Little girls are obsessed with everything from headbands to hair clips.
Maybe they’re onto something.
You can’t really blame them because it is so much fun to play dress up. They get to experiment with new styles and have fun with the whole experience.
Plus, kids do the best job of expressing themselves through their mismatched outfits and glitter hair clips.
They will also fiercely defend all their style choices with zero shame. While the rest of us hardly bother with hair accessories once we reach high school.
We seem to forget that the right hair accessories can take your outfit over the top. It only takes a little bit of sparkle or a splash of color to make you look cuter than ever.
To top it all off, you don’t even have to worry about shopping around to find the perfect barrettes, hairpins, or any other type of hair accessory.
Here’s why:
If you already know what you’re looking for, you can make it yourself.
DIY hair accessories require a little extra creativity and patience to put it all together, but it’s so worth it in the end.
DIY style has been around forever, and there are so many cute ideas. So we can skip the awkward and tacky things we made when we were ten years old and get right to the good stuff.
Although it seems like kids these days skip all the awkward phases that I went through as a child. They go from babies to Instagram models in the blink of an eye.
And here I am hiding all my awkward pictures from when I was 12 years old. My middle parts and low ponytails were a little too reminiscent of a founding father.
Honestly, my whole outlook on style changed when I started doing my hair. It gave me a fun way to experiment with style, without having to ask my mom to spend money on anything new.
I had everything I needed at home to make DIY hair accessories or learn how to french braid. It was a turning point.
After about 100 dye jobs and many different styles, the only constant has been the hair accessories I trusted along the way.
I’m always looking for more, and I know that there are plenty of little girls eyeing up their first barrettes or clips.
Maybe it’s time we made our own instead.
The Perks of Making DIY Hair Accessories
As we already mentioned, DIY hair accessories are for everyone. There is no limit to what you can do with them. They can fit every outfit or style.
When it comes to style, you know what you want, and there’s no reason you can’t make it yourself.
Plus, most of us are always looking for a reason to go to the craft store and poke around.
Although I’m pretty sure my bank account cringes every time I set foot in a craft store because I tend to get a little carried away.
Keep in mind:
Hair accessories can be easy to make, even for those of you who don’t find yourself in a crafting mood very often.
It isn’t just something you make as a hobby, and it’s something you can use to express your sense of style.
I have always preferred to make DIY hair accessories because there aren’t many types of hair clips that I can use.
My hair is so thick that it severely limits my options. I need the strongest bobby pins and the biggest clips.
So if I find something that works well for me, I can jazz it up and make it a bit more stylish.
Step aside kids
Most of us are all about decking our little girls out with the cutest hair accessories. From butterflies and sparkles — to headbands and flowers.
While it’s unmistakably more fun to dress up our little girls, we seem to forget that there are plenty of options for adults too.
It’s certainly harder to find the perfect choices because the selection is much more limited.
We have a wide variety of hair clips, but they’re typically much plainer and meant to blend into your hair.
That’s all well and good for certain hairstyles, but sometimes you need a little extra glam for prom or a wedding.
In fact, you don’t even need to be going to some huge party. You might just enjoy standing out of the crowd.
Here’s the thing:
Kid’s love to experiment with bright colors and fun designs. As we all get older we tend to conform to whatever is considered normal.
Even if we beat to the rhythm of our own drum, as adults we also have to think a little more about the price.
If you have a unique sense of style, it can be hard to afford to change things up. Even buying all “new” clothes at a vintage or second-hand store is going to add up quickly.
That’s one of the reasons I’ve been wearing the same clothes for what feels like my entire life.
It isn’t because my style or personality has never changed. It’s because my bank account never seems to give me the freedom to reflect it.
One thing I can count on is the fact that DIY accessories are always going to be in the budget.
Supplies You Need to Make Hair Accessories at Any Time
To tell the truth, you can use anything around your house the make DIY hair accessories. It just takes a little bit of creativity and some thinking outside the box.
Although for every crafting project, there is always a good place to begin.
In this case, you are going to need to start by finding hair accessories that work best for your hair type. That might include barrettes, bobby pins, hair combs, or anything else you can think of.
There isn’t a limit on what you can use. But the accessory you choose will determine how you can decorate it with your DIY crafting skills
It also depends on the recipient of the hair accessory.
You wouldn’t want to make anything with small pieces for a baby, because it will be a choking hazard. You also wouldn’t want to give a big hair clip to a little kid because they wouldn’t be able to use it.
Keeping track of the variables is going to be up to you, but it won’t be hard to do. Other than that you are going to need to have crafting supplies on hand.
Here’s the good news:
It’s not hard to find classy supplies to make your accessories look amazing.
You can find beautiful beads, flowers, fabric and more at the local craft store. It might even be a good time to go through old jewelry to repurpose some items for the project.
Then have a sewing kit, thin wire, super glue, or hot glue on hand.
