Hair bows have always been a fun type of hair accessory for girls. Bows have a lasting impression when it comes down to fashion or hair. In this era, it’s not just the little girls that enjoy a pair of bows on their hair, rather it has become a significant tool in the fashion industry as well.
Luckily for you, nowadays it’s rather pretty easy to make hair bows all by yourself. Especially when you can personalize a perfect bow yourself, they’d look better on you suiting your taste. The most fun part is that the whole process is really easy. You can customize them all you want– adding a bit more extra spark.
If you’d like to make a hair bow yourself then you’re in the perfect place, because we’re going to tell you exactly how to make hair bows step by step in multiple ways. So, if you can’t wait further, let’s jump right into it.
Types of Hair Bows
If you’re thinking hair bows are limited only to a couple of styles or types then you couldn’t be more wrong. Just like any other accessories, hair bows have different variations too. If not for the different types, they wouldn’t have been loved by many.
This hair accessory can add extra sparkle and trim out the outfit. And that’s entirely possible for the different patterns it has. Some of the popular types are-
1. The Butterfly pattern
A butterfly patterned hair bow is the most common type of bow that one can make. Just like the name, it resembles the shape of a butterfly.
Out of all the fancy types out there, this pattern is the most simple one. A close example would be men’s tuxedos. The common men’s tuxedos tend to have butterfly patterns.
As for a baby bow, this one is separated by a center ribbon. This hair bow comes with a two-sided loop– making it look like a butterfly. However, unlike most hair bows, this one doesn’t have end tails.
2. Common Ribbon Pattern
A ribbon pattern is the most basic kind of pattern that resembles the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of a ribbon.
Unlike the butterfly pattern, the common ribbon pattern type has two tails and two loops. This is the type of bow we go for when we want to decorate presents.
3. The Pinwheel Design
Unlike the simple patterns mentioned earlier, this pattern is rather a fancier one. Made in a bit more complex way, the Pinwheel designed bows tend to have two tails and four loops.
There’re two loops on each side whereas there’s one tail on each side facing away from each other. Designed with multiple loops and tails, this type of hair bow adds a little extra sparkle to the hairstyles.
4. THE Multi-loop pattern
In the race of simple to fancy, the multi-loop-designed hair bows get first prize for being the fanciest one on the list.
Unlike the Pinwheel design, this hair bow pattern has multiple loops, edges, and tails. With more edges and loops this boutique bow is more elegant and colorful than most types out there.
How to Make Hair Bows In Different Ways
The thought of making a hair bow might feel like a difficult process, but it’s not hard at all if you follow the instructions thoroughly. There’re loads of bow tutorials out there that provide a harder way of making hair bows. But the ones I’m going to state below are going to consist of all the easier methods.
The Butterfly Pattern Hair Bow tutorial
Be it baby bows or simple hair bows to match your cute outfit, this pattern plays the perfect role. To make this simply styled hair bow you’ll need-
- Ribbons
- Thin ribbon
- pair of grosgrain ribbons
- Scissors
- Hot Glue
- Fabric piece for center ribbon
- Alligator clips
Step 1: The length of the ribbon should be looked upon as it depends on the size of the bow you want. You can estimate the size according to your preference or just cut the ribbon in the half with the scissors.
As for the center ribbon, it’s better to have a thin ribbon as we don’t want to overpower the middle. Try to opt for a 1/3 to 1/2 times thinner ribbon than the original ribbon thickness.
Step 2: Take the piece of ribbon and keep it flat on the ground. Attach your fingers to the sides and bring the two edges to the center. After you bring them in the middle, glue the edges together.
Step 3: Now, fold the middle part of the ribbon just like a squeezebox with your fingers. After you’ve done that, wrap the thin ribbon fabric piece in the middle.
Step 4: To complete the bow, place the upper portion of the alligator clip on the center ribbon. When you’re done, gluing the parts to one another will create hair bows just like that. There! Now you have a simple butterfly patterned hair bow.
