I love a really easy grab-n-go activity that keeps kids busy, doesn’t take up space, and can simply be discarded or passed on when we’re done with it! Craft stick puzzles are a win in this way: they’re so flat and easy to pack, they can even be kept in my slim shoulder bag!

This shape matching activity is ideal for classrooms, for road trips, for long plane rides, or any time you’ll enjoy something nice and compact for on the go.

Tips for making this shape matching activity

Before we start, here are some crafting tips and ideas for variations to get the most out of your shape matching activity.

Your Puzzle Base

I used craft sticks to make this shape matching puzzle, because it’s affordable, accessible, and flat! Go for jumbo tongue-depressor style ones, or, if you can find it, super jumbo craft sticks.

If you don’t have craft sticks, you can follow the same format using scraps of corrugated cardboard, or just cardstock. It just won’t be as neat and durable, but it’ll definitely work.

You can make an XL version for more permanent use as a playroom or classroom toy by using paint stirrers or similar wooden slats.

Adding the Shapes

In this tutorial, I show you how to create these craft stick puzzles using acrylic paint. You want something bright and opaque for kids to be able to see easily.

To do this, use a stiff-ish thin paintbrush. You’ll need to exercise some wrist control, and may want to keep things clean by outlining your shapes.

If you prefer to, you might have a much easier time using paint markers. I highly recommend POSCA markers if you can swing them – they’re opaque, long-lasting, and of superior quality. However, if you can’t, Ohuhu also makes a few versions of paint markers that work very well (their automatic ink ones are my favorite).

More shapes to draw & matchmaking tips

While this was absolutely created as a shape matching activity for basic shape recognition, don’t stop at that! Try creating other images for kids to match up, and think beyond the drawn shapes. Some ideas:

• Themed: florals for Spring, holiday shapes
• Unit-based, such as transportation/vehicles, animals, and more.
• Letter recognition
• Number recognition
• Color matching – use dot stickers split on two sticks
• Morse-style patterns for older kids
• Images clipped from magazines

You can see that with the basic format of this craft in place, the possibilities are endless.

Ways to use this shape matching activity

Here are some of my favorite ways to use any craft stick puzzles!

Taking it on the go

I love organizing simple activities in pencil cases in a travel binder, coupon file (see my ideas for a DIY travel activity kit here), or even in simple activity pouches.

This one is small and flat enough that it works in any of these settings – and even small enough to store in the car without too much clutter.

You can also attach magnets to the back and use it on a sheet pan as a magnetic activity.

Classroom lessons and applications

There are so many lessons to be learned from a simple activity like this:

• Counting
• Color identification
• Matching
• Pattern and sequencing
• Visual Perceptual Skills
• Fine Motor Coordination

Of course, you can add to the mix by swapping out the themes like I did above. You can add social skills by playing games with this (such as racing games, or give each kid a stack, and have them swap with friends the parts that they’re missing, like open-card go-fish style).

Since this is inexpensive, you can make a few sets and have it as a classroom center activity and quiet time toy.

How to make a craft stick puzzle shape matching activity

Here’s the step by step process to craft these. Of course, do it as you’d like.

What you’ll need

• 16 jumbo craft sticks
• Acrylic craft paints in black, white and primary/ROYGBIV colors (recommended for preschool kids for early color recognition.) Alternatively, use paint markers
• Washi, masking, or painter’s tape
• Paintbrush if using craft paints
• Pencil

Step by Step Instructions

1. Gather all supplies. Using a low tack paper tape, attach eight sets of two jumbo craft sticks together.

2. I recommend outlining your shapes on a separate paper to keep things consistent. I recommend: a circle, a square, a rectangle, a triangle, a heart, and a diamond. For big kids, you can add more complex shapes like hexagons, trapezoids, etc. Select one color of craft paint for each shape.

3. Using a pencil, trace three shapes onto each set of jumbo craft sticks. Make the combination of shapes random. Make the center of the shape (especially those with a distinct center point like diamonds and hearts) fall on the space between the sticks.

4. Basecoat the hearts with red acrylic craft paint. Let dry, then apply a second coat if necessary.

5. Basecoat the rectangles with orange acrylic craft paint. Let dry, then apply a second coat if necessary. Note: these are just color suggestions, as I did it. Feel free to adapt with your own colors.

6. Basecoat the triangles with yellow acrylic craft paint. Let dry, then apply a second coat if necessary.

7. Basecoat the squares with green acrylic craft paint. Let dry, then apply a second coat if necessary.

8. Basecoat the circles with blue acrylic craft paint. Let dry, then apply a second coat if necessary.

9. Basecoat the diamonds with purple acrylic craft paint. Let dry, then apply a second coat if necessary.

10. Once all the paint is dry, remove the washi tape or painter’s tape. Mix up the craft sticks and play the game.

Mix the sticks up and let your preschooler match them back!

And of course, pin the image below to share it with a fellow parent or teacher!

The post Shape Matching Activity – DIY Popsicle Stick Travel Toy for Toddlers appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

Tulle is a fabulous material for Spring crafting. It’s light, airy, and you can get sparkly varieties too! With the outdoors becoming more accessible, it’s a fun way to dress up a party or event too.

But one of my favorite things to do with it is to create fun little accessories for my little self-proclaimed princess. She loves bows.

The thing with the “terrible terrific twos” is that you always gotta give them a CHOICE and today, when I gave A a choice of bows, she chose her pink sparkly ones (below).

So I figured it’s time to share the tutorial for how to make a tulle bow. It’s SO easy.

It took a grand total of half an hour for me to make the six pictured in this tutorial!!

How to make a tulle bow: the basic process

The basic process for how to make a tulle bow is simple: loop layers of tulle ribbon in your choice of width (more on that below).

Gather it together in the center with a needle and thread. No, you don’t need to SEW sew. You’re just threading it through once and winding it around the center to create a good, gathered cinch.

Finish it off with a ribbon – or whatever you’d like, more ideas on that below. And attach it to whatever you’d like, in this case, an alligator clip.

The loops on the sides of the bow are left CLOSED for a simple reason: it’s sturdier this way.

You’re layering it to get that gauzy depth but there’s no need to open them up. You CAN if you want, but you’ll find that it gets messy quicker that way.

Closed, it flows beautifully, with a soft curve, and gentle pleats. And everything stays in place.

Which materials are best for making tulle bows

The best tulle to use

To make these, I used tulle ribbon that is 6 cm (about 2.5-3 inches) wide.

You can go with wider if you have a hard time finding this size. Your bows will come out larger. You can also cut 6 inch tulle ribbon in half along the length.

Play around with different types of tulle – sparkles, stars, ombres… whatever suits your needs!

How to finish the center

The center of your tulle bow is held together using a needle and thread. However, that’s not very pretty. I used ribbons from my big stash of scrap ribbon – and it is a fabulous stash buster! I wound them around more than once for two reasons:

1. I was working with some narrower ribbons that looked better this way.
2. Even the thicker ones looked better wrapped a few times because it mimics that depth that you have with the layered tulle.

