Bow Crafting Part 1: Fantastic Plastic Bow

That's right you crafty caterpillars! Today begins a new series adventure featuring one of my favorite accessories: BOWS. 

I have THREE projects up my sleeve at this point in time, but I'm not going to define the length of this series. Mostly because I want it to go on forever. But I do promise to kick it off with three bowmazing projects. So the bow adventure might not be in successive installments, but it's only because this journey is ongoing.   I am putting an ellipses at the end of this figurative sentence.

Without further ado, I do, give you...

The Fantastic Plastic Bow! 

I don't know if I made this clear, but I read The Man Repeller regularly. And a few weeks ago Ms. Man Repeller posted about these amaze-balls bows:

The way I saw it, I had two options. 

1. Cough up the 75 dolares for these sexy hair clips.

2. Make my own. 

I'm broke so I went with number 2. Also, since I have made crafting my life and I saw a feasible way to make these myself... well there really never was an option. The first option was mostly to express just how smitten I am with plastic bows. 

Supplies:

WOAH! The picture is vertical! Don't freak out. It's going to be ok. 

1. A sewing machine from Sears (circa 2004).

2. Scissors. 

3. Pinking shears from Purl Soho. 

4. Thread from Purl Soho.

5. Sewing needle from Purl Soho (the camera didn't pick up the pin cause it's so tiny!)

6. Plastic material from Canal Plastics.

Step 1:

Use the scissors to cut a rectangle piece of the plastic material. 

Step 2:

Cut around the edges with the pinking shears. 

Step 3: 

Sew a line around the edges of the rectangle. 

Step 4:

Find the middle points of the long sides of the rectangle and pinch them together.

Step 5:

Use sewing needle to secure the pinch.

Now here is the big question:

What to do with plastic bows?!

Well you could use some E6000 glue to glue a hair barrette onto the backside:

(Barrette and glue from M&J)

OR, you could glue on some rhinestones and make a necklace. Cause, why the hell not?!

 (Rhinestones, chain, metal loops, and clasp from Toho Shoji. E600 glue from M&J.) 

 I'm thinking this necklace would look extra fly with a collared shirt. That's just my two cents. 

Now I know not everyone slaves away works in soho or for that matter, in the greater NYC area, so obtaining plastic material could pose a challenge. However, I do believe you can order from Canal Plastics. Give it a try!!

If you don't want to give it a try, but still desperately want one of these precious bows, e-me!