For variations, you can add your style to it. Like adding a longer-sized ribbon, sticking two bows on top of one another, etc.
The Common Ribbon Pattern Hair Bow Tutorial
Common ribbon-type hair bows are a great medium of hair accessories for hair ties. Even a little girl can show off her boutique bow just by wearing this crafty pattern of the hair bow. The things you’ll need to make a basic ribbon hair bow is-
- Ribbons
- Hot glue
- Scissors
- Alligator clip
- Thin ribbon for the center ribbons
- Zip tie/ wire/ thread
Step 1: adjust your ribbon according to the size of bow you prefer. It’s important to choose the right size. otherwise, you won’t get the desired results.
Remember, the larger the size of the ribbon, the larger the bow. So, cut the size you want with scissors. To make things easier, you can also use a bow maker. A bow maker is a sign of less work more ideas. Thus you won’t be disappointed.
Step 2: Now that you’re done choosing the size, fold the main ribbon in half and make a crease at the middle section of the ribbon, where the center ribbon lies. Then, twist the ribbon to create a subtle ribbon fold.
Step 3: keep in mind, the creased portion should be at the center of the loop. A few inches away from the ribbon edges, intersect the tail of the hair bow.
Step 4: Take the loops and tails and adjust them according to your preference. Right side or left side, it’s completely on you.
Just take the creased looped parts and bring them to the intersection point of the tails. I hope, you can already imagine a picture of this beautiful bow.
Step 5: All you gotta do now is make an accordion. To make it just fold the center and that’s it. You have an accordion.
Now just secure it with a zip tie or thread or a wire. Make sure it doesn’t fall apart. To keep it compact you can use any mediums as long as it stays out together.
Step 6: For the center ribbon, wrap the thin piece of ribbon in the middle and glue it. Don’t pull it apart while the glue didn’t get dry yet. Don’t forget to leave some space for the clip.
Step 7: Take the alligator clip and wrap it from the upper tip of the clip up until the bottom using the thin ribbon and glue.
Step 8: Lastly, place the top tip of the alligator clip upon the center ribbon and stick it together with glue.
That’s it, that’s how easily you can make a pair of hair bows with the common ribbon pattern technique. Girls can wear this bow as hair clips too.
The Pinwheel Designed Hair Bow Tutorial
- Thin ribbon
- Thick ribbon
- Hair clip
- Scissors
- Hot glue
Step 1: Pinwheel-designed hair bows have more loops than simple ones. Hence, these require a longer-sized ribbon. You may take a ribbon of any size, but the ideal size would be a 1 1/2 inch ribbon.
Step 2: Decide the length or size you would like your bow to have and cut a piece of ribbon three times larger than the length you chose. Don’t forget to keep space for the tails.
Step 3: Now, take the ribbon and wrap it around your palm three times. Keep in mind to not let it get tangled with one another.
Step 4: look at the size of your palm and see if you want your bow to be that sized. If you’re okay with a bow that matches the size of your palm then, loop the ribbon three times.
Keep in mind that the length or size of each loop should be the same as the final preferred size or length.
Step 5: Now the ribbons must look at three diagonal lines beside one another. Adjust the tails to be a bit longer than the loops.
Step 6: After this, fold the center of the ribbon into an accordion and stick it down with hot glue.
Step 7: Using the center ribbon, wrap the middle of the bow. With the glue and ribbon, wrap the Bobby pins to the ribbon.
Step 8: After inserting the tip of the clip upon the center, you now have a Pinwheel designed ribbon.
There you have it, a Pinwheel-designed hair bow, which can be used as both a baby bow and cute hair accessories.
The Multi-Loop Pattern Hair Bow Tutorial
Be it lace hair bows or fun crafts experiments, this type of hair bow makes it at the top in the fancy competition. Starting from DIY hair bows to bags and even hats, the multi-loop pattern is quite popular among bows.