What you need will ultimately depend on the project. But these four things should easily do the trick in most scenarios.
Styling tips: How to use different hair accessories
Most hair accessories are straightforward, so you shouldn’t have a hard time learning how to use them.
Although, if you have always struggled with the execution there are plenty of tips and tricks to using different hairpins and clips for various hairstyles.
Keep in mind:
It could depend on your hair type.
I have very thick hair. Normally, I have to straighten it before I do anything else. Otherwise, there’s a good chance I’m not going to be able to use most hair accessories.
Even the largest claw clips won’t work for more than half my hair. Most bobby pins aren’t strong enough to hold my hair into place unless I use hundreds.
On the flip side, there are also a lot of clips that aren’t going to work for people with thin hair.
You just have to get to know your hair and figure out the best options.
Common hair accessory options:
- Bobby pins
- Snap clips
- Barrettes
- Claw clips
- Spin pins
- Headbands
- Hair combs
Figuring out the perfect hair tools might not seem like the most natural thing for everyone to do.
It just takes a little experimentation, and everyone can find something.
Keep in mind that bobby pins are great for just about everyone if you learn hot to use them properly.
You can turn them into unique DIY hair accessories by adding a little bit of decoration to the ends. So you will be able to hide the bobby pin and class up your look at the same time.
DIY Hair Accessories for Babies
There isn’t a wide selection of hair accessories for babies because they typically don’t have a whole lot of hair.
Even if they do, you don’t want to give infants anything that could be a choking hazard.
Plus, trying to use the wrong hair ties could just lead to breaking their little hair strands too soon.
So headbands and hats are going to be the only options. I know, it might not sound like a very exciting selection, but it’s more than enough to get you started.
The rest is up to you.
All you have to do is work on providing a wide variety to go with their little outfits. It will be much easier than you think to come up with the cutest decorations for adorable headbands.
Headbands galore
When it comes to headbands for infants, there are two options:
Nylon headbands or head wraps.
The nylon headbands can be spiced up with some hot glue and whatever you want to put on them.
That could be anything from fake flowers, or cute shapes cut out of felt. It depends on the look you’re going for.
You just need to make sure that you aren’t using anything that will come off easily and become a choking hazard.
The head wraps are going to require a little more skill on your part to sew them together. Sewing isn’t going to be difficult because it only demands simple stitching anyway.
Feel free to make them with cute fabric. Then you can add anything you want. Most people like to use the same fabric to create a cute bow.
There are also no-sew versions of these headbands for anyone who is concerned with their sewing skills.
However, you are going to need to pick up proper fabric tape or glue. They also might not be quite as secure as the sewed variety.
Help Your Kids Express Their Style with DIY Hair Accessories
Making hair accessories for your older kids can be even more fun because they can help and learn how to make their own.
Not only will they be getting new accessories, but they will also be able to tell their friends they made it themselves.
So if they like a particular hair bow or clip that you made, you can teach them how to make them too. That could lead to a whole new world of hobbies that they will enjoy for years.
But that’s not all:
It could also be a nice break from electronics. Considering how much time kids spend using technology these days, crafting is always a wonderful alternative.
Gorgeous hair bows
Hair bows are always an adorable accessory for your kids. Although you might even want to make some classy hair bows for yourself.
You can pull half their hair up and clip in a little bow to cover the hair tie or attach the bow to a hair tie. Whatever you want to do!
The quick tutorial below teaches you how to execute the cute little bow, but feel free to get even more creative.
Add little gems or attach it to any kind of clip or hair tie. The possibilities are endless.
Don’t forget that this is a great way for kids of certain ages to learn how to sew a simple project.
However, they may need adult supervision during the process considering all the sharp objects involved.
But you could cut out the materials ahead of time. Then use a fabric marker to outline where they should sew and how far apart the stitches should be.
To finish it off, you can help them attach the bow to a hair clip with some hot glue so they can easily put it in their hair whenever they want.
Shrinky dink bobby pins
Believe it or not, you don’t just have to buy fancy bobby pins for your kids to have all different patterns or unique styles.
Recently, Aztec print has been especially popular. So simple designs, like triangles and arrowheads, have been all the rage.
Instead of overpaying for a few pins, you could just let your kids recreate their favorites with shrinky dinks.
You will only need some shrink film, scissors, paint, and hot glue to create any design they want as a hair accessory.
Once you shrink the designs, you can use hot glue to adhere it to a bobby pin. The only other thing you need is some metallic paint to make the design stand out in their hair!
Repurpose some old t-shirts and make some headbands
Alright, so you might have heard of no-sew headbands. Many kids I know sell them for fundraisers because they are so quick and easy to make.
They are easier to make than a sewed version because you can use hot glue or fabric tape to avoid having to sew the edges.
