Giant Hair Bows - easier to make than you think!

Giant hair bows are fun and fashionable hair accessories - and easier to make than you might think.

There are two different size options given here. The big bows are around in length - but if you really want to make an impact, make a giant bow. At around in length you won't be missed wearing one of these!

Both bows can be made from surprisingly small fabric remnants, and many different fabrics work well. You could try satin, velvet, cotton prints, sequined fabric, foiled fabric, metallic fabric and many others.

Materials you will need

For a giant hair bow you will need to cut two rectangles of fabric, one measuring , and a small one measuring for the centre band. The centre band can be made of the same fabric as the bow, or you can use a contrasting colour.

You will also need a piece of wadding (sometimes called batting or quilting), by . It's the white, usually synthetic padding used to fill quilts. Wadding comes in different thicknesses. Most will work ok for your bow, but if the wadding is very thin you may want to cut two pieces instead of one. You can purchase wadding at most fabric shops.

You will also need an undecorated hair barrette or alligator style clip (sometimes called a concord or beak clip).

For a big bow the main fabric needs to be and the centre band . The wadding should be cut by .

How to make your bow

Fold your larger peice of fabric in half so that the two longer sides come together, and so that the back side of the fabric is showing.

Starting from the fold, stitch along one short side about 1cm from the edge, and then continue about a quarter of the way along the long side. Stop stitching here. Now start stitching the other edge, starting at the fold line. Again continue stitching about a quarter of the way along the long edge.

Trim the fabric close to the stitching across each of the corners. Now turm this piece inside out so that the good side of the fabric is showing.

Put the wadding inside the bow, using the gap with no stitching to get it in. Now neatly hand stitch the gap closed.

Fold the small peice of fabric with the sides together and the back side of the fabric showing. Stitch along the edge opposite the fold to make a tube. Turn the tube inside out so that the best side of the fabric shows. Fold the tube in half lengthways, and secure with a dressmaking pin.

Now comes the slightly tricky bit!Take the main part of the bow and make 4 hill folds across the centre of it, going from one long side to the other. Wrap the tube tightly around these folds, making sure it is in the centre of the bow, and pin it together round the back, turning the cut edge under to hide it.

Neatly hand stitch the tube together.

Now all you have to do is insert your alligator clip or barette into the back of the tube, and your giant hair bow is ready to wear.