I never thought I’d see the day that I would be coveting the bow. I have always thought of them as the accessory of the ‘princess girl’, if you know what I’m saying, and not really for me. Well, that’s where I was wrong because over the past few years the bow has found a completely new lease of life. It has become the coveted accessory of summer and autumn and I think it is about time I embraced the ‘new look’, more relaxed ribbon for myself.
I wanted to jump on the bow bandwagon, but I still wasn’t totally convinced that it would suit me. So I decided that, before I started parting with my cash to buy myself some very elaborate hair accessories, I needed to try my hand at this DIY and see if I could make some myself. The result? A tonne of new hair accessories that I love and all for free! I’d call that a success and here’s how you can get in on the action with just some old hairbands, hair grips and ribbon that you have lying around from Christmas past. Let’s get making!
The Hair Tie – secure, chic and easy to make
- Get a hairband and long piece of ribbon or cloth.
- Tie a knot in the centre of the ribbon.
- Slip the ribbon through the hair band so that the knot ends up in the middle, touching the hair band. This helps to keep the final bow the right way round.
- Then simply tie a bow, as you would tie a shoelace. And there you have it your very own relaxed bow.
The Hair Clip – the ultimate accessory for shorter hair
- Get a short ribbon and a long-ish hair grip.
- Tie your ribbon into a bow, as you would tie a shoelace.
- When you are happy with your bow, turn it over and slide you hairpin into the bow knot so that the pin it sits under one layer of the material (as shown in above right picture). Top tip: Keep the bumpy side of the grip facing towards you, that way your bow will hold better when it makes it to your hair.
- This makes the ultimate bow hair grip. It is a super cute look and you could also experiment with longer ribbon too for a more chilled out vibe too!
Inspiration
Alexa Chung | Relaxed Low Ponytail |Bridget Bardot| High Bun with Velvet RibbonÂ
The Double-Whammy – for those extravagant days
- Take a hairband and two long ribbons.
- Lay the to ribbons on top of each other and then use them as though they are one ribbon to tie a bow around the hairband.
- Now pull the bow tight and then gently pull the different coloured hoops apart so that they fan into a larger headpiece.
How to style your new creations…
The bow seems to be here to stay and I think it is a great way to dress up a casual autumn outfit. My favourite one is the first, super bohemian white bow that I created and I can’t wait to wear it. Which is your favourite bow?
Love Holly x