Girls love placing different accessories in their hair, such as clips, scrunchies and even hair extensions (Tips on how to clip in hair extensions). Among the different hair adornments they use, the ribbon is probably one of the most simplest, but popular type. While there are ribbons that can be easily knotted around the head, there are others that appear more stylish, usually seen in headband form. The wonderful thing is, you can easily make one yourself, without having to spend a lot of money.
Elastic Ribbon Headband
If you prefer a ribbon headband that doesn’t easily slip off and you won’t need to knot off to seal, you can make an elastic ribbon headband. You only need a few items to create one.
Materials:
ribbon headband
15 to 20 inches of ribbon
Four pieces of 1/4 inch elastic
Thread
Needle
Measuring tape
Scissors
Procedure:
Get a tape measure and use it to measure your head. Position it so that you’re measuring exactly where you want to wear the headband.
Cut the ribbon you want to use, according to your head’s measurement, but make it 1 to 2 inches shorter. If you want fine hair or you worry that the ribbon will slip, cut it shorter.
Attach your elastic to one of the ribbon’s end, holding them together. Smooth them, then fold twice at 1/4 inch, so the ends are hidden, but the elastic and ribbon make a smooth line. Sew the end, hiding and securing the seam.
Hold the other end of the elastic and ribbon, so your ribbon has the right length. Sew the seam again, so it’s secure and hidden.
Once you’ve secured the seams, you can now wear the ribbon. Slip it on. If you want, you can sew accessories and decors on it, such as small fake jeweled stones or beads.
Woven Ribbon Headband
If you prefer a ribbon headband with several different colors, then you can make a woven ribbon headband. It can be a bit complicated, but once you master this technique, you can make these weaved head accessories quickly.
Materials:
ribbon headband
4 3/8 inch ribbons that are cut to 35 to 40 inches each
Plastic headband
Glue gun
Alligator clips
Lighter
Procedure:
Choose your ribbon color combinations. This depends on what colors you like to match together and how they would look with your outfit. You need four different colors. Cut them to 35 to 40 inches long, sealing the ends with a lighter. This prevents the ends from running.
Determine which two ribbons you want to be inside diamonds and which two are the outside triangle colors. Get one outside triangle color, then glue it to one inside diamond color. Glue the other outside to the other inside ribbon. Let them overlap by 1/4 inches.
Create an X with the ribbons. Afterwards, glue one of the ribbons’ seam to the end of the headband’s inside, while the other should be glued to the outside, at the end of the headband. Check and see that the outside color faces upwards and to the right. The seams should be covered when folded over.
The colors that are sticking at the top are the inside diamond colors, while the lower ones are the outside triangles.
Get the upper left ribbon and fold it down over the front seam, while the upper right ribbon is at the seam on the back. This will be your starting position. If you want, add another dot of glue that will hold the ribbons securely down while you fold them. At this point, you must be holding the headband upside down, working with the headband’s outside that faces you. You’re now ready to being the weave pattern.
ribbon headband
Get the ribbon that’s on the right front, then wrap it behind your headband, between the band and the ribbon at the back right. You’re now holding one front ribbon and two back ribbons on the left, and one back ribbon on your right.
Get the remaining right back ribbon, then fold it across the front. All of your ribbons are now on the left side. You should have a lower and upper front ribbon, as well as a lower and upper back ribbon.
Get the upper back ribbon, then fold it around the front, situating it under your upper front ribbon, and over the lower front one as well.
Get the left upper front ribbon, then wrap it back, going under the back ribbon. You should now return to the starting position, two ribbons (one front and one back) at the left, and two at the right (one back and one front).
Repeat the four previous steps, until you cover the headband. Secure the weave using alligator clips, as you move, so there will be no loose areas or gaps.
Keep weaving until you’re 1/4 inches past the headband’s end. Use an alligator clip to hold the end, so it won’t unravel.
Pull back each ribbon carefully, beginning with the lower layers. Use hot glue to secure them. This prevents them from unraveling in the future.
Cut the excess ribbon, 1/8 inch away from the end, but make sure you don’t cut it so short that the plastic headband becomes exposed. Heat seal the ends so they shrink down and become rounded at the edges. Finish the ends, but don’t leave sharp areas.
If you’re in a hurry, you can easily wrap the ribbon around your head and hair and knot it at your nape. It’s simple but stylish (Learn how to make hair bows). If you’ve got time on your hands, though, then try these two steps and create lovely ribbon headbands that you can proudly show off.