My ribbon came from a mix of dollar store lace trim and Michaels scrap packs.

You don’t have to stick with ribbon!

Try rolling a length of tulle into the right size and wrapping that. Add a large button to the center to cover the thread instead of ribbon (or in addition to).

If you’re averse to sewing (or like the look) you can wrap a very small hair tie in the center. Use a clear one if you’re doing it instead of sewing and wrapping ribbon on top, or a decorative one if you’re using it instead of ribbon. Make sure to glue it in place!

The base

Since I made these as pigtail clips, I made them small and used a 1 inch alligator clip as a base.

You can also make it larger and glue it onto a barrette or headband.

Make it jumbo to top a special person’s gift.

Glue it onto a hair tie and secure with a felt circle or extra ribbon on the back.

A few variations on how to make a tulle bow

As you can see, I made my tulle bows as small hair clips. If you’re making a larger accessory, try the following:

Instead of just cutting loops, cut LAYERS instead, leaving enough extra as the “tails” of the bow. Cross the two ends over the center and cinch together to form a bow with tails.

Try making two bows in two different sizes and before finishing with ribbon, glue the small on the large to make a double bow. Secure with ribbon around both layers.

Try adding embellishments such as large buttons, rhinestones, small fabric flower appliques, or similar in the center.

When you’re done giving this tutorial a go, you’ll want to learn how to make a hair bow out of ribbon!

Then, check out my tutorial on how to crochet a bow (even if you’re not a pro!) and try to make DIY fabric bows too.

What you need to make tulle bows

• 2.5 inch tulle ribbon (or cut 6 inch in half)
• Scissors
• Ribbon scraps
• Needle and thread
• Alligator clips about 1-1.5 inches
• Hot glue gun – I love Cricut’s – it’s easy to use and works well

How to make a tulle bow – the easiest way!

If you prefer, you can learn how to make a tulle bow using the full length video on Youtube!

1. Wind the tulle around your four fingers (or a piece of cardboard you can cut to the width you want your bow to be, if you prefer to work that way). I did it about 4-5 times per bow, but you can adjust according to your taste.

2. Remove it from your fingers and trim from the roll of tulle. Don’t worry if the layers aren’t totally even – this variation adds character!

3. Have your needle and thread ready to go. Holding it so that the folds are on the right and left sides, cinch it in the center. Ideally, you’re first folding in half, and then folding each side down.

4. With your other hand, poke the needle through all layers and pull all the way through. It should mostly hold at this point, but don’t let go yet.

5. Wrap your thread around the center of your bow a few times to get a beautiful cinch going in the center.

6. Now poke your needle back through to secure, pull, knot and trim your thread off.

7. Take a piece of ribbon, and glue the end to the back of your bow.

8. Flip your bow over and wrap it around 2-3 times, or until you’re happy 🙂

9. If you’d like, you can glue on the clip before your last wrap is final. Glue the end of your ribbon in place on the back and trim.

Make your bow a pigtail partner if you’d like!

And try making it in another color!

I realized that I had an old tutorial that wasn’t as good, that demonstrates how to make a tulle bow with separated layers of fabric, so I figured I’d plop that here to show you how I’ve done it in the past. You can still read the tutorial on how to make big hair bows.

This bow is much larger and less full.

How to make tulle hair bows

Here’s a similar but slightly different way to make a tulle hair bow.

1. Layer a few pieces of tulle in the length you want (I layered 5 pieces).

2. Cut a length of thread. Accordion fold your tulle layers.

3. Wrap the thread around the center of the tulle, holding the accordion in place.

4. Glue the end of a bunched up piece of tulle ribbon to the back. Wrap a bunch of times until you’re happy with the thickness. Trim and glue in the back.

I hope you enjoyed learning how to make a tulle bow! What should I share next? Comment below!

The post How to Make a Tulle Bow appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

If you have a child in your home, then chances are you are constantly trying to find ways to cope with fidgeting. Even if your child doesn’t have ADHD, kids like to do things with their hands. 

There are a ton of great fidget toys and accessories out there that are amazing to purchase! You can get big assortments to spread out over time and use as prizes. However, you can also make your own, giving your family new unique fidget tools, and getting creative. These fidget DIY ideas are fabulous and so easy to make yourself! They are creative solutions to solve your child’s fidget problems or help you with your fidgeting.

Of course, there’s always doodling and friendship bracelet making (which was my “fidget” as a kid) but if that’s not relevant for you, give these a go instead!

Here are the best fidget DIY ideas you can make yourself.

Fidget DIY Toys & Accessories

These fidget DIY tutorials include such unique ideas that are inspired by different fidget toys you might find! They include a fun accessory too… 

My favorite fidgets are those that have multiple ways to use them and fidget with them as some of these do.

DIY Fidget Toy by Steamsational

Dig into your recycling bin to make this fun soda tab fidget! Double check that there are no sharp edges first and then have fun crafting a basically free fidget DIY.

Easy Fidget Spinner DIY by Red Ted Art

Fidget spinners might not be a trend now, but they’re still so much fun, and a fabulous tool for kids who need to do something with those hands! Why not DIY them using… paper?! I figure these are probably quieter than their plastic counterparts. You can try this origami version too!

How to Make a Zipper Bracelet by Moms and Crafters

I crafted these zipper bracelets as a travel toy for my kids. With a whole stack handy, they can connect them and link them. However, they make great fidgets too! I got a colorful pack of zippers and paracord buckles, and made them each a few. They zip and unzip them and have fun buckling them.

DIY Pencil Topper Fidget Toy by The OT Toolbox

A simple pencil-top fidget is exactly where your kid needs it to aid with concentration! And it looks cute too.

How to Make a DIY Fidget Spinner with LEGOs by Creative Green Living

LEGO always wins by me! And did you know you can make a fidget spinner with them? While you might not want to use this one in the classroom, you can use it as a homework helper.

DIY Fidget Spinner by All for the Boys

Craft a metal fidget spinner from scratch! This tutorial is so cool, and a fabulous workshop project for tweens. They love creating functional end products and this one is a win.

Fidget DIY Cubes

Infinity fidget cubes make a fabulous STEM project. The small cube shape fits easily in a pocket and you can customize the shapes as you need.

Infinity Cube Fidget Toy DIY by Moms and Crafters

One of our favorite DIY fidgets, an infinity cube made from wooden cubes is so much fun! It’s one of those long-living crafts that we made years ago and still use! The ideal size that we tested is ¾ inch wooden cubes but you can make them larger or smaller. Use mini “ducklings” tape rolls in different prints to add style!

DIY LEGO Infinity Fidget Cube by Lemon Lime Adventures

Pull out that LEGO stash and craft an infinity cube with that! Isn’t  this a brilliant idea? It doesn’t use too many bricks and your kid can actually make a functional project!

DIY LEGO Fidget Cube by Frugal Fun 4 Boys

I was always wondering if there’s a good tutorial out there for the clicky-type fidgets but couldn’t find them. Well, here you go: use LEGO! You can definitely get creative with this one!

