Four ideas for equestrian short stirrup horse show hair bows

 Although there still may be some remnants of snow on the ground, spring is almost here. And with spring comes outdoor sports and horse shows.  Don't spend a ton of money on horse show bows for your little ones.  You can easily make them quickly and easily.  The following tutorials guide you through the easy steps.

Four ideas for horse show bows

Short stirrup hair bow #1

Locket horse show hair bow

Patriotic Horse show hair  bow

Blue ribbon leadline horse show hair bows

How to make the cutest short stirrup horse show hair bows in minutes

 

If you have priced horse show hair bows recently you will know that they can be very costly.  Did you know, however, that will just a small amount of ribbon you can create your own short stirrup hair bows in minutes for much less? Embellish the hair bows with a small charm or alternately a ribbon knot added to the center of the bow. 

 

Materials:

 

Bowdabra bow maker

Bowdabra hair bow tool and ruler

Ribbon of choice 1 ½”, 7/8” wide

Charm or bead

Alligator clip, French clip, or hair tie

Bowdabra bow wire

Hot glue gun and hot glue sticks

Lighter to seal the ends of the ribbon

Horse show hair bows in minutes

Instructions:

 

First, cut an 18” piece of bow wire, fold it in half and insert it into the Bowdabra. You will have a loop on one side and two wires on the other.

Next, cut a 15” piece of 7/8” wide ribbon. Fold the ends in half and cut at an angle to dovetail the ends. Use a lighter to lightly go over the ends to seal from fraying. (You may use clear nail polish if desired) Fold in half to find the center and insert into the Bowdabra guiding the tails downward.

Repeat the above step with another complementary color of ribbon for a second tail.  Dovetail the ends on this ribbon and insert it into the Bowdabra.

Make the main bow

Now, cut an 18 ½” piece of 1 ½” ribbon. (I prefer a wired ribbon for this bow since it can be arranged easier.) Seal the ends with the lighter. Fold in half to find the center and insert the right side down into the Bowdabra. Bring the right end over and insert the tail end into the Bowdabra.

 

Next, bring the other tail end over and under the first loop forming an X, and insert the end in the Bowdabra.

Push the bottom center into the Bowdabra, then push the top down into the Bowdabra as well.  You have made the Boutique style bow.

Scrunch everything down with the Bowdabra wand.

To finish, insert the two loose wires through the loop, and while the bow is still in Bowdabra pull tight. Remove from the Bowdabra, turn it to the back, and tie a knot. Adjust the bow and tails.

 

Using the wires from the back, bring the bottom wire back around to the front and insert a bead or charm through.  Bring the wires back to the back of the bow and tie a knot making sure the charm is centered on the front of the bow. You can alternately glue a ribbon knot to the center.

Using a hot glue gun attach an alligator clip or a French clip to the back.  If you would like to use a ponytail elastic, use the bow wire to tie it on.  Cut off any excess wires.

Repeat all the steps for a second hair bow and you will be all set for the show circuit!

 

 

 

 

 

How to make adorable patriotic horse show hair bows

So horse show season is in full swing and with the fourth of July coming up soon what could be better than some patriotic horse show hair bows?

The current style for little competitors is to wear two braids and huge bows with long tails in each braid.  These patriotic horse show hair bows would be perfect for all the upcoming shows. They would even be perfect to wear them separately on the Fourth of July holiday! 

• ·      Mini Bowdabra
• ·      Hair bow tool and ruler
• ·      1 ½” wide patriotic grosgrain ribbon
• ·      7/8” wide white satin ribbon
• ·      ½” wide white ribbon with sparkle stars
• ·      18” Bowdabra bow wire
• ·      Charm or bead
• ·      Ribbon covered alligator clip
• ·      Hot glue gun and hot glue sticks
• ·      Lighter to seal the ends from fraying (You may substitute clear nail polish if desired)

1.    Gather your supplies.

2.    Cut 18” bow wire, fold in half and insert into the Bowdabra. You will have a loop on one side and two wires on the other.

3. Cut a 15” piece of 7/8” wide satin ribbon. Fold the ends in half and cut at an angle to dovetail. Use a lighter to lightly go over the ends to seal from fraying. (You may use clear nail polish if desired) Fold in half to find the center and insert into the Bowdabra guiding the tails downward.

4. Cut a 15” piece of 1/4” wide white ribbon with sparkle stars, and seal the ends with the lighter or nail polish as before. Fold in half to find the center and insert into the Bowdabra. Guide the ends down as you did before.

5. Cut an 18 ½” piece of Patriotic printed wire edge ribbon. Seal the ends with the lighter. Fold in half