Ribbon Flower Headband TUTORIAL

Here is the tutorial that I did for a blog swap with MaryJanes and Golashes last week.  I saw a headband similar to this one at Wally World and decided to recreate it at home.  I think it's super cute for a little girl, or also super fun for 'big' girl.   I'm totally obsessed with hair accessories lately...can you tell?   
If you try it out, I'd love to hear from you!

Ribbon Flower Headband Tutorial

 Supplies: 1/2"-1" wide ribbon, headband, felt, glue gun, sewing essentials (sewing machine, thread, etc)

*The size of the flower can obviously be adjusted depending on how long you cut the ribbon and make the felt circles.

1.) Cut ribbon about 1- 1 1/2 yards long.

2.)  Cut out two circles approximately 2" in diameter.

3.) Gather your ribbon on your sewing machine.  I like to make the tension on my sewing machine as tight as I can and the stitch length at the longest. Sew all the way down one side of the ribbon.  It will start curling up as you sew.  It will be a big curly ball when you're done, like this:

4.)  Now you're going to glue this gathered ribbon to one felt circle.  Start by folding one end of the ribbon back at a 90 degree angle.  Place an inch or so of hot glue at a time around the outside perimeter of the felt circle.  Starting with the end you just folded back, place the ribbon on the hot glue so the side that was gathered on the sewing machine is being stuck to the hot glue.  Continue doing this inch by inch around the felt circle gradually working your way towards the middle.  When you make your way all the way around the circle once, just keep going but place the glue just below the existing ribbon.  Keep doing this all the way to the middle.  You will need to untwist your ribbon as you go.  

5.) Once you've gotten to the middle, you'll need to secure the last bit of ribbon.  If it is too long, you can trim it as necessary.  With the remaining ribbon, fold the end down at a 90 degree angle, then roll the ribbon as much as you can towards the felt base.  Place some hot glue at the center of the flower and stick the rolled ribbon down to it.  

6.) You can leave it like this or add a button or jewel to the middle.  Or you can also add other jewels, buttons, tulle, or netting to it too!

7.) Attach it to the headband.  Place an inch or so of hot glue on one side of the headband and stick the flower to it.  Take your other felt circle and hot glue it to the back of the flower, enclosing the headband between the two felt circles.  

And you're done!

Hair Bows!

With my upcoming girl's night hair bow party, I've been looking online to find good hair bow instructions. I've used a lot of different instructions over the years, but I thought I would try to find some easy instructions for the ladies coming over, just in case.  I thought I would share with you my favorite sites.  Here are two of my favorites, they have tons of ideas and instructions. 

Girly Things Bows

Make Bows and More 

I also was excited to try Becca's easy peasy scrap fabric barrettes.  They are super easy and super cute!  I think I'm going to have a lot of fun with these.  Here are the first 2 I've made so far.

Please excuse the sideways photo, it will not stay rotated....weird!

Do you have any fun tutorials for hair accessories?

  I would love to see them!

RTT - Easy Butterfly & Flower Tutorial

This is the blog swap tutorial I did with I Make Stuff last week.  It's a quick and easy applique for another one of my dollar shirts.  I'm loving seeing all your ideas for the El Cheap-O Shirt Challenge....you all have AWESOME ideas! 

Keep 'em coming and link 'em up here!

Here's another one to add to the list!

Easy Butterfly and Flower Applique Tee

Supplies: T-shirt, knit scraps (you can use old t-shirts), Wonder Under, 4 buttons, embroidery floss, sewing essentials (machine, thread, scissors, etc)

1.) Iron an 8"x8" piece of Wonder Under onto the back of the scrap of knit fabric for the butterfly wings. You will also need another approximately 8"x8" piece of Wonder Under ironed to either the same knit fabric or a different one for the flower, depending on whether you want the flower the same color as the butterfly or not.

