Bows By Me

First of all, I need to apologize for my absence from posting. I have still been sick and just can’t craft! It’s awful. Does this ever happen to any one else? Maybe I need to get a nice soft cushy chair for my craft room so it feels like I’m relaxing when I’m creating. 🙂

This post is mainly for those of you who would love to make bows, but aren’t sure how to go about it, or don’t have the confidence to do it. We do a lot of giveaways on many craft blogs and often times I will see a reader comment that they’ve always wanted to make bows, but never got around to it. Or my favorite, a reader has an account at The Ribbon Retreat, but has never bought anything! I don’t know how you have that much self control!

I know only a little about bows. BUT I do have the TOTT Hair Bow Instructions AND The Ribbon Retreat to ask questions to. If I see a bow I want to make, but I can’t tell which technique it is, I just ask. This blog could also be a great place to ask questions. There are lots of people who love making bows and have wonderful ideas.

I am a fan of Babysteals and Kidsteals on Facebook and saw bows as a steal one day. I had no idea what technique those bows were, but I knew that TOTT Hair Bow Instructions could teach me how to make them and for much less! I am almost giddy about how much money the instructions save me by helping me make them on my own.

Babysteals and Kidsteals offers products once a day at a huge discount until it runs out. These bows were $16.99 for 7 bows. This was about 50% off, so lets say retail is $33.98.

I admit that I couldn’t tell what technique these bows were, so I asked. And I found my new favorite bow to make! These are SO easy and cute! I immediately starting trying to think of friend’s little girls I could make some for.

Tails Up/Down (Pinwheel) Technique
(Pictures are in order of when I made them.)

Solid Grosgrain Light Pink in 1 1/2″ and 3/8″
Cost – $0.41

Solid Grosgrain Red in 1 1/2″ and 3/8″
Cost – $0.41

Solid Grosgrain White in 1 1/2 and 3/8″. This bow is a little smaller than the first two.
Cost – $0.39

This white bow was my third attempt at the Pinwheel Technique and you can definitely tell. 🙂 I think that I got it though by the third try. Bow making is certainly something that takes practice, but even the first ones don’t look that bad. If they do, unpick and keep trying. 😉

There was supposed to be another bow; a cute red and white Polka Dot Pinwheel Technique Bow. I attempted to get the ribbon for it THREE times.

First, I accidentally left it off my order with the rest of the ribbon.

So I reordered it with my interfacing that I needed. The interfacing came in a big box and the ribbon was at the bottom. Instead of taking it out like a smart parent, I left it in there at the top of the stairs. Well three weeks later, I went to find it and couldn’t find it anywhere. And how do you think it went when I asked my 18-month-old where it was? Yeah, I had to place another order. 🙂

I was placing an order to do a bunch of other things for fall and I forgot to sign in before going over to the Fabric section. 🙁 So I went back and re-added all of my ribbon. When I got my order, I realized I forgot to re-add my Red and White Polkadot ribbon. By this point I gave up. 🙂 So I apologize for not having that bow. If I find that ribbon, you’ll be the first to know!

Boutique Bow

Polka Dots Pink and Black in 7/8″ and Solid Grosgrain Pink in 3/8″
Cost – $0.34

I cut off the tails and hid the ends under the 3/8″ ribbon.

Loopy Bow – *Variation 1*

Solid Sheer Red in 5/8″ and Solid Grosgrain Red in 3/8″
Cost – $0.22

I used Solid Grosgrain for the center and then folded the Solid Sheer in half and put it over the Solid Grosgrain in the center to get this look.

I am missing two bows, but let’s just say they were $1 each to make (I am very much overstating). That makes my total cost of making these bows at:

$3.77!

Compared to the sale price for bows at $16.99.

If you aren’t making bows, but you want to, I hope this encourages you to try it out. Get the TOTT Hair Bow Instructions, find a bow you want to make, and make it for much less and very little time. You’ll be amazed at what you can do. 🙂

Price of bows does not include cost of glue, thread, or shipping.