Valentine cork heart hair bow

Are you looking for a cute heart hair bow for Valentine’s Day? This hair bow is so easy to make using the Mini Bowdabra. And the heart is lightweight because it’s made of cork. Cork is so trendy right now and cork sheets are readily available in craft stores and so cute when added to the boutique style hair bow.

These are so inexpensive that you will want to make a bunch for gifts. Wouldn’t they be a cute party favor for a tween girls party?

Supplies:

• Cork sheet (or recycle a cork coaster)
• X-acto or craft knife
• Small piece of fine sandpaper
• 20 inches 2 ½” red sheer wired ribbon
• Mini Bowdabra bow maker with ruler
• Bowdabra bow wire
• Red acrylic paint
• Small paintbrush
• White stiffened felt
• Decorative paper scissors
• Alligator clip
• Piece of corrugated cardboard or a stack of newspapers to work on when cutting the cork
• Hot glue gun and hot glue sticks, tacky craft glue
• Small piece of cardboard, Paper plate, Small paintbrush, Pencil, Scissors, paper towels

Instructions:

1. Gather your supplies. Prepare the heart. Fold a small piece of cardboard in half and with a pencil draw on the fold a small half heart shape. Cut out the shape and open into a heart. This will be your pattern for your heart. Place the heart pattern on the cork sheet and working on a corrugated cardboard or stack of newspapers to protect your work surface use the X-acto or craft knife to cut the heart out.  Rub some fine sandpaper along the edges to smooth out any roughness.

2. In the paper plate, add some red acrylic paint and thin with some water. Brush the thinned red paint onto the cork and wipe of the excess with a paper towel. The cork should show through the paint.

3. Place the heart on the stiffened felt and trace around with a pencil or marker. Use the decorative paper scissors to cut around about ¼” bigger than the heart. Center and glue the cork heart to the felt heart and let dry. Set aside.

4. Cut a length of bow wire 18 inches and fold in half. Insert into the Bowdabra. You will have a loop on one side and two loose wires on the other.

5. Fold the 20-inch length of red ribbon in half to find the center and insert into the Bowdabra.

6. Working on the right side of the Bowdabra, bring the end around and insert the end in the Bowdabra.

7. Bring the opposite end across the first loop and insert that end under the first loop into the Bowdabra. It will look like an X.

8. Insert the bottom ribbon loop into the Bowdabra. Repeat with the top loop. You have formed the bow. Scrunch down with the Bowdabra wand.

9. Insert the two loose wire ends through the loop end and pull tight while the bow is still in the Bowdabra. Remove from the Bowdabra, separate the ends and tie in a knot. Make a second knot and cut off any excess wire. Fluff and arrange the bow.

10. Use the hot glue gun to attach the prepared cork heart to the center of the bow. Add some more hot glue to the back and attach an alligator clip for wearing.

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