Given the right tools and a little bit of creativity, anyone can make their own hair bows. There are a few different styles of hair bows that you can create, some require sewing, but some types only require hot glue and patience.
What are some types of hair bows that you can make? Easy no-sew options include pinwheel bows and ribbon bows, which you can create using ribbons and hot glue. If you have some scrap fabric, you can also make a beautiful butterfly bow or tailored fabric bow as well.
In this blog post, we will cover a few of the most popular types of hair bows that you can make and how to make them. Let’s take a look.
Butterfly Hair Bows
A butterfly hair bow resembles the look of a butterfly, and this shape is often created by cutting fabric and sewing in strategic places to form this beautiful shape.
You will need the following:
- Two pieces of fabric cut into a trapezoid shape with rounded edges – these pieces will act as the ‘wings’ of the butterfly. You can make this piece as big as you want, depending on how big you would like the hair bow to be.
- One strip of fabric to secure the middle of the butterfly.
- A hair tie to secure your bow.
You can use a sewing machine or even hand sewing for this project – it’s super easy!
First, you will need to hold the wing pieces, right sides together, and sew all around it to secure the edges inside. Leave a small area open so you can turn it inside out (right sides facing outwards), and then sew the opening shut.
Sew or serge the edges of the fabric strip so that it doesn’t fray.
Then, gather the middle of the wings together, and wrap the fabric strip to secure the gather tightly. Place the hair tie inside the body loop to secure it to the butterfly, and sew the loop securely.
And you’re done! Super easy. Here’s a visual tutorial from The Hair Bow Master on YouTube.
Pinwheel Bows
The pinwheel bow is often made from ribbons; although you can make it from a long strip of fabric as well, you will need to sew the edges of the fabric to make sure it doesn’t fray.
The bow is made from one long strip of ribbon tied into four big loops with two tail ends. If you don’t know how to make pretty knots, you can also use hot glue and a separate piece of ribbon to secure the middle of the bow.
You will need the following:
- One long piece of ribbon
- One short piece of ribbon
- A hot glue gun
- A hair tie or hair clip of your choice.
First, create four loops of equal sizes using your long piece of ribbon, with the loops overlapping in the middle. Once you are happy with the size, you can use a hot glue gun to secure each layer of the ribbon in the middle.
Then, tie the short piece of ribbon in the middle of the bow to hide the hot glue marks, and glue the bow to the hair clip.
To create the V shape for the tail end, you can fold the tail in half lengthwise and cut diagonally to create the V. Repeat for the other tail.
Here’s a great tutorial from Pip Supply on YouTube.
Multi-Loop Bows
A multi-loop bow is very similar to a pinwheel bow, except that you can use multiple pieces of ribbons and mix and match the colors to make a lot of loops.
Depending on how big you want the bow to be, you can make as many loops as you want using as many different color ribbons as you want.
You can also mix and match the size and texture of the ribbons, with the smaller ribbons in the middle of the bow and the bigger ribbons around the edges.
You will need the following:
- Multiple long ribbons in different sizes and colors
- One short ribbon (for the middle)
- A hot glue gun
- A hair tie or hair clip of your choice
First, arrange and twist each of your ribbons to create four loops of equal sizes, and secure the middle of the bow with some hot glue.
A good rule to follow is to make the loops gradually smaller as you move toward the middle of the bow so that the loops will stack nicely together.
Once you have made all of your loops, you can stack them together and use the short ribbon to secure them in place. Then, use a hot glue gun to secure the bow to your hair tie or hair clip.
If you’d like to see a tutorial, take a look at this video from Papercraft Inspirations on YouTube.
Fabric Hair Bow
The fabric bow looks very similar to a bowtie, and it is often made from a stiff, structured fabric so that it can retain its shape.
Although this bow is made from fabric, you can use fabric glue if you don’t want to sew. Since the fabric is very structured, the fabric glue will be able to hold the shape without the need for sewing.
