SUPER Simple Hair Bow

I've had several requests for hair bows, so here's part ONE of many. This is probably the easiest, most basic way to do a quick bow.

You can adjust any bow to fit a baby's head - just use the stretchy baby headband elastic if you've got bald babies like I do.

Also, I can't get a hold of the "pinch" style clips that you pinch the back and they open like an alligator mouth. If you can find those, they can be covered by ribbon a little easier than these clips that I've used that get bigger in the back. Either way, it doesn't matter as long as the bow is cute!

So let's get started! For you beginners out there, play with this method for a while so you can get used to holding ribbon in one hand and tying with the other. The more familiar you are with slippery ribbon, the easier it will be to tackle the more complicated bows!

So start with a strand of ribbon - I didn't cut it off of the spool. You might not know how long to cut the ribbon length, so don't cut it until you're ready later.

Start with a loop and keep a tail on the end of it.
Then go back across and make another loop. It looks like I've cut my ribbon in this picture, but it's still attached to the spool. I've just got some slack still.

Go back & forth, making as many loops as you want. Try to keep them straight, the same size, and on top of each other. When the bow is as full as you want it to be, then you can cut it off of the spool.

Cut a second piece of ribbon from the spool, giving yourself plenty of ribbon for tails.

Tie a square knot with the 2nd strand of ribbon. This is where it gets tricky because you're holding the bow in one hand and having to tie with the other. Get creative - just don't let go of the bow! Use your teeth if you have to!

Then play with the bow and arrange it how you like. If it didn't work out, then you can start over because you know that you have exactly the right amount of ribbon for your bow.

If you're making a pair of clips, then of course you'll need to do two bows exactly the same size.


Now you're ready to glue them on to your covered clip. Just hot glue the ribbon on the clip, overlapping on the ends so you don't see the edges of the ribbon.

Depending on how you want the bow to look in the hair, you'll have to decide what angle to glue the clip. If you're only making one bow, then I'd glue the bow on the clip horizontally (length-wise). I'm doing a pair of clips, so I've glued the bow vertically here.

When you get familiar with how to do this bow, mix it up a little and throw in one or two more strands of ribbon for a more colorful bow. Make one for every outfit and every occasion!