How did you start Bow making ?

Well I want to know how people got to become a bow maker and how did you learn?

I kind feel into it just making clips then it just kinda got me addicted buying ribbon its like a scrapbooker buying papers lol I just love it and am so trying to learn!

I started making Swarovksi beaded hair clips for me. Then I thought I could make my daughters some bows. My favorite is the twisted boutiique bow. I could not master it so I packed the ribbon away for nearly 2 years.

I got it out again when my oldest was at school and the satin ribbon kept slipping out of her hair. I had a few not go so right so I took them to school and gave them away. Next thing I know Mums are asking me to make a few more. That was October last year. Now I am completely hooked.

A great site is Girly Things Bows. I have been through a lot of free instructions but the ultimate would have to be Devon's No Bow No Go Instructions. Top Notch Templates

These instructions are invaluable. I had made my own templates but her book tells you how much ribbon to use and what sizes of ribbon work best for what size. I have them and love them.

I don't sew my bows. I use a Gator Bite. They will post to Australia. You have to e-mail them and ask for an invoice with shipping.

Gee I gave up a lot of secrets - but then again that is what we are all here for.

I started making them about 3 years again, when I could not find anything cute for my baby girl, on ebay in the us I saw all these bows that they make. I purchased a few really bad instruction that got me started. I also use Devons TNT templates and I love them, they are easy to use and all bows look the same.

There are a few free instructions around and if you purchase some, most of them have yahoo groups that you can join and some of those ladies are so fill of information.

I'm not making a lot at the moment as I am moving and have the house on the market, but I still have a list of people who want Christmas bows, and mothers at my sons school, always asking so I'm still funding my ribbon habit.

I have only just recently started, mainly because I live in a country town and was buying bows in the baby shop for $11 a pair (which may I point out they werent even lined!! ) so chucked a paddy one day and vowed to learn how to make them....so here I am 2 months later ..... have a hell of a lot of ribbon and gadgets which I know I will probably never end up using lol...

DD has been wearing some of my ribbons to school and parties, I love that I can see which dress she will wear and whip up a couple of simple bows! Am slowly getting into the more fiddly bows...

I ordered some bows last year from someone and then ordered more because I loved the bows so much, but she went weird and buggered a lot of customers around. It took months to get her to pay us all back and some are still waiting!
Anyways that's why I decided to make them myself. We lived in Katherine NT at the time so getting cute hair accessories for my daughter was hard. But ebay became my friend and I ordered ribbons and away I went. I used Youtube and google for different instructions to make them. I still mainly make them for my daughter and friends. What I have left over I sell.

I have posted a list of free instructions on my webpage.

There are some lovely ones there. http://sarahlauren.com.au/extra_info_pages.php?pages_id=7

Janine

awesome! I will bookmark it for future reference! I really want to do woven headbands at some point