Stress & Fidget DIY Balls 

While fidget spinners and cubes might be more of a new concept, we grew up on squishy balls! We didn’t think of them as fidgets, but that’s exactly what they were. These fidget DIY ideas mimic the stress balls of our own childhoods!

How To Make Squishies by The Chaos and the Clutter

Whether you choose to make them as Emojis or something else, these DIY squishies make fabulous crafts! Kids can get super creative. It’s a fun sleepover or birthday party activity, with a functional take-home prize.

DIY Stress Balls with Netting by Living Life as Moms

Those stress balls with the netting are so much fun to squish! Kids (and maybe adults too) love to see the stuff squish between the holes in the netting. Make your own using this simple tutorial!

Sensory Balls by Teaching Ideas

As kids, we made our own squishy balls using balloons! Craft these the old fashioned way for a fun little project! The tutorial includes loads of ideas for what you can put inside.

How to Make Water Bead Stress Ball by Mom Brite

One of the most satisfying fillings for stress balls is water beads (Orbeez or similar). Learn how to make your own water bead stress balls! Important: un-made water beads are an extreme danger if swallowed so be very very careful to keep them out of reach of kids!

More Fidget DIY Ideas

These fidget DIY ideas don’t quite fit anywhere but I had to include them here! Enjoy!

Fidget Spinner Case DIY by Moms and Crafters

Got a fidget spinner to carry around? This easy one is hand-sewn from felt and embroidery floss. And the zipper handle serves as its own fidget!

Thinking Putty by Natural Beach Living

Unlike slime, thinking putty does not quite stick to everything (though you’ll still want it handled responsibly). It has resistance and helps work those little fingers. Make your own using this fabulous recipe.

DIY Marble Maze by Apple Green Cottage

I love the idea of making DIY fidgets because sometimes it inspires things that you just won’t find elsewhere. This DIY marble maze is so cool! It’s completely tactile and your kids will love doing it again and again.

DIY Fidget Toolkit by Growing Hands on Kids

While not exactly a completely from-scratch fidget, this DIY toolkit shows you how to create a repertoire you can dig into as needed. You can fill it with the above fidget DIY ideas too!

Got any fidget DIY inspiration to add to the list? Comment below!

The post 16+ Incredible Fidget DIY Ideas appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

Enjoy these free printable stroller cards to help you while out and about with your kids! I hope my mom-to-mom tips for going out with kids of different ages helps you too. This post is sponsored by Ergobaby.

The joys of welcoming a new baby brings with it new adjustments, and one that was unique was going out with Y and Princess A together. Y is young enough to wander off, still needs help with buckling in, and is needy. Princess is, well, a baby.

Today I’m going to share with you a fantastic stroller that has really made “out and about” easier, along with some of my best tips for balancing going out with multiple young children. And finally, I illustrated some sweet stroller cards that I’m offering as a free printable!

What are stroller cards, you ask?

It’s kind of like a picture book, only in card format. It’s designed to be attached to the stroller so that you don’t lose it. This set is kind of like a scavenger hunt as well, with pictures of things you might see when out and about. And I’m going to share with you below why they are so awesome.

The Ergobaby Metro+ Stroller

Here’s the deal: When heading out with multiple kids, you need something you can handle on your own, but is super comfy, has space to toss things into the bottom, and doesn’t occupy your entire trunk. I know this because dealing with bulky strollers was really getting to me, until I tried this this one.

The Ergobaby Metro+ Stroller does all this. That means that Princess A can nap, while I focus on Y. It’s easy to take in and out with one hand, meaning I can hold Y’s hand while setting things up for A. The adjustable handlebar makes it comfortable for me. And the generous basket can hold all the snacks…

We took Princess A and Y out for a test walk the other day. A had fun in her new stroller, in her own words “lalalalal laaaa!” That’s singing in her world. She then proceeded to get cozy and in went the thumb. The soft, plush padding is absolutely my favorite stroller feature – it’s the most comfortable ultra-compact stroller. And the leg rest is adjustable. That means that combined with the flat recline A can really relax. Having a comfortable baby means that she’s content, and our trips out are so much more pleasant!

We are fortunate enough to live in a corner of New York City that has plenty of nature, and we love just walking around our neighborhood. I’m using this as a new everywhere stroller, even for local walks.

On that note, I need to mention that the stroll was so smooth. Those little wheels pack a powerful punch without taking over my car (or my tiny entry closet).

Survival Tips for Out ‘n About with Multiple Children

The past eight months have definitely been an adjustment, so I wanted to share some tips I’ve learned.

• Snacks are everything – Bring all the snacks. Bring three times what you think you’ll need. Don’t just bring snacks for your older kids! Bring energizing snacks for yourself as well. And if baby is of snacking age, bring for him or her as well.

• Comfort is also everything – Comfort for me means I have more energy. Comfort for my baby means she’s more likely to stay in the stroller. The Ergobaby Metro+ Stroller has a soft, plush padded cushioned seat, perfect for naps on-the-go. And an adjustable handlebar is more ergonomic for me.

• You’ll always need a free hand – That means that you’ll want to keep things as single-handed as possible. When going out with multiple kids, I always bring a diaper bag that has a comfortable shoulder strap, or a backpack, and I try to keep it from becoming too heavy. If it’s too heavy, I place it on the bottom of the stroller. The Ergobaby Metro+ Stroller’s single-handed fold means I can keep one hand free for Y or for holding Princess A.

• Have a system: Over time, we developed a system. I stop the car, open the doors (hooray for minivans and power doors!), set up the stroller, put in baby, wheel around to other door, let out the older sibling to hold on to the stroller. Sometimes Y does NOT cooperate with my best laid out plans. In that case, I tell him to hold onto the door handle OR to hold my hand as I set up the stroller.

• Speak in positives: Instead of telling your child “don’t run away”, tell your child what he or she SHOULD do. For example, telling a child to hold onto a specific spot of the stroller, or, as mentioned above, the door handle, can be very effective.

• Entertainment: If you’re running your own errands with kids (as opposed to going to the park or doing kid-friendly outings) they can get bored. These free printable stroller cards make perfect on-the-go entertainment. Y enjoyed finding the things pictured on the cards. He also named the images out loud for A.

• Enlist help: Children are more likely to cooperate if they feel helpful. I use this trick for M, who is seven. I put him in charge of things and he feels big and responsible. Y sometimes follows suit and helps as well.

Print and assemble the stroller cards

As promised, I created a set of stroller cards for you to download for free and print for yourself! I digitally illustrated these special for this post, with pictures of things you might find while out and about.

The idea is to entertain, and to take advantage of having multiple children to teach baby some language. Indeed, Y called out the images to A while out and about on our walks. The template features curved edges and I laminated it to make it more baby friendly.

I glued the cards back to back. You have twenty images so that makes ten cards. That is a lot – you can even do five cards (with ten images) and it’ll be highly entertaining.

I laminated them using 5 mil laminating sheets for durability and attached it to a toy tether, which you buy or DIY. It’s designed to work similarly to a board book that’s attached to the stroller so that you don’t have to keep track of it.