The lack of sewing isn’t even the coolest thing about these headbands, there are also many tutorials that teach you how to turn a cut up t-shirt into a cute woven headband.
You Might Grow Up, but You Don’t Grow out of Hair Accessories
As adults, many of us spend a lot less time crafting and being creative.
Between all of our other responsibilities, we don’t have the time to sit down and make anything. That could be part of the reason many of us don’t wear hair accessories to begin with.
After all, most of us tend to skip on the sparkling butterfly clips or bright colors.
Not that there’s anything wrong with them, but we need something that’s better suited to our outfits or professional appearance. At least, for most jobs.
And the truth is simple:
Classy hair accessories can be expensive.
It doesn’t make sense most of the time because a majority of hair accessories are made out of cheap plastic or thin metal. We also tend to lose them after one or two uses.
But then again:
I suppose that’s where they get you to come back for more. It’s also the reason we buy what feels like thousands of bobby pins at one time.
Although anything that has a little more glam, or a unique design, is going to cost extra. Most of the time it’s not extra money that we are willing to spend.
Would you rather get another dress or blouse, or get a hair accessory that you’re going to lose right away?
It’s always a no-brainer when I’m shopping. I always skip out on the hair accessories because they’re ridiculously overpriced.
So if there is a way to save money and still get all the hair accessories I’ve always wanted, count me in!
Classy Bobby Pins
Bobby pins are simple and meant to disappear into your hair. Although if you’re using them to put your hair up into a classy updo, you should consider making pearl pins or other beaded bobby pins.
It’s so easy!
You will need:
- Strong bobby pins
- Thin wire
- Large beads of your choice
- Wire cutting pliers
All you have to do is cut a short piece of wire and put the bead of your choice in the middle. String both sides of the wire through the hole to make sure there are loops holding the bead in place.
Then wrap the wire ends around the end of the bobby pin to secure it in place.
Ta-da!
It’s as simple as that, as you can see in the tutorial.
Of course, you’re going to have to learn how to put your hair up into different hairstyles to show off your cute new pins.
However:
That ends up being a huge bonus because learning new updos isn’t as hard as you would think. It just takes some extra practice and many people don’t bother.
But think about it, we are rolling into the 2020s and beyond. It’s time to bring back some classy styles!
Bring back the elegant hair combs
Hair combs have been ignored for years.
If anything, we assume they’re just something people used throughout history because they didn’t have as many choices as we do now.
That couldn’t be further from the truth.
They hold your hair in place like nothing else and are often only used to create an elegant wedding hairstyle.
These days you can find a lot of plain options for hair combs because people still used them. But they prefer to hide them in the hairstyle.
They are used entirely for function and completely ignored as a fun fashion choice.
But:
Plain hair combs are affordable and easy to decorate on your own time.
I even had a few that had a crisscross beaded design that attached to two combs.
So you could put your hair up in a french twist and slide a comb in either side with a stretchy beaded design to hold the hair in place.
Although to decorate your own hair combs, you only need some thin wire to secure the design and decorative tools of your choice.
That might include beads, fake flowers, or even a centerpiece from a necklace if you have one with a decorative piece in the middle, like this:
You could also find a cute bracelet that has fasteners similar to a necklace. Attach each end to two small hair combs. Then you can use it as a headband or as an accent to an updo.
It’s all up to you and your creativity!
Double it up: A headband and necklace in one
Consider making a convertible piece that doubles as both a necklace and a headband.
I wanted to include this option because I’m not always interested in wearing headbands myself. As much as I love them, it depends on the outfit and whether I feel like bothering with them.
I would absolutely get more use out of something that could double as a necklace.
It might be easier than you think because you could just convert some of your old necklaces into headbands.
The only thing you need to do is take a hair tie and connect both ends of the necklace to it. Then it will flex and stretch like any good headband.
But that’s not all:
It can also be converted back to a normal necklace at any time.
So this is a great way to make a multi-purpose accessory out of any necklace, for kids or adults.
Hair Accessories Are for Everyone — Time to Make Your Own
DIY hair accessories are for everyone!
There are so many ideas out on the internet, you just need to do a little research and come up with fun ideas.
Never forget, there is always a way to make something if you’re willing to get creative.
Think outside the box and use hair accessories that you’ve never tried before.
You might be pleasantly surprised and find that there are so many more choices that have been laying in wait this whole time.
You might have just assumed they would never work for you.
But here’s the thing:
As adults, we tend to remember all the cheesy crafts we made when we were younger and shy away from it now.
But no matter what you made when you were little, you are a thousand times more capable of pulling it off now.
Think of the whole experience as your first professional jewelry making venture and you will be well on your way.
Also, don’t feel limited by the suggestions you see here. Try adding flowers or diving even deeper into your creativity to make a beaded masterpiece.
The possibilities are endless!
Have you created any of your own DIY masterpieces for your hair? Tell us all about it in the comments!
Leave a Reply