How To Easily DIY Ribbon Hair Bows

As a mom of two young girls, hair bows are a standard in our everyday lives. In fact, one of the very first things I noticed when holding my brand new precious firstborn baby in my arms (aside from how blessed I felt), was her presence of hair. From day one, I was most eager to don her little head with different bows from her (already) large collection. Big bows, little bows, bright bows, neutral bows… you name it, we likely had it.

The first couple of years I found myself purchasing hair bows from small boutiques, online retailers, or huge department stores. Then like most all things in my craft obsessed life, I found myself wondering why I was paying someone else to make something I could easily do myself. A DIY project I was sure to love. That was when I taught myself how to easily DIY ribbon hair bows and have never looked back.

In truth, over the years I have created a wide variety of hair bows. Some requiring sewing of fabric, some requiring hot glue, and others, my favorites, requiring nothing but the use of my two hands.

Thank you to Ribbon by Design for sponsoring this post. As ALWAYS, I only recommend products that I truly love and all opinions included are 100% my own. Affiliate links may be included in this post. By shopping through my links there is no additional charge to you but I earn a small commission that helps me continue to keep Simply September available.

My favorite type of hair bow

Ribbon hair bows are by far are my favorite. Why?

1. They are easy to work with.
2. They take very little time (busy mom life over here).
3. They offer quite a large variety of designs (more on that below).
4. They require very little resources (don’t have a sewing machine, no worries).
5. They are sturdy (the ribbon itself doesn’t fall apart).

The secret to my DIY ribbon hair bows

My favorite secret in my DIY ribbon hair bows is finding the “right” ribbon. For all my hair bows, I love working with Ribbon by Design. Not only is their quality top notch, but these unique designs are all created by a graphic designer in their own design studio. All the ribbon is then printed right here in the USA. Selecting ribbons from their many beautiful stock designs, I love that the ribbon is printed using a dye sublimation process that not only makes it washable, but also provides assurance that it will never fade chip or peel.

The process

DIY ribbon hair bows can be created in a number of ways, but I find this method to be both easiest and most effective.

Ribbon selection

I begin by selecting my ribbon designs. I do this by visiting Ribbon by Design‘s shop (broken down by category/holiday). You can view all the possibilities here. Available in both satin and grosgrain, select your ribbon finish (I prefer working with grosgrain, but satin creates a very elegant look as well). Next, select your ribbon size. Available in 5/8″, 7/8″ and 1.5″ ribbons. I truly enjoy working with all sizes to create different dramatic effects and often add a variety to my cart.

After purchasing my ribbons from Ribbon by Design (honestly, you won’t find better quality for your dollar), I move onto purchasing ribbon clips and bases.

Ribbon Clips

I opt to use ribbon clips when I simply want to feature the ribbon itself and nothing else. Think a simpler, sleeker, and more elegant stand alone ribbon. I simply purchase ribbon clips similar to these here and after creating my ribbon bow I slide them into the back knot and finalize the hair clip.

Ribbon Bases

I opt to use a ribbon base (i.e. a pre-existing larger bow) when I want to highlight the ribbon and add to it’s dimension. Think larger, louder, and more prominent. In order to achieve this look I simply purchase a bulk hair bow collection as I did here. I opt to purchase solid colors, allowing the ribbon to be the stand-out feature. I buy packs similar to this one here. I am then able to attach the ribbon directly to the ribbon base itself (utilizing the clip that comes with the ribbon base) and simply create the final product with ease.

Sharing some of my favorites

With a large collection of ribbons from Ribbon by Design, I create my DIY ribbon bows with the plan of updating the collection every so often. Purchasing before set holidays, etc. I can quickly and easily DIY some ribbon bows for the season ahead. (I’m already drooling over the idea of the Halloween ones I can’t wait to make). In the mean time, I have recently created the following and my girls are in love.

Ballet Ribbon

Printed on grosgrain in size 1.5″ ribbon. I chose to create one simplistic with a ribbon clip (v-cut end point on ribbon), and one on a purple ribbon base to compliment the ribbon.

Cherries Ribbon

Printed on grosgrain in size 1.5″ ribbon. I chose to create one simplistic with a ribbon clip (angle cut on end point), and one on a red ribbon base to compliment the ribbon.

Rainbow Stripes

Printed on grosgrain in size 7/8″ ribbon. I chose to create both on ribbon bases to help the rainbow pop (chose both orange and blue), and completed with a angle cut on end point.

Buzzing Bees

Customized on BOTH 7/8″ and 1.5″ grosgrain ribbons. I chose to create both on ribbon bases to help stay true to the colors (I chose both black and yellow). Finishing the 1.5″ ribbon with a blunted/straight end point cut and the 7/8″ ribbon with an angle cut on end point.

Princess in Pink

Printed on 1.5″ grosgrain ribbon. I chose to create both on bases to for a larger and more prominent princess bow I chose pastel purple and deep purple). I opted for an angle end point cut on both.

Stripes of Red, White, and Blue

Printed on 7/8″ grosgrain ribbon. I chose to create both on ribbon bases to accentuate the colors (red and white bases). I used angle cuts for both end points.

Apples Ribbon

Printed on 1.5″ grosgrain ribbon. I chose to create one simplistic with a ribbon clip (angle cut end point on ribbon), and one on a lime green ribbon base to compliment the ribbon.

Pastel Rainbow

Printed on 7/8″ grosgrain ribbon. I chose to create both on ribbon bases to accentuate the colors (deep pink and pale pink). I used angle cuts for both end points.

Gingham Check Ribbon in Blue and Red

These are both printed on 1.5″ grosgrain ribbon. I then opted to mix the two for a ribbon clip (angle cut end point on ribbon), and cut the blue gingham in half and added to a light pink ribbon base for another option with angle end point cuts.

Stripes Ribbon in Cabana Blue

Printed on 1.5″ grosgrain ribbon. I chose to create one simplistic with a ribbon clip (deep angle cut end point on ribbon), and one on a plum purple ribbon base to contrast the ribbon.

And there you have it. Simple, yet beautiful (with high quality) custom DIY ribbon bows! Which one was your favorite? I’d love to hear below!