To download: enter your email address in the form below and submit. Your download will arrive in your inbox. By submitting your email address you’re consenting to receive email updates from me and me only. I will not share your information with anyone.

If you have any issues or need help, please reach out to me at menucha@momsandcrafters.com

 

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What are your favorite features of the Ergobaby Metro+ Stroller? Got any questions about it or tips for moms out and about with multiple children? Comment below!

This post is sponsored by Ergobaby.

The post Free Printable Stroller Cards & the Ergobaby Metro+ Stroller appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

No one appreciates a teacher more than a mom on the last day of summer vacation! This back to school teacher gift basket is a practical one that includes items teachers really want, but with style and flair! This post was created in partnership with Clorox, Kleenex, and Walmart, but all opinions are my own. 

Back to school season is almost here – yay!

Okay, I LOVE spending time with my kids. I love the shared summer experiences, sitting outside in the heat, with hours of sprinkler time, chalk play, and sharing jokes and stories.

However, as a busy work-at-home mom, it’s a relief when my balancing act is somewhat stabilized. And there’s something about the new school year, the fresh start, the scent of new clothes, backpacks, and school supplies…

So, as we look forward to a hopefully normal school year, we are enthusiastically exploring options for back to school teacher gift ideas. And I do believe we’ve hit the jackpot! 

While it can be tempting to hand teachers another mug, I like to think of back to school teacher gift ideas that include practical products that teachers can really use. Teachers tend to buy a lot of classroom supplies, cutting into their salary. Contributing toward these supplies, especially with consumables, is a fantastic way to really help the teacher out.

Clorox ®  Disinfecting Wipes are the perfect, easy to use solution for shared spaces such as bathrooms and will help us send our kid back to school confidently. It has been tested and proven to kill 99.9% of viruses and bacteria, and is the brand we can trust when hygiene matters! 

 Kleenex®  Brand Ultra Soft™ facial tissues are a classroom staple, and a must-have. Teachers go through a lot of these throughout the year and can always use another package. They are made with 3 layers to comfort the face and protect the hands. Plus, look how sweet their designs are! 

What inspired this back to school teacher gift basket

In this back to school teacher gift basket, I focused on hygiene, helping teachers be prepared, and filling the supply closet with essentials.

The products I already love make the best gifts, so I included things that are staples in our own home.

 To present it well, I picked up some adorable magazine files, a practical classroom organizational tool that can be used for multiple purposes. A box of Kleenex Ultra Soft facial tissues from the four-pack at Walmart fits snugly in the bottom, while a canister of Clorox (R) Disinfecting Wipes props in at the top.  

I personalized the files with cute hygiene-related teacher and classroom sayings and hand-lettered SVG files for you to do the same. Nothing upgrades a gift quite like a touch of humor, plus, it turns it into a cute themed gift basket.

One says “Spread knowledge not germs”. 

The other says “Share smiles not germs.” 

To finish it off, I created a little note that says “return with a clean slate” in a chalkboard look. This prints in a 4×4 inch size so it can be used as a card (write a note on the back and slip it into an envelope) or gift tag (punch a hole and string it onto a ribbon.)

The note comes in a PDF or PNG version – so that you can print it at home and cut it by hand, use a die cutting machine, or get it printed at a print shop. 

Teachers are our heroes, and a gift that is well-planned, meaningful, and well-presented can really show them how much we value them. Helping them be prepared with useful products that encourage hygiene in the classroom, just like we do at home, gives them a little bit more than just “stuff”.

Since we shop at Walmart already for school supplies, I was so excited to see these perfectly-sized multi-packs, to gift multiple teachers the brands we know and love. And the beautiful tissue boxes will look as amazing in the classroom as they already do in our home!

We shop Walmart in store, online, and with free pickup. Having everything we need in one place, at a great value, in the package sizes we need, helps make the back-to-school season so much less stressful so that we can enjoy those last few days of summer fun.

As we head into the new school year, with the hopes that it’ll be safe for our children and our teachers, without interruptions, we focus on teaching kids hygiene. With this back to school teacher gift basket, we are helping our teachers stay equipped so that they can focus on caring for and nurturing our children.

What you need to put this gift basket together

•  Kleenex Ultra Soft facial tissues
• Clorox (R) Disinfecting Wipes
• Magazine File
• Ribbon
• Cardstock paper for the card 

If you want to personalize the files:

• Vinyl
• A cutting machine
• Transfer tape
• Weeding tool
• Scraping tool

How to assemble this back to school teacher gift

1. Upload your SVG to the design application, resize to your desired dimensions, and cut it as you normally would. 

2. Weed out the parts that don’t belong – the outline and the insides of the letters. 

3. Apply transfer tape to the design, using a flat hard object such as a scraper. 

4. Place your design on the magazine file and use the scraper to adhere it well. Remove the transfer tape. 

5. Cut out the card or tag. Punch a hole and string it on ribbon, or place in an envelope to add to your gift basket. 

6. Place the tissue box on the bottom of the magazine file. Place the wipes canister on top. 

7. If you’d like, you can wrap it with a ribbon to complete the look. Or, shrink wrap, or wrap it in cellophane for a more professional, finished feel. 

Your back to school teacher gift basket is complete!

Download your free SVG and notecard files

Enter your email address and your downloads will arrive in your inbox as a ZIP folder. If you don’t know how to unzip files, you can learn how easily here.

By submitting your email address you’re consenting to receive email updates from me and me only. I will not share your information with anyone. If you have any issues or need help, please reach out to me at menucha@momsandcrafters.com.

 

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The post Back to School Teacher Gift with a Free SVG appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

Today I’m going to be sharing with you my Cricut Maker 3 Review as well as the cool zebra print wall we made in our Safari playroom! This post is sponsored by Cricut and contains affiliate links.

Since I started “Cricut crafting” just over a year and a half ago, I’ve been loving the incredible things the Maker can do. It’s seriously exploded the quality of my craft and allowed me to do so much more, as you can see with all the Cricut crafts I’ve shared in this space.

So how can things possibly get better?

Well, they can with the new generation of Cricut machines. As a matter of fact, the sample craft that I’ll share with you below would have required a bit of hacking to cut with the previous generation. But since the Cricut Maker 3 features long cuts and Smart Materials… It took minutes to cut it. Literally minutes.

Table of Contents:

• Cricut Maker 3 Review
• What’s new on the Maker 3 vs the Maker?
• In the Box with Your New Maker 3
• Cricut Maker 3 Review of Key Features
• What to get with the Cricut Maker 3
• What can you make with the Cricut Maker 3?
• You need
• Setting things up in Design Space
• How to make the safari decal

Cricut Maker 3 Review

First, I’m going to be sharing an in-depth Cricut Maker 3 review. Then, I’ll be sharing with you my first big project with the Maker 3 (we did some smaller test projects before attempting this one) complete with step-by-step instructions.

What’s new on the Maker 3 vs the Maker?