Some of the things you need to make a DIY multi-loop pattern hair bow is-
- Four ribbons of different colors and sizes
- Base bows
- Top bows
- Supplementary bows
- Threads or wires
- Glue
Step 1: For making this type of bow, you need four types of ribbons that differ in size shape and color. This allows you to get creative however you like. So, choose the ribbons according to your taste.
Step 2: You have to choose different bows and suitable sizes. Like, the base bow should be very thick ( 1 1/2 at least). The topper bow should be at least ⁷/⁸ inch whereas the supplementary bow should be ³/⁸ inches.
Step 3: You can play around with the type of spikes you prefer. Bows show the loops so you can’t play around with that. But spikes are decorated tails, thus you can choose whatever you like.
Step 4: Take a ribbon and make a Pinwheel designed bow and keep it for later.
Step 5: Using spike ribbons, cut three equal-length ribbons to make spikes. Assemble them diagonally and make an x-shape.
Step 6: Decide how many spikes you’d like in your bow and the fold in the middle. After that secure the bow using a thread.
Step 7: For the topper bow, you can use the same pattern as the base bow or you can customize it accordingly.
Step 8: Finally, it’s time to put your bow together. First, place the base bow at the bottom and then place the spikes, following the supplementary bow. Lastly, place the topper bow at the top.
Step 9: To enclose the center ribbon, place a thin ribbon and glue it off. After gluing the bow, make sure to let it dry and keep it aside.
Just like that, now you have a lavish stylish multi-loop pattern hair bow you can wear anywhere as a hair clip.
How to Add Variations to Your Hair Bow
Hair bows make hair looks more vibrant and add a cute look to the person. Different beads and colors are a fun way of experiencing these DIY hair bows. But there’re ways you can add more variations to it. Like-
- Using different other texture fabric materials other than grosgrain ribbons.
- Adding more than four loops
- Adding embellishments like beads, gems, pearls, or sequins.
- Playing around with multiple patterns of tails.
- Experimenting with colors and patterns.
With more ways as such, you can explore your way of creativity. Children tend to love blinky stuff like hair bows and clips. But the exciting part is, this hair accessory has now become a fashionable component in the fashion industry.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What fabric is best for hair accessory making?
The most common type of material used for bows is mostly ribbons, which are made of linen fabrics. However, the best type of fabric for hair accessories is wool.
Wool blends in better with the texture and has also been deemed suitable for hair. Without damaging any part of your hair, a wool textured fabric isn’t just smooth and beautiful but also durable.
2. What is the best DIY hair bow size?
If you’re on the hunt for finding the best size of a hair bow then you should stop it right now. The possibilities of downsizers are limitless as it completely depends on personal choice and preferences.
Any dimensions, be it rectangular or square, can make a beautiful bow completely depending on your preferred size. Explore and experiment while having some fun.
3. Are hair bows in style?
Most definitely! With the advancement of fashion and technology, long gone are the days that only kids use hair bows. In fact, in the fashion industry, the most unpredictable product can run on top.
Starting from baby bows to decorative bags and even fashion week shows, the use of hair bows is still thriving. Models and even royal individuals are wearing hair bows as an accessory every often.
4. What are the hair bow sizing options?
To make your hair bows more cute and fun, you can always use variations of fabric or sizes. If you’re looking for some hair size options then some of them are:
For top bow: cut the main piece in half within 4” x 6” and the finished bow within 2 ½” x 1 ½”
For middle bow: keep the main piece a bit narrow from 8” x 5” and keep the finished bow within 4” x 1 ½
For bottom bow: main piece within 8” x 6” and finished bow 4” x 2”
Final Words
Hair bows are a type of accessory that’s wholeheartedly beloved by children. Little girls tend to decorate their hair and look cute in the most adorable way. But surprisingly, hair bows have now become evident in adult accessories and even fashion.
It’s only natural that this simple accessory can be made at home. And thus, to guide you through, the process of how to make hair bows is mentioned in clear steps so you can make yourself a pair of hair bows all by yourself whilst having a bit of fun.
If you liked this article, you’ll also be interested in: