How to Make a Ribbon Double Bow
Updated on August 30, 2019
If you’re any kind of hair enthusiast, or perhaps have kids who are, then you’re probably already just as familiar as I am with how trendy hair bows have been lately. In our family, however, thin hair runs in the genes, so a lot of the clip in kinds slide out too easily from my own and my daughters’ hair, as do ribbons. That’s why I’ve been wracking my brains to find a DIY solution so my kids can still wear the hair bows they love without losing them at school! This cute ribbon double bow that I built right onto a hair elastic was the result.
Just in case you love the idea of learning how to make a ribbon hair bow on an elastic too, here are the steps I followed to make it happen! You’ll also find a video tutorial at the end of this post, just in case you prefer to learn more visually.
For this project, you’ll need:
- Ribbon
- Scissors
- Cord
- Hair tie
Step 1:
Gather your materials!
Step 2:
Start by creating your ribbon using careful folding techniques. Lay a length of ribbon out flat with the designed side that you want to show off in the finished process facing downward, against the surface you’re working on. You want the end of the ribbon (called your “live end”) near your right hand and the rest of the length that you still have to work with gathered to your right. Take that live end and fold it over at a slight angel towards the left, so the cut end sits slightly below the rest of the length, with the two back sides of the ribbon laying against each other.
Step 3:
Pull a portion of the ribbon down in the same manner but from the other direction, taking it from the gathered length of ribbon to your left. Fold it loosely from the left, overtop of your previous fold and downward to the right. Make another fold at that bottom right left corner to pass the longest length of ribbon back up and out of your way behind the first fold you made, which now looks like a loop sitting at the top right corner.
Step 4:
Take the long end from where you passed it behind your very first loop and fold it once more, in the top left corner this time, to pass it downward and right once more across the front of your project. You’ll see how this makes you a fourth loop; you now have a top and bottom loop on the left side and a top and bottom loop on the right side.
Step 5:
Pinch your forming bow in the middle so the layers don’t unravel. Feel free to carefully adjust the size and positioning of your loops at this point to sit just so; now is the perfect opportunity to make sure it really looks the way you want it to before you lift it and fasten them more firmly in place. Once you’ve got all your loops where you want them, continue pinching the centre firmly while you pick the bow up. Turn it and pinch the centre more firmly together, cinching it with your fingers so it’s gathered in the middle like an anchor point.
Step 6:
Cut a length of several inches from your thread. Wind it around and around the middle of your bow where you’ve pinched it so the loops are well fastened and stay in place even when you let go of the bow. Tie the ends of your thread in a very tight knot but don’t trim the excess off just yet; you’re going to use that in a moment.
Step 7:
Trim the ends of your bow’s ribbon! I cut mine at an angle so that it might be less likely to fray when it’s worn. You can also avoid ribbon fray by lightly painting a layer of clear nail polish over the cut edge.
Step 8:
Go back to your thread ends and tie them around a hair elastic. I tied it around several times for increased strength. Double knit the ends tightly. You can now trim off the excess!
You’re all finished! Complete your hair style and then tie this bow onto a ponytail or pigtail by its elastic like an extra layer for the most long lasting effect. I’ve made so many of these for my kids by this point that we could practically start our own hair bow factory!
Just in case you’d like to try this project out as well, here’s an awesome tutorial video to give you a hand!