Matless cutting: One of the best things about the Maker 3 is compatibility with Smart Materials, and of course, the release of Maker-sized Smart Materials to go with it.

Smart Materials have a stiffer backing and can be be used without a mat, saving loads of time, especially for larger projects – but even for smaller projects.

Long cuts: Because of this new compatibility, you can create longer cuts, as you’re not limited to the size of your mat! You can cut up to 12 feet of repeating cuts with Smart Materials – that’s six times the two feet that you’re capped at with a mat. That means that the 79 inch wall decal that I made for my playroom was a breeze. Seriously, it opens up a whole new realm of crafting.

Speed: Once they’re remaking a machine, might as well make it faster, right? The Maker 3 is up to twice as fast as the Maker. It actually detects the optimal speed for your project and uses that. I’ve been finding that my vinyl and iron-on cuts have been going really quickly with the Maker 3. Each time I finish a craft I ask “already?!”

Accuracy: Part of the algorithm above also helps optimize smaller cuts for precision. So on large scale cuts like my zebra wall, you want speed and on that mandala shirt design you want accuracy. The Maker 3 gives you what you need for that cut.

There are cosmetic differences as well. The power adapter is different (they upgraded it to support 3 amps of output), the button styles have modernized, and of course, the color is new. There is also compatibility with the roll holder (sold separately) which means you have notches in place to secure it.

And before you ask, because I know you will yes, you CAN still use it with mats and regular materials! As a matter of fact, I recommend getting mats for your paper projects and the other 300+ materials it can cut, as well as your Smart Materials scraps that can be used on a mat. But more on that below…

In the Box with Your New Maker 3

Right out of the box you’ll find everything you need to get started using your Cricut Maker 3:

• The machine
• Premium Fine-Point Blade and housing – preinstalled
• USB Cable – so that you can connect your computer directly
• Power adapter and power cord
• Quick Start Guide and other documentation
• Material for a test cut that you’ll be prompted to do as you set up your machine
• Bonus materials – the machine actually comes with sample removable Smart Vinyl, Smart Iron-on, Smart Paper and transfer tape so that you can try these new materials out before deciding if you want to stock up.

Cricut Maker 3 Review of Key Features

So I’ve shared with you what makes this different from the Maker, but for those of you who haven’t tried the Maker family of machines yet, here are some cool things about the Maker 3:

• You can cut over 300 materials up to 2.4mm thick. Some of my favorites are leather, cardstock, vinyl, felt, quilting fabric, and even repurposed plastic folders!
• An adaptive tool system allows the use of 13 different types of blades and tools – including a knife blade for cleaner thicker cuts, a rotary blade for fabrics, engraving and debossing tools, and more.

• Write on your crafts using Cricut markers and pens. This might seem like a small detail, but if you’d have seen the debossed, machine-written place cards I helped my friend make for her sons’ Bar Mitzvah, you’d totally get it! This is also really cool on greeting cards and other paper crafts.
• Use Infusible Ink materials– including transfer sheets and pens – on compatible blanks to create longer lasting designs.
• Load materials onto one of four types of mats to secure them in place – a LightGrip mat, StandardGrip mat, StrongGrip Mat, or FabricGrip mat. Or, use Smart Materials without a mat.

• Connect wirelessly via Bluetooth or via USB and use your phone, tablet, or computer to create.
• The Maker 3 has a docking slot at the top to place your device. It also has a USB charging port at the side so that you can charge said device as you work.

• Use Design Space – the free design app – to plan your projects.
• Design Space has plenty of free designs and ready-to-make projects to get you started. Beyond that, you can upload your own designs. You can also sign up for Cricut Access for an incredible amount of additional projects (read my review on Is Cricut Access worth it?) If you’re new to Access, you can sign up for a free trial to go with your new machine.
• Just like the Maker, you get plenty of built-in storage, including an external cup that’s great for crafting and assembly tools as well as an internal compartment for your blades.

What to get with the Cricut Maker 3

When you purchase your new Cricut Maker 3, you’ll want to get the most out of it with some tools that help you make your projects, as well as a starter stash of materials. So what should you get?

Good-to-have – the roll holder: Let’s chat about the roll holder, because I’m absolutely obsessed with it. While you do not need this for making your Smart Materials projects, you’ll probably want it to get the most out of the seamless “bulk material on a roll” experience.

It attaches to the front of your machine to hold your Smart Materials in place as you feed it into the Maker 3. Since you’ll often be working off of larger rolls, this is a handy way to keep it in place while you go and do other things. The built-in cutter seriously streamlines the process, allowing you to trim your material as soon as the cut is finished.

Must-have – Machine Tools: Your machine comes with a fine point blade, which is great for your basic vinyl, iron-on, and paper cuts. If you are an avid paper crafter, you’ll want the scoring wheel. If you tend to cut thicker materials, such as thick leather, balsa wood, or chipboard, I recommend getting the knife blade. If you’ll be cutting fabric (or even stretchier fabric-like materials, like some faux leathers and felts) you’ll want a rotary blade. I LOVE the engraving tip for personalizing leather crafts, and engraving on plastic too.

Good-to-have – Pens: If you plan to paper craft with your Maker 3, I reccommend getting a set of fine tip pens to start with and then seeing how you use them and expanding from there. I use them in cardmaking, for party decor, and for making labels for school supplies.

Must have – Machine Mats: You’ll need basic mats for the crafts you do to go along with your machine! First of all, you’ll be able to use much more than the three Smart Materials. You’ll also get the most use out of your Smart Materials scraps with a mat. I recommend getting one mat of each to start with so that you have the one you need handy.

For lighter duty crafts, such as paper crafts, use a LightGrip mat. For vinyl, iron-on, and many other materials you’ll want a StandardGrip mat. And finally, for thicker materials such as leather, use a StrongGrip mat. If you plan to cut fabric, get the FabricGrip mat too.

Good-to-have – Hand Cutting Tools: While not a must, I do enjoy having some basic hand-cutting tools handy to help me trim my materials to size. These are also generally good crafting tools to have.

Must have – Basic Crafting tools: To help you work with and “weed” (remove the outline from) your projects, you’ll want some basic tools. As in, the Basic Tool Set. The weeding tool helps you weed, the Spatula helps you remove material from your mat, and the scraper ensures your material is adhered well.

Must have – Materials: Depending on your craft of choice, get a good starter stash of Smart Materials in neutral and basic colors. If you’ll be working with vinyl you’ll want transfer tape as well.

What can you make with the Cricut Maker 3?

Oh, the things you can make! First, of all, you can make everything you could with the Maker and Explore machines. Here are a few examples:

The Maker 3 is famous for cutting leather and similar thick materials. With long cuts, making wood signs – either by applying vinyl to wood or by using vinyl as a stencil – is much easier. One of my favorite long cuts is wall decals as I will demonstrate below.

Our new basement playroom came finished when we moved in, but I decided to throw some of our favorite decor pieces in there to turn it into a safari themed room. These were in the boys’ room in our old house and I felt it would add a playful touch to the basement.

