DIY Hair Clip Tutorials

One afternoon with Mia, we had an hour to spare before Doug got home from work. Rather than doing our usual this and that, I knew I had to make the most of my day off with her. Instead of continuing to put off projects, always claiming that I don't have enough time to get them done, I finally decided to just do something. After rounding up our supplies, Mia and I made a dozen DIY hair clips. The next day when Mia excitedly showed Grandma her new accessories, Grandma asked, "Did Mommy make those for you?" Mia said, "No, we made them together." And that's why I knew I had to make the most of that one free hour we had together. Here's how to make DIY alligator clip accessories for the little girls in your life...

Time: Depends on the style and how many you make. Took me 2 hours to make 12.
Supplies/Cost: 
Alligator/Single Prong Clips - $3/12 I bought mine from a local Sally's Beauty Supply over a year ago
Scraps of Fabric/Ribbon/Tulle/Felt - any material you want
Buttons/Flowers - any doodads you can find
"Shabby Chic Naked" Flowers (in #1 and #4) - $4 from a Very Jane deal
Needle/Thread
Hot Glue Gun
Total Cost - 60 cents each!
Instructions: See below for each style.
Notes:
1. Since I was making these for my own daughter, I didn't take the time to hide the back of the clip with felt. If I were buying hair clips from someone else, I would definitely expect them to do this, which makes it softer on the child's head and is a more finished look.
2. Also, prep/cut/hand sew all your designs and then glue them to the clips all at once. That way your hot glue gun isn't sitting on for too long while you hand sew each piece together.
3. When you hot glue each one to the clip, make sure you open the clip while it dries so you don't glue the clip shut!

1 - Simply hot glue fabric flower to alligator clip. My fabric flowers were purchased, but you could make your own rolled fabric flowers like I did here.

2 - Take a 24 inch strip of tulle and tie the ends together to form a circle. Hold three fingers up and with your fingers in the middle, wrap the tulle around until there's no more. Tie securely in the middle with a piece of twine/thin ribbon. Now you should have a tulle bow. Take 2 small flowers, layer them and hand sew them to the middle of your tulle bow. Slide your alligator clip through the back of your twine/thin ribbon. If that doesn't seem secure enough, hot glue to clip. 

3 - Make a bow lout of 3 pieces of felt like I did here.

4 - Layer two different sized/colored buttons and hand sew to middle of fabric flower. Hot glue to clip.

5 - Tie a bow like you would on a present or your shoe lace. Adjust to your liking. Slide clip through the loop in the back of the bow. If that doesn't seem secure, hot glue to clip

6 - Cut a strip of felt. Glue ends together. Cut hearts from felt. Cinch middle of felt loop and hand sew heart to center. Hot glue to clip.

7 - Same instructions as seen here for the singed flower. 

8 - I've seen these cabachon flowers all over lately. I hot glued three of them to a tiny strip of felt. Then hot glue the strip of felt to the alligator clip.

And there you have it. Pretty {and cheap} little accessories for the little girls in your life!

linked up with Tatertots & Jello