Why should little girls get all the cute stuff?

I've decided to go on a quest and target an older audience. Don't worry, I'll still be making hair bows & other accessories for little girls. I'm just trying to up the ante and focus on some cute items for the older generation. Personally, at 35 years old, I find it difficult to find items that are not too young or too old. It's like I can be a teeny bopper, plain jane or an old lady. So, I pick the plain, boring stuff.

Well, I'm not going to be plain jane anymore. I've started wearing cool headbands and hair bows to make my wardrobe less stale. Hey! I have personality too. I will say that I'm not overly found of a single hair bow an on adult head, but I do love headbands with bows on them. I'm going to start making some with lace bows on them in the near future (actually as soon as I find the narrow headbands I order). Such chaos in the world of hair bow making! =)

Use Hair Bows to Decorate Presents

Why not dress up a little girl's present with a hair bow over a traditional bow? Decorations for packages can be very expensive. I'm always look for practical ways and more green ways to decorate. I like reusing items for packing and wrapping gifts... like kraft paper, the comics and magazine pages.



So, I made these bow with that in mind. I started putting them on gifts for my nieces and friends little girls. They really look very similar to those that you would find on a present. I just simply apply regular ribbon around the package and use the alligator clip on the hair bow to attach it to the gift. You can also attach these to gift bags.

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.

Pillowcase Dresses

This was a custom order pillowcase dress I made for a customer's little niece. The top layer is made of a lightweight cotton light pink material. The bottom layer is a heavier weight brown with pink polka dot cotton. By placing the heavier weight fabric at the bottom, it helps the dress hang better and the wrinkles fall out better. I know not everyone enjoys ironing or even knows how this day in age.

I put some grosgrain ribbon ties in this dress because it just matched so well. I usually prefer satin so much better, as it is softer, easier to tie and looks better in my opinion on the pillowcase dresses. However, this grosgrain ribbon made by Offray ribbon company is much softer than many brands. It worked out lovely.

We wanted to use polka dots, but not so many that it overrode the simplicity of the outfit. I love the contrast in the dots. You got pink on brown and brown on pink dots.

The ribbon on the bottom is detachable for easier washing. It matches the hair bow and the set could even be used on other outfits. It's very nice to have items that are more deserve and usable to get your money's worth if your a savvy, frugal mother like me.

Great things about pillowcase dresses:

• These dresses are great for causal wearing , but can be dressed up in a jiffy.
  
• A pillowcase dress is affordable (bought or made) and has that boutique quality appeal.
  
• Little girls can wear these for spring/summer as a sleeveless dress, or in the fall/winter by adding a turtle neck, button up or peter pan collared shirt.
  
• The standard sized pillowcase dress can usually be used for the toddlers but used as a top with leggins as a child grows. A dress such as this can give you years of use.
  

Huge Boutique Hair Bows

To wear or not to wear?

Does size matter when it comes to hair bows? Of course! Some people say the bigger the hair bow the better, will others say small is just right, and there are the medium boutique hair bow type of people.

My nieces love to sport their huge accessories. They are pure diva and princesses! What size hair bow should you let your child wear? Well, of course weight is a factor but I think it's best to evaluate the personality of the child. For example my diva and princesses are expressive and girlie type girls. They wouldn't look right wearing tiny bows. On the other hand, my friend's daughter is more rugged and outdoorsy. Seeing her in big accessories just wouldn't be, well her.

Don't pay attention to what anyone else thinks. If you and your daughter like the huge boutique bows, go for it! To each her own when it comes to accessories and being a princess!

Mini Korker Hair Bow Uses

Mini Korker Hair Bows are great for pigtails. They aren't overpowering, but yet give enough to add some flare and style. I started making these for toddlers who didn't like wearing bulking bows and those with thinner hair. They work great!

Because I usually sell them in sets, they are also great for sharing among sisters and friends. I've places one on the interchange headbands, and they are adorable. The mini korker hair bows don't weigh down the baby's head, but best of all, it doesn't take away from that sweet adorable face! How sad to see an adorable baby that is submerged by a HUGE hair bow.

These also work great for shoes!