{Create} Fabric Hairbow

As much as I craft you would think I could make a decent ribbon hairbow.  But the thing is - I really stink at making ribbon hairbows.  I just can't seem to get it right - even when I follow really great tutorials.  So instead, I dug through my fabric stash and created this little bow.

I love it.  

It's so simple to make.  

It will be the perfect accessory to your girl's summer wardrobe(or yours!).  

Just follow the easy instructions below!!!

You'll need:

 a small square of fabric - about 6"x6"

a hair clip

some trim or ribbon for the center

a glue gun

a sewing machine/thread/scissors/etc.

STEP 1:

Cut a 4"x2" rectangle out of card stock for a pattern.  You don't have to do this, but I like to so that I can position it anywhere on the fabric.  Cut out two rectangles.

STEP 2:

Pin the rectangles right sides together.  Place marks 1" apart along one of the long sides.  

Preferably in the center.  This will be your opening for turning.

STEP 3:

Use a 1/4" seam allowance and stitch around the rectangle, leaving the 1" opening.  Clip the corners.

STEP 4:

Turn it right sides out and topstitch the opening closed.  Press well.

STEP 5:

Now, scrunch up the center of the bow.  Just fiddle with it until you like the way it looks, then top stitch right over the folds to hold it in place.  

 STEP 6:

Select your trim and wrap it around the center of the bow - gluing it or hand sewing it in the back.  Lastly, glue the clip to the back of the bow and enjoy!!

Happy Sewing!

jessica

{DIY} Anthro Knock Off: Sweet Blossom Hairclip

With Valentine's Day right around the corner we needed a great big pink hair clip!

I headed to Anthropologie to see what I could find for inspiration, and I found this lovely hair clip, with the staggering price tag of $47.  

It's sooooo easy to make your own, and I had everything I needed so it cost me $0.

Here's the original:

 

Here's my knockoff:

I actually cut up an old silky scarf that had found it's way into Charlotte's dress up box.

It worked perfectly, and I think will become a little more frayed, like the original, as she wears it.

Here's what you'll need to make your own:

Step 1 - Snip Snip: 

Cut 3 strips of material 2" x 20", and heat up your hot glue gun.

  Step 2 - Zig and Zag:

Set your zig zag stitch so that it is longer (more space in between each stitch), and zig zag one edge of each strip.  This is basically to keep it from fraying too much, but allowing it to fray a little.

Step 3 - Gather it up:

Now set your regular stitch to as long as it will go (mine's at setting 5) and sew along the other side.  Gather this edge.  Now you have kind of an old school scrunchie thing.

Repeat this process with the other two strips of fabric.

Step 4 - Fun with your glue gun

Begin gluing these strips onto the felt circle. 

Just start at one edge and glue it back and forth to make it look like a flower.

I used the hair clip to kind of poke it down in the center so I wouldn't burn my finger.

When you have glued all three, it should look like this:

You may need to keep gluing pieces down here and there until you are happy with the way it looks.

Lastly glue the hair clip onto the back of the felt circle and let it dry.

Clip your sweetie's hair back and give her a kiss!

have a great day!

xoxo

jessica

The Hexie Hairclip - a tutorial

I just love all the hexagon quilts - they are so gorgeous and intricate.  For some reason at dinner last night the idea popped into my head to make a hexagon hair clip for Charlotte.  It took a little trial and error but here's what I came up with!

That is an orange and blue one for Charlotte to wear to Ryan's graduation.  Here's a pink one, because you know - we're girly.

Would you like to make one for the little girl(s) in your life?
Here's what you will need:
scraps of fabric
batting
sewing machine/coordinating thread
scissors/yardstick/water soluble pen

Step 1:  Cut out your hexagon template.  Mine was 1 1/4" wide.  Here's one for you to trace right off your computer screen..

Step 2:  Scrounge through your scraps until you find colors that make you happy.  Cut out 7 hexagons.

Move them around until you are happy with the arrangement.

Step 3:  Cut one square (it needs to be larger than the hexagon arrangement) of the backing fabric, and one square of batting the same size.  Layer them - beginning with the backing right side down, then the batting, then the hexagons - all but the middle one.

Step 4:  Using the zig-zag setting, stitch along the edges where the hexagons touch - sew through all three layers, hexagons, batting, and backing.s

 It will look like this:

Then lay the last hexagon on top, and zig zag around all 6 edges of this hexagon.  It should look like this:

 

and this (I made 3 clips - this one was the 3rd one and looks the best):

Step 5:  Trim off the excess batting and backing fabric - following the shape of your hexagon "flower".

Step 6:  Zig-zag around all the raw edges.

Step 7:  Last but not least - hot glue the clip to the back of the hexagons.  You can cover the clip in ribbon if you like. 

Ta-da!  A cute little accessory reminiscent of a well-loved quilt. 

Have a happy weekend everyone!
xoxo
jessica

Strawberry Shortclip

I really love making little hairclips.  Especially out of felt.  Charlotte has one for every season.  Two of the clips I've made have been from tutorials on the Purl Bee:  flower barrettes and heart barrettes.

I really love their method of assembling the clip.  

So here's my own clip - using their method!

 Here is what you will need:

a 2" inch square of medium green felt

a 2" square of light green felt

a 3" x 2" rectangle of pink felt

a 3" x 4" rectangle of red felt

light pink embroidery floss

light green embroidery floss

scissors

water soluble pen

needle 

tiny barrette

printable pdf pattern

Step 1:  Cut out the five pieces of felt using the pattern.

Step 2:  Cut a tiny slit into one red piece and slip the barrette through it.

Step 3:  Pin the pink piece to the other red piece.  

Using a water soluble pen, make little markings that imitate the seeds.

Thread a needle with four strands of light pink embroidery floss.  

Sew over your markings, through both layers.  Dab with water to remove markings.

Step 4:  Now lay the top of the strawberry over the back piece - enclosing the top of the clip inside.

Sew around the edge of the strawberry - only through the two red layers.

Step 5:  Lay the light green piece of felt on top of the medium green piece.  Place them at the top of the strawberry and using green embroidery floss, stitch them onto the berry.  When you get to the stem part you will only be sewing through the green pieces.

Here's what the back should look like:

Doesn't that look "sweet"?

have a "berry" good day

*couldn't help it*

jessica