You will need the following:
- One big strip of fabric. The width and length of this big strip will decide how big your bow will be.
- One small strip of fabric to secure the middle of the bow.
- Fabric glue
First, you will need to use fabric glue to secure all the edges of the fabric so that it won’t fray.
Then, glue the ends of the big fabric together to create one big loop. Wrap the small strip of fabric around the big loop where the edges meet, and you can also add your hair tie or hair clip at this step. Secure the whole thing with fabric glue.
For a visual tutorial, take a look at the video below from Rin DIY on YouTube.
Ribbon Bow
The ribbon bow is super simple and elegant as long as you know how to tie a pretty knot. This style is also called the Cheerleading bow since cheerleaders often use this technique to create their hair bows.
You’ll only need a big strip of ribbon and a hair tie. Use the ribbon to make a bunny ear knot (similar to tying your shoes). Adjust the bow as you go so that the loops look even. Then, you can trim the ends of the ribbon to make them equal sizes.
If you want it to be a bit fancier, you can also tie four loops using your ribbon instead of two. Then, you can use a hot glue gun to secure the bow to a hair tie or hair clip.
Pageant Bow
A pageant bow is very similar to a multi-loop bow, but you will need to use the same ribbon to make multiple loops stacked on top of one another. Depending on how fancy you want the bow to look, you can use tulle or organza ribbons to create a beautiful effect.
You will need the following:
- One long strip of ribbon
- A short strip of ribbon to secure the middle. Alternatively, you can use embellishments to secure the middle of the bow.
Then, follow the same instructions as the multi-loop bow to create your pageant bow with your ribbon. Here’s a tutorial from Julia DIY on YouTube.
Korker Bows
The korker bow has a super unique aesthetic. It’s often made of 10-20 strips of ribbons, but instead of making loops, you’ll be making curls.
You will need the following:
- 10 – 20 strips of ribbons cut to equal lengths. The more ribbons you use, the bigger the bow will be
- Optional: embellishments
- A hot glue gun
- A round stick (like a chopstick or pencil) to curl your ribbons
First, you’ll need to curl all of your ribbons using the chopstick. Heat up the chopstick in the microwave or over a flame (be careful so that you don’t set the chopstick on fire), and then wrap a piece of ribbon around the chopstick while it’s still hot. This is very similar to curling your hair.
Once you have curled all of your ribbons, you can stack them on top of one another to create a rounded shape, with the middle overlapping. Secure each strip of ribbon to the last using a hot glue gun.
If your korker bow is very thick, the curls will cover up the hot glue gun marks quite nicely. But if you need something to hide the hot glue marks, you can also glue some embellishments to the middle of the bow to add a decorative touch.
Here’s a tutorial from HairbowSupliesEtc. on YouTube.
Yoyo Fabric Bow
A yoyo fabric bow doesn’t look like a regular bow shape; it’s actually rounded, hence the ‘yoyo’ in its name.
This type of bow is made from fabric, and it’s perfect if you want to highlight some embellishments in the middle of the bow or the texture of the fabric.
You will need the following:
- A piece of fabric cut into a big round shape. The size of the bow will be roughly half the size of the round fabric.
- A pin or button to secure to the middle of the yoyo
- Thread and a needle
First, thread your needle. We recommend using a strong thread that won’t break, like embroidery floss, because we’ll be using this thread to gather your fabric. Knot the end of the thread.
Sew a running basting stitch all around the circle, with a long stitch length. These stitches will be used to gather the fabric, so you don’t have to be very precise.
Once you’ve gone all the way around the circle, pull the thread so that the edge of the fabric is gathered in the middle. Don’t remove your needle.
Adjust the fabric so that it takes a round shape and the stitches are square in the middle. Then, sew the button or pin to the middle of the yoyo using the same needle and thread.
Here’s a tutorial from SewVeryEasy on YouTube.
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