2.) From that fabric, cut two large hearts (approx 2" tall) and two small hearts (approx 1 1/2" tall) for the butterfly wings. You can free-hand it or print out one from on-line to copy.

3.) Also cut out three flower shapes, one small, medium, and large. The large one will be about 3"x3". I just freehanded a little fluffy flower, but you could print one out to copy.

4.) To make the little "loopy trail" from the flower to the butterfly, you will need to do a running stitch with a needle and embroidery floss. Start at the bottom in the middle of where you plan to place your flower. Make sure to have the knot from the floss on the OUTSIDE of the shirt, b/c this will be covered later by the flower. Do a running stitch from the bottom left corner to the upper right side of the shirt. Make sure to put a few loops in there too. When you get to where you want the butterfly to be make sure to stitch a two little antenna for your butterfly. Then end the stitching in the middle of where the butterfly will be with a knot on the outside of the shirt. This is a really long explanation...it's really just simple stitching :)

5.) Peel the paper back off the hearts and iron them on over the knot on the right upper part of the shirt. Put the two larger hearts down first with the two points touching (just below the antenna), then put the small hearts directly over them. Iron them down well.

6.) On your sewing machine, stitch an "X" through the butterfly wings. The wings won't fray b/c they are knit.

7.) Peel the paper back off the flowers and iron them on, larger one first, over the knot at the bottom left part of the shirt. With your sewing machine, stitch around the outline of the 3 flowers.

8.) Sew a button to the middle of the flower. Sew 3 buttons down the middle of the butterfly wings to make the "body". Make sure the antenna are poking up from the top button.

And you're done! Quick and easy and super cute!! Come check out the other El Cheap-O shirts at Get Your Craft On...and remember to link up what you've got!

RTT - Messenger bag form Cargo Pants

Okay, this is just too cool!  I've seen lots of different ways of upcycling old clothing, but I've never seen this...and I love it!  I love messenger bags anyways, but this one is so cute....and a great size.  I'm hoping my hubby has some old cargo pants he wants to get rid of, if not i'm off to the thrift store!  Go check out Noodlehead's tutorial HERE.

RTT - Another Ruffle Shirt Tutorial

Here's another entry for the El Cheap-O Shirt Challenge.  I found this cream colored long-sleeved thermal shirt at the Dollar Tree and of course I just had to buy it b/c it was only a buck!

  I decided to give it some ruffles similar to a shirt of my own.  Here's what I came up with:

And here's how you can make one too:

Ruffle Shirt Tutorial

supplies: shirt, scrap knit fabric, buttons, sewing essentials (machine, thread, etc)

1.) Cut a 2" strip from the width of your knit fabric.  Knit fabric works best b/c you don't need to finish the edge and it won't fray.

2.) Gather this strip.  I like to put my machine on the highest stitch length and highest tension, this will automatically gather it for you and you can adjust as needed.  Stitch close to one side of the length of the strip.

3.)  Pin center of ruffle to back of neck.  Continue pinning ruffle around collar of t-shirt and curve down onto front of shirt.  Leave about a 1-2" space in between ruffles on front of shirt.

4.)  Stitch ruffle on to shirt.  It works best to use a stretch stitch or zig-zag stitch on this part since it will still need to stretch over child's head.

5.) Cut out approx. 11" x 3 1/2" rectangle out of knit fabric.

6.) Gather the rectangle by sewing straight down the center length-wise and gathering the same way you did with the ruffle. Gather rectangle until it fits right under the collar and ends where the other gathered strip ends.

7.)  Sew rectangle ruffle down the center to the shirt.

8.) Sew on buttons.  You can go crazy here if you want.  I just did 3 buttons, but I think it would be fun to add a random assortment of a similar color.

You're done!  If you try out this tutorial, I would love to see a picture of your finished product...please email me or add it to the "El Cheap-O Shirt Challenge" MckLinky party...thanks!

  Here are some out-takes from the photoshoot with my little model...she actually wanted to have

her picture taken this time!