Note to self: oversized, pretty hairclips are 100% ‘in’ and aren’t going anywhere soon. Ever since Alexa Chung wore them back at 2018 LFW, you may have seen on Instagram and all over Pinterest that the big ol’ hair clip is back. However, it’s grown up since you were at school – quite literally bigger and better, these hair clips are the accessory of the season and for those of you who want to jump on the trend without emptying your wallets, here’s how to make your very own versions of the most popular oversized clip. It’s time to make your very own pearly hairclips of dreams.
Inspiration Sources
Margherita Store | Shrimps‘ gorgeous line | Anita Dundovic (@anidundo) | Alexa (of course) |Simone Rocha SS18
What you need:
- Plain Hair clips/ barettes of your choice
- Adhesive Pearls
- Scissors
The most important things to remember when buying your ‘pearls’ is to buy the ones with adhesive, flat backs; at the size you want (the ones I used were 3mm) and most crucially to buy them so they come in strips.
This means that when you peel the pearls from the backing, that they peel off in lines. As a result you can then cut the glue between them to get the desired number to stick onto your clips. It is vital that you buy strips of pearls, which come with a flexible glue line underneath them, as this flexible strip stops the pearls from pinging off when you open & close the clip. It allows the pearls to move with the bending metal rather than against it. So, just remember strips of pearls, not singular ones! Let’s get onto the making.
Step-by-step guide to the ultimate pearl headgear
Place your chosen clip next to your sheet of pearls and measure how many you will need. This bit of forward planning is important because it helps you to achieve a tidy finished product.
As you will see below, I started with the sides of the clips first, measuring that I needed eleven beads for each side. When I had sorted this I then moved onto the top of the clip using two rows of four to cover the area.
Once you have measured how many beads you need for an area of your clip, peel them off the backing and cut the glue between the beads to get the right amount. Try not to touch the glue too much, as this will make it less sticky for the next step.
Stick your strip of beads in the position that you measured previously on your clip. Start by placing one end of the strip onto the hair clip and then gently let apply it along the length, as shown above.
The most important thing to do now is to press your pearls onto your clip to fix them. Do this with the clip closed first and then pop it open and repeat. This just makes sure that the pearls are on tightly and in the right position. Don’t worry if they don’t look quite right, pick them off and try again – it isn’t the end of the world.
Repeat these steps until all of your clip is covered with pearls and there you have it, your very own ‘Shrimps’ style clip to be proud of! God, you’re so on trend!
Before & After
Need some inspiration or aren’t into DIY? Check out this pearly goodness…
(Note: the images above are affiliate links.)
One of the great things about these pearls is that they will stick to almost any type of hair clip, so you can embellish whatever you wish. I decided to go for two little clips, to wear on either side of my head and one larger ‘hairdressers’ clip to make styling my hair a bit more fun. I thin next I will do some larger clips to imitate the ‘Anthropologie’ style ones a bit more.
The finished product.
Are you glad that oversized hair clips are making a comeback? I know I sure am, it feels so fun and 90s. You can make these as big as you like and they will look so cool. If you give it a go be sure to drop us a line & let us know how you get on. Find all our contact details on our Contact Page.