I used the Cricut Maker 3 to add a zebra print decal to the wall. A decal like this one can also be painted over and used as a stencil. The room is really a central open area that leads to two bedrooms, and a bathroom, with closets as well. Therefore, it has lots of little bits of wall. This section between a closet and the bathroom was the perfect choice to add a little life to.

You need

• Cricut Maker 3
• Removable vinyl in your favorite color – get a 12 foot or longer roll
• Optional: roll holder
• Weeder
• Transfer tape
• XL Scraper
• Masking or painter’s tape
• Recommended: a second set of hands

Setting things up in Design Space

1. Create a new project and choose Image. Search for your specific image or search “long cut” for ideas. Select and insert your chosen image. Tip: if you’re a beginner, choosing something with fewer, larger parts like I did is much easier.

2. Note: I worked on this project on its side. So the width here is the height on the wall and vice versa…

Measure your wall and resize your zebra print so that the height (project) is the correct width for your wall. It’s too long for my wall and I don’t want to distort the print, so I’m going to trim it.

3. Once the height (H) is the correct measurement for your wall width, note the W width measurement on your project. Subtract the actual height of your wall, the height you need your decal to be. Write this down.

4. Go to shapes, choose a square and hit the unlock button.

5. Make the H of your rectangle the H of the zebra print. Make the W the difference that you came up with in step 3. Place the rectangle over your project and align it so that it’s perfectly centered over your print (center vertically) and aligned to the right.

6. While they are still both selected, hit Slice. You’ll now have four layers. Delete all but the main zebra print layer.

7. Your zebra print should now be the perfect size for your wall! Hit “make it” and follow the machine instructions to cut your project.

How to make the safari decal

1. Load your roll of vinyl into the roll holder and attach it to the machine. Follow machine prompts to load and cut your vinyl. Make sure you have a generous amount of space behind your machine for the loading and cutting stages – your entire decal will be coming out of the back slot. I pulled the table forward a little and let it feed between the table and wall and onto the floor.

2. Weed your project, removing the outline of your zebra print. Use a scraper to adhere transfer tape. Start from the top, removing the backing of the transfer tape as you go along. You may find it easier to work in increments with multiple pieces of transfer tape.

3. Without pulling off the backing, use masking tape to position your decal and tape it to the wall. Start pulling down your vinyl backing. I had my husband hold the decal from the bottom away from the wall. Be patient as you pull it away. The entire installation process took about fifteen minutes – not bad as far as home decor projects go, but not like ripping off a bandage!

4. When you’re happy with the positioning, work from the top downwards, from the center and out to the sides of each stripe. Use the XL scraper to transfer your design to the wall. Pull off the transfer tape slowly when you’re done. Again, you may want to trim the tape mid-way instead of working with a large piece.

Your Safari themed playroom mural is complete! Isn’t it so simple and cute?!

What’s going to be your first project you make with your new machine? Got any follow-up questions about this Cricut Maker 3 review? Comment below!

The post Cricut Maker 3 Review & A Safari Playroom Decal appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

Even before we brought our princess home from the hospital, she had a stash of bows. And hardly a day goes by when she doesn’t wear something pretty in her hair! Occasionally it’s a hat or a wrap headband but usually it’s a bow!

I hope you enjoy learning how to make hair bows with the various methods that I and many other bloggers have decided to share with the world. These easy tutorials use different methods, offer various degrees of difficulty, and are great for different age groups.

Scroll through to browse or click on the type that most interests you using the table of contents below:

• How to Make Hair Bows with Ribbon
• How to Make a Hair Bow out of Ribbon
• How to Make a Perfect Bow
• Pinwheel Hair Bow Tutorial
• Oversized Hair Bow
• How to Make Hair Bows with Tulle
• Big Tulle Hair Bows
• No Sew Tulle Hair Bow
• Tulle Hair Bow Puff
• How to Make Hair Bows with Cricut
• Cricut Hair Flower Accessories
• Basic Hair Bow with Cricut
• Unicorn Hair Bow
• How to Make Hair Bows with Leather, Fabric, and More
• DIY Fabric Hair Bows
• Crochet Hair Bow
• DIY Leather Hair Bows

How to Make Hair Bows with Ribbon

Ribbon is an incredibly versatile material to have handy, especially in a variety of patterns and styles! These tutorials for how to make hair bows all use lengths of fabric – meaning ribbons. However, you can DIY your own ribbons for more texture by taking the fabric you want (as long as it’s nice and flexible it’ll work): leather scraps, felt, jeans, etc and cutting it into long ribbon-like strips. And of course, you can buy sample packs of ribbon for the best variety.

How to Make a Hair Bow out of Ribbon

This super simple shape can be made in a few different styles to suit your tastes. Use a single ribbon, layer one on top of another, or do it butterfly style. These are perfect for babies and toddlers as they are lightweight and easy to wear.

How to Make a Perfect Bow

Want to keep things SUPER simple? Learn how to make a perfect bow with a simple cheat – a really fantastic way to make a hair bow for babies! This is another style that we love to put on Princess A since it’s lightweight and easy for babies to wear.

Pinwheel Hair Bow Tutorial

While I did not make these, Princess received these from someone in literally every color and it’s so cute. It’s an awesome bow to just match every outfit up with a simple accessory. And while this one is also “faked” it’s slightly more convincing than the ones I made!

Oversized Hair Bow

This tutorial is pretty much the same as the previous only BIIIGGG! And while I never knew big bows were a southern thing, I think that smiling face is universal and the bow is so cute!

How to Make Hair Bows with Tulle

One of my first “now I have a baby girl too” craft supplies that I purchased (along with new shades of vinyl and miles of elastic) was tulle. I thought I was gonna make tutus and whatever but turns out, bows are just awesome. So I made bows with tulle too. I hope you enjoy these tutorials using tulle!

Big Tulle Hair Bows

A few layers of ribbon and two contrasting shades make for the perfect delicate, summery hair bows. The tutorial also teaches another ribbon hair bow method so enjoy them both!

No Sew Tulle Hair Bow

Add an extra little touch to your hair bows with this sweet tutorial. Make these using alligator clips or try elastic for baby headbands too. And don’t forget – a little extra sparkle goes a long way!

Tulle Hair Bow Puff

Not every bow has to actually be a bow – flowers are fun too! Well, they’re not actually bows, but still… I had to put some in! This tulle puff is fantastic for photoshoots and birthday cake smashes. It’s really fun for dressing up a little more on any occasion you princess is feeling pretty.

How to Make Hair Bows with Cricut

The hair bow trend exploded with its own styles once Cricut crafters got their hands on them… You can use basically any Cricut machine to make hair bows, depending on the material you use. With paper thin faux leather, you can even use the Joy (but you’re limited size-wise). The Explore machines can cut genuine leather using the deep point (black) blade. The Maker machines cut it best using the knife blade, or the rotary blade for some faux leathers.

Cricut Hair Flower Accessories

I made these on my Maker for my nieces when A was roughly the size of a bean in my womb. I did not know at that point that I was gaining valuable experience. Once again, these are flowers not bows but they operate the same way and were a huge hit with my nieces. The shimmery metallic faux leather is just so classy!

