Are you ready to start creating your own boutique style custom hair bows? My secrets are now revealed.
My Collection is based on 2-3 different folds. The first is the basic boutique bow, the second the reverse flip and the third the mismatched bow. These are basic bow tying techniques which once mastered can be used to create the most marvelous bows. Let’s start with what you need.
Materials:
Ribbon: You can make a hair bow out of almost any type of ribbon but by far the most popular and easy to work with is grosgrain ribbon. Though I love to add in different types of ribbon I mainly stick to grosgrain, especially for the base bow.
Clips: There are two main types of clips you can use to attach your bows. Alligator or pinch clips and barrettes or French clips. Alligator clips are available as single prong or double prong and you can also find them with teeth. French Clips are barrettes come in a wide range of sizes from 40mm-80mm, 1.5″-4″. At the end of the day the type of clip you use comes down to personal preference or the preference of your customers.
Tools:
Knitting Crochet Thread – size 10. (There are many different things you can use to secure your bow – other possibilities are embroidery floss, 22 gauge wire, beading wire, or what I use, crochet thread – experiment with what you prefer) You can buy this in just one color or several different ones depending on your preference.
Glue (either a hot glue gun or Fabri-Tac) a good pair of scissors (small ones work well) Cigarette Lighter.
Optional:
Wire 22 gauge,
Needle nose pliers. Wire cutters.
The Boutique Bow: At first you might feel like you are all thumbs – but stick at it – once you have mastered the basic boutique bow you can use it alone for great everyday bows – use ribbon for baby bows, for toddlers, 7/8 for toddlers and then the full 1.5″ for nice big bows. You can try tying two boutique bows and stacking them together for an even fuller yet still basic look. The Boutique bow also forms the base of the If The Bow Fits Boutique Private Collection Bow.
Step 1: Hold the ribbon in you left hand with the end of the ribbon pointing down towards your left arm. Take the long end of the ribbon and flip it over the short end the ribbon to make a loop as shown above.
Step 2: Turn your left hand so the palm is facing up and form another loop placing it on top of the first loop so that your thumbs are touching through the ribbon.
Step 3: With your thumb on top, place your right forefinger behind the two loops and pinch to hold in place. Now let go with your left hand and reposition as shown above. If your loops are not quite even you can adjust them at this point.
Step 4. Holding the bow with you right hand, turn the bow so that the two loops are facing the left and then pinch the bow with your left hand to leave your right hand free. Take the long end of the ribbon and pull it away from you maintaining the angle it is on.
Step 5: Turn your right palm towards the roof so that the ribbon begins to form a loop.
Step 6: Look down at your bow. There is a cross in the middle of the bow. You want to slip the loop you are making in the middle of the cross. The long end of the ribbon should now be pointing diagonally towards you.
Step 7: Take the long end of the ribbon in your right hand and form the final loop by moving your right hand towards your left hand and pop you thumb on top to hold in place.
Step 8. Now carefully move your bow around so that the long end of the ribbon is on the right hand side. Place both thumbs on top of the bow. You can use this opportunity to adjust your loops if they are not quite even.
Step 9. Next carefully fold the middle of the bow like an accordion. To do this I move my left thumb up towards the top of the bow and pinch the top of the bow with my right hang. Push the pinched part of the bow towards the thumb and then press down and pinch gold. Move the left thumb along and repeat.
Step 10. Pinch the bow together with one hand and get ready to tie the bow in place.
Step 11. Take your crochet yarn and cut a piece roughly 17″ long. Holding the bow in your left hand take the yarn and slip it over the last three fingers of your left hand. Curl your fingers over and grab onto the yarn next to your index finger. Take the yarn over the centre of the bow and wrap it tightly around the bow two and a half times so that the yarn ends up at the back of the bow.
Step 12: Tie the yarn in a knot. You may want to do this by holding the bow against your chest or on a surface in front of you.
Step 13. Snip the yarn closely and aside from finishing off the ends of the tails you are have made a boutique bow.
And there you go your very first boutique bow!
Before you keep going try tying this bow many times over in different width ribbons to see the kinds of different effects you achieve. Also experiment with the size of the bow by increasing and decreasing the size of the loops to start to get a feel for bow size. Then, mount your bow on french clip or alligator clip.
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