be described as a scalloped edge lace. It's important if you are planing to heat seal the edges of this ribbon, that it be 100% polyester.

This adorable moonstitched ribbon was bought at The Hair Bow Center. The only draw back, is that it is a bit flimsy compared to some of the other brands. However, this can be solved by using stiffeners.

Moonstitched ribbon offers a bit of variety with bows, while retaining simplicity. Sometimes simple is better... or even better is simply elegant. Over-the-top bows are great at times, but not for every occasion. This trimmed ribbon can be used for other crafts and scrapbooking. It looks great fused over regular ribbons.

In the future, I plan to get more of this style in. However, if you want a special color or bow beforehand, just let me know. I do custom work with a smile =).