Basic Hair Bow with Cricut

Making basic layered bows can lead you down a never ending road… ask me how I know! The possibilities are endless and there are so many shapes and themes to try! These are stiff bow-shaped leather or faux leather hair accessories that have a cult-like following and are really easy to assemble once your machine has cut them.

Unicorn Hair Bow

Once you start making Cricut hair bows, you’ll want to start adding all sorts of add-ons to make different themed bows. This unicorn hair bow is a great place to start.

How to Make Hair Bows with Leather, Fabric, and More

Want to make more traditional bow-ey bows? Learn how to make hair bows that require slight levels of skill – beginner sewing skills, beginner crochet skills, and basic glue gun skills…. Kidding.

Seriously, though, these more traditional looking and sophisticated bows can be made as hair bows and bow ties, so boy moms, I haven’t forgotten about you!

DIY Fabric Hair Bows

Sew your own bows using the fabric of your choice. The biggest advantage of sewing bows is durability and a professional finish. You can use fabric scraps to make this as it’s small enough to pull out those bits and pieces. And of course, you can use pieces of fabric that you’ve dyed, painted, or otherwise decorated as well.

Crochet Hair Bow

These crochet bows were made a few years ago, also as a gift for my nieces, sons, and nephew. The boys got them sized as bow ties and the girls as hair bows. They take minutes to whip together and are a fantastic way crochet beginners can start practicing those stitches.

DIY Leather Hair Bows

Finally, these simple leather bows are similar to those you might make on a Cricut but much more classy and sophisticated. They also don’t require any special equipment to make them, so all of you who have been holding out on a Cricut, this one is for you.

Have you enjoyed learning how to make hair bows? Which is your favorite style? Comment below!

The post How to Make Hair Bows appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links.

Update: this post was originally published in 2017, when fidget spinners were the rage. Now, with Pop-its a fun sensory trend, I realize kids are once again driven toward fidget toys, and decided to update and republish, with working links. My kids both play with these now – and yes, the original ones I made four years ago are still in great shape and get plenty of use!

A while ago, I made M a fidget spinner case and cool weighted sensory toys that he loved so much, I decided to make him another toy.

I was inspired to recreate this toy. I wanted it without all the nails and screws and connectors….

In this post (and especially in the video that you’ll find right before the written instructions) you’ll find THREE sizes of cubes.

One is a jumbo size made with one-inch cubes. It’s not as easy to use as the others, but it’s great for people who like to hold some weight in their hands. Get 10% off your wooden cubes from Woodpeckers using code momsandcrafters at checkout!

One is a medium size made with 3/4 inch cubes. It’s the ideal size.

The last is a mini one (the one that I used to demonstrate the tutorial) which is made from 5/8 inch cubes. It’s really mini – perfect for when you need a one-handed fidget toy, or if you need something compact and lightweight.

M enjoys playing with all of these (he did NOT want to lend them to me to photograph them all for the post!)

They are made from simple wooden craft cubes and thin duct tape. On the tiny one, I did need to cut the duct tape in half the long way too.

The duct tape adheres extremely well. I did duct tape it back-to-back – meaning after I placed the basic tape to hold the cube in the right places, I added another piece backing that one.

On the tiny one, I decided to make it more colorful. I dyed my cubes using Martha Stewart soft gel watercolors that I received for free as part of their ambassador program in the hopes I might share it with you.

The color absorbs nicely into the blocks and I love how natural it feels! M loved that I added color to it (the older versions I made him I left natural) and I’m happy I did.

All-in-all, this is a fun DIY fidget toy, a great party craft for older kids and a fantastic DIY gift that can be made in bulk in a reasonable amount of time (hello teachers!)

What you need to make an easy DIY infinity cube fidget toy:

• 8 Wooden cubes – 3/4 inch is the “magical size” but you can make functional jumbo and mini versions using 1 inch cubes and 5/8 inch cubes. Get 10% off your wooden cubes from Woodpeckers using code momsandcrafters at checkout!
• Thin duct tape
• A craft or utility knife if you’re making mini ones (it’s easiest to cut it in half along the roll using a knife)
• Non-stick scissors
• Martha Stewart soft gel watercolors, water, paper towel, and craft sticks if you want to paint your cubes

How to make an infinity cube:

Watch the video below to see it in action! Or scroll down for the step-by-step instructions:

1. Add a small squirt of watercolor paint to a bowl and dilute it with water. I like to have a very thin wash for this so that the wood really shows through. Stir it so that the paint is totally dissolved. Mix in your cubes and let them sit for a few minutes. Remove, place on paper towels to dry, and wait until it’s totally dry before proceeding.

2. Place your cubes on a flat surface in two rows of four cubes each.

3. Tape them horizontally into four groups of two as pictured: The two top right together, the two top left, the two bottom right, and the two bottom left.

4. Turn the entire thing on its side, and a piece of tape horizontally connecting the two center cubes. Repeat with the other side.

5. Flip your cubes so that the side you taped in step 3 is now facing down. Add two vertical pieces of tape to the right two and left two cubes.

6. Your cube is now totally taped in place, but to reinforce it, you’ll want to find the spots where the back of the tape shows – as pictured….

And cover it with corresponding pieces of tape.

Your infinity cube is ready to be played with!

What is your kid’s (or your) favorite fidget toy? Have you ever tried to DIY an infinity cube? Comment below!

The post Infinity Cube Fidget Toy DIY appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

Bows are my little princess’s crown, and I have really enjoyed making these sweet little accessories for her. You can make really sweet hair bows out of ribbon, but if you want to go a little bigger, today’s tutorial is for you!

• How to turn your bows into big hair bows
• Supplies needed to make big hair bows
• How to make a hair bow out of ribbon
• How to make tulle hair bows

I’m going to teach you a technique how to make big hair bows using ribbon. Yes, you heard right. The trick is to scale it to the size you need. Big relative to a baby’s head isn’t the same as your tween’s head.

To make this, I used 3.5 inch wide fabric ribbon with the wires removed. You can also make these using layers of tulle, or anything wide. If you need it bigger, stack two pieces of ribbon, or see if you can find even wider ribbon!

4 inch ribbon is readily available in different fabrics.

6 inch wide ribbon is slightly harder to find in anything other than specialty materials – such as burlap, and tulle. I have however seen it in pretty lace and other fantastic bow materials.

Instead of ribbon, you can, of course, use fabric for this tutorial.

As with my other tutorials, the main reason I call this ribbon is that you’re using ribbons of whatever material you choose. So if you want to use leather or vinyl, you can simply cut ribbons out of it.

When learning how to make big hair bows, you’ll find that it’s much easier to work with ribbons, as you can simply snip off a piece instead of measuring exact sizes each time.

How to turn your bows into big hair bows

Just as I shared in my previous bow tutorials, there are a few ways to finish things off and turn them into hair accessories.

