Tutorial: Layered Valentine Heart Hair Bow

Back when Funky PolkaDot Giraffe was just a little Etsy Shop,

one of my best sellers during Valentine's Day was this cute little layered heart hair clip.
My little Miss Isabella was my darling model -
even though she didn't have much hair back then . . .

I thought I'd share a tutorial with you so you can get the little

lady in your life all festive in time for Valentine's Day.

STEP ONE

Cut four pieces of 3/8" ribbon in the following lengths:

5", 5 1/2", 6", 6 1/2"

You can use as many different ribbon colors as you'd like.

I cut my ribbon with a wood burning tool, but if you cut yours with scissors,

then you'll need to heat seal the ends of your ribbon pieces so they don't fray.

 

STEP TWO
Start with your longest piece of ribbon (the 6 1/2" piece) and pinch it in half,
so that the "right sides" are touching. Add a little dab of glue on the inside of the
"V" formation you've just created, so the ribbon piece stays as a "V".

STEP THREE

Pinch your 6" piece of ribbon in the same fashion, put a little dab of glue on the inside,

and then slide the 6 1/2" piece into that "V" with the dab of glue to put them together.

Do the same thing with the other 2 pieces, until you have a flying goose kind

of concoction going on with your ribbon - from longest to shortest.

STEP FOUR

Starting with the bottom piece of your flying "V, cross the ends over one another to 

make a cute little heart shape - like below.

STEP FIVE

Grab the next piece of ribbon above your cute little heart and make another heart

by crossing the ends over one another again, but this time, make sure you

glue the two little hearts together at the same time.

STEP SIX

Do the same with the other 2 pieces of ribbon, carefully layering, so that you

can see all the layers of the cute heart you've just completed.

STEP SEVEN

Finally, glue the heart to your covered alligator clip

(see the mini-tut below for how I like to cover my alligator clips)

by gluing the top of the heart to the part of the alligator clip that opens like a mouth.

Then glue the bottom of the heart to the part of the clip that you pinch to open the clip.

 

They're so cute, you just might go crazy and make lots of different versions

of this darling little layered Valentine heart hair bow.

Don't forget to see the mini-tutorial below for how I like to cover alligator clips

with a piece of matching ribbon!

How to Cover an Alligator Clip

1. Start with about a 4" piece of ribbon and glue it to the bottom of the
portion of the alligator clip that you pinch to open.
2. Add a little dab of glue on the inside of the pinching part and poke the ribbon
into little opening. Flip the ribbon up over the top, and put a little dab
of glue at the top portion of the pinching part and glue down.
3. Glue the ribbon along the top portion of the alligator clip, partially opening
the clip as you do so, so you don't glue it together.
Then, open the clip wide and glue the little tail on the inside top part of the clip.