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You are here: Home / Craft Basics / How to Make Cheer Bows

07.16.19 By Angie Leave a Comment

How to Make Cheer Bows

Ready to learn how to make cheer bows? The process is actually really simple once you have our secret weapon: the Bowdabra! We are going to call this your extra set of hands when making hair bows like these. Plus, we are going to go over some tips and tricks for adding heat transfer vinyl to your ribbon bows as well! Follow along for my step by step cheer bow tutorial.

Cheer bow tutorial supplies:

  • Bowdabra Bow Maker
  • Ribbon
  • Heat Transfer Vinyl
  • Cricut Machine
  • Cricut EasyPress or Iron
  • Stiffen Spray (optional)
  • Ruler
  • Scissors
  • Lighter
  • Hot Glue and Glue Gun
  • Pony Tail Holders

supplies to make cheer bowsWhat is the Bowdabra?

First, the Bowdabra is a piece that helps to hold your ribbon when making a wide variety of bows for a wide variety of projects. You will get the Bowdabra itself as well as some wire in the package. It also comes with a full set of instructions for making a wide variety of bows but we will also share that information below.

bowdabra bow makerWhat type of ribbon should you use?

I actually used a few different types of ribbon to make the cheer bows in this post. I would suggest a 2 1/2 to 3 inch wide ribbon for large bows and smaller widths when making smaller bows. You can use wire edged ribbon if you want the bows to be able to hold their shape on their own. The large bows require about 28 inches of ribbon while the smaller bows need about 18 inches of length.

how to use the bowdabraFor just plain grosgrain ribbon, you can use a stiffener spray over the surface and allow it to dry before beginning. This is optional but will keep your bows standing up.

using stiffener spray to stiffen ribbonUsing the Bowdabra to Make Hair Bows:

Start by adding wire into your Bowdabra as shown below.

adding wire to bowdabraThe fold your ribbon as shown below. Make sure the bow is approximately even.

folding ribbon for cheer bowsAdd the ribbon to the Bowdabra as shown below.

adding ribbon for hair bows to bowdabraYou will want to push it all the way to the bottom.

how to add ribbon to bowdabra for hair bowsThen use the second piece of the Bowdabra to push your ribbon down.

pressing ribbon down in bowdabraWrap the ribbon around the center and pull tight. Use it to lift the bow out of the Bowdabra.

tie wire on ribbon with bowdabraTighten and twist the wire several times to create your bow.

tie center of bow with wire to make ribbon bowsYou can fluff the bow at this point and make sure everything looks okay.

fluffing hair bow made from ribbonUse the wire to attach a pony tail holder to the back.

adding pony tail holder to a hair bowCut the ends of your ribbon into a “V” by folding in half. You can burn the ends of your ribbon with a lighter to prevent fraying.

cutting ends of ribbon into a vCut a small piece of a different ribbon.

adding ribbon center to cheer bowsWrap it around the center and secure with a bit of hot glue in the back.

using hot glue to secure back of hair bowsTrim to length and again use a lighter to burn the end.

burning the cut edges of ribbonAdding Heat Transfer Vinyl to Bows:

You can definitely stop with a plain bow, but why not add some heat transfer vinyl and make them extra special!

adding iron on to cheer bowsCut the heat transfer vinyl into any design using your Cricut machine. Weed away excess vinyl and lay it out on your bow.

cheer bow tutorial - Darice 156I usually cover my bows with a protective sheet when ironing in order to protect the ribbon.

applying htv to ribbon bowsThen use your Cricut EasyPress or your iron to adhere your heat transfer vinyl according to the directions on the package.

using cricut easypress to add iron on to cheer bowsRemove the protective liner.

cricut easypress adding heat transfer vinyl to ribbonYou now have a cheer bow that has an added design.

cheer bows with htv designI did a few different cheer bows! You can make these in any colors and add any designs that you wish.

Make these hair bows for an entire squad or just your favorite cheerleader.

how to make cheer bowsYou can also use this same method to make ribbon bows for your daughter.

cheer bow tutorial - Darice 1

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Angie

Angie blogs at The Country Chic Cottage where you can find creative crafts, vintage finds, home decor, and DIY all with a little farmhouse flair. Angie has been blogging for several years and is married with three kids. Stop by her blog where you will find everything from small, quick crafts to major furniture and home makeovers.

http://www.thecountrychiccottage.net/

Filed Under: Craft Basics, Kids Crafts Tagged With: bow, bowdabra, cheery bows, kids, ribbon

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Darice was founded in 1954, by Pat Catan, an entrepreneur from humble beginnings who valued hard work and dedication. Today, Darice Inc. is a premier manufacturer and wholesale distributor in the craft industry.

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