That will of course depend on your base…

• Flat elastic – finish off 1/4 inch flat elastic to turn it into a baby headband in the size of your choice.
• Nylon baby headband base – these are really easy to use, comfortable for baby, and perfect for newborn headbands
• Alligator clip – Alligator clips allow you to attach your bows wherever you want to.
• Barrette – This gives you more of a straight attachment to just clip it onto a high pony and is ideal for tweens.
• Pony tail holder – I wouldn’t recommend this for big bows as precise placement is a little harder.

Supplies needed to make big hair bows

• Glue gun – quality matters! I love my Arrow glue gun
• Thread (optional)
• Ribbons – I used about 3.5 inch wide for baby sizes, wires removed
• Optional: tulle ribbon – the one I used is 2.5 inches
• Optional: leather scraps cut into ribbons
• Contrasting thinner ribbon – about half-inch works great, or cut ribbons from leather. I love lace trim for this too.
• Fabric strips – stiffer fabrics like denim work best. You can make the ends no-fray with nail polish first.
• Scissors

How to make a hair bow out of ribbon

1. Determine how big you want your bow to be and cut a length of ribbon that size. Cut your narrower ribbon about an inch long.

Tip: if your center ribbon is a material that’s hard to work with, such as leather, you may prefer to work with a scrap ribbon that you’ll hide, like I did here.

2. Glue your middle ribbon to the top center of your main ribbon, leaving a little tail on top. (See picture).

3. Accordion fold your main ribbon.

4. Wrap your center ribbon around, trimming as needed and gluing in place. That. Is. It.

Of course, attach it to your base. You can add a felt circle to the inside to make it more comfortable. Or, if you used a scrap ribbon, you can use the covering ribbon (like the black leather I used here) to attach the headband/clip too. Just stick it in before you glue it in place.

Update: the tutorial on how to make a tulle bow has moved with a better process!

I hope you enjoyed learning how to make big hair bows! Please share, which is your favorite? Comment below!

The post How to Make Big Hair Bows appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

Plans for 2020: go and have a baby girl after being a boy mom for seven years and make piles of bows.

If you’d asked me in 2019 what my plans were for 2020 I probably wouldn’t have answered that. I don’t think any of us could have answered that question accurately.

But that’s what happened and I’m incredibly happy that, despite the roller coaster that was 2020, despite our family’s personal losses and struggles, we came out with one of the best gifts we possibly could: our little princess.

Table of Contents:

• Materials needed to make ribbon bows
• How to make a hair bow out of ribbon
• How to make a hair bow out of ribbon – single layer
• Using this technique with a stiff material such as leather strips
• How to make a double layered hair bow out of ribbon
• How to make a hair bow out of ribbon butterfly style
• Loved learning how to make hair bows out of ribbon? Check out these cool crafts!

And I haven’t stopped making bows.

Yes, she has more bows than she could possibly wear. Doesn’t mean I’m gonna stop!!

I plan to share them with you in this space. Many of the techniques are so similar, it’s not worth doing separate posts. For example, while this post deals with how to make a hair bow out of ribbon, you’ll see THREE styles, using the same glued loop technique.

The single.

The double layered.

The double butterfly.

But you can do the same exact thing with loops made of leather, fabric strips, or whatever you want. Basically, you can “DIY” your own ribbon and use that. With thicker materials, you might want to do it a bit differently, which I highlighted in the instructions below (so you really have four very similar techniques below).

These aren’t just for babies! Make them in any size, as any type of hair accessory.

I also used this technique to make Cricut bows that have a bit of an indentation in the middle, but you don’t need to do that either.

And finally, some people WILL find it easier to just tie a bow, however, I like that I have more control with this technique for how to make a hair bow with ribbon, plus, I can use different ribbons within the same bow for more texture and a more unique look.

I have a few more tutorials for how to make a hair bow with ribbon coming up as well – because there are SO many ways to do this. I will share them in this space (make sure you’re signed up for updates).

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I tried to use the same ribbon for the tutorials just so that you have a better visual, but I’ve used different ribbons to make this. You can see a few in the final images that are almost like the tutorial below. After I made them, I decided they’d look cute with a metallic leather center, so I added that on after.

So yes, you can embellish these however you want.

I made these into hair bands because Princess A doesn’t have much hair these days… but you can do alligator clips, barrettes, or whatever your princess is up to.

So grab a good glue gun, some ribbons, elastic, and a seat, and make piles and piles of ribbon bows!

Materials needed to make ribbon bows

• Glue gun
• Thread
• Ribbons – I used about half inch wide for baby sizes – including:
  • Ribbon scraps
  • Lace trim
  • Leather strips or scraps
  • Felt strips
  • Fabric strips – stiffer fabrics like denim work best. You can make the ends no-fray with nail polish first.
• Base:
  • Flat elastic
  • Nylon baby headband base
  • Alligator clip
  • Barrette
  • Pony tail holder

How to make a hair bow out of ribbon

How to make a hair bow out of ribbon – single layer

1. Start by cutting a strip of ribbon double the width you want your hair bow to be.

2. Overlap the two ends and glue to form a loop.

3. Wrap the center with a piece of thread. This helps form a more natural cinch in the center.

4. Cut a little strip of ribbon, and use it to wrap the center to finalize a faux bow. First glue it in place in the front (use glue in moderation here).

Then wrap and glue in place in the back.

Using this technique with a stiff material such as leather strips

1. If you’re using a stiffer, thicker material, place a line of glue in the center back of your strip and bring the two ends to the center, gluing it in place. You’re not overlapping these ends. You’re just gluing them to the center of your ribbon.

2. Cinch your ribbon as pictured and glue the cinch in place. Cut a piece of ribbon to use for the center.

3. To attach your elastic:

NOTE: On most bows I attach the elastic before the center ribbon, so that it’s smooth on the back. However, it’s especially important if you’re using leather.

Glue both ends of your elastic to the back center of your ribbon bow, where you formed your seam, overlapping them.

4. Wrap your ribbon around the center. This CAN be another strip of leather, however it’ll be harder to work with. You’re better off uisng the ribbon first, and covering with a strip of leather after. I find that mixing it up with ribbon adds dimension, texture, and loads of style. And I LOVE how this lace trim looks with leather.

5. Trim off any extras.

How to make a double layered hair bow out of ribbon

1. Make two ribbon loops, one the full width you want your hair bow to be, and one a little smaller.

2. I like double bows to NOT be cinched in the center. To do this, glue them down in the center so that they each form two loops.

3. Cover with a strip of ribbon in the middle

4. Fold your ribbon ends back, overlap in the back and glue down, trim any extra.

How to make a hair bow out of ribbon butterfly style

1. Create two loops the same size.

2. Place them next to each other, one on top, one on bottom, and wrap them together in the center so that they “butterfly”. Cover the wrap with a ribbon.

If you’re attaching strips of leather over the ribbon, like I did, just make sure they touch in the back but don’t overlap – it’ll be too bulky.

I hope you enjoyed learning how to make a hair bow out of ribbon! What’s your favorite style, material, color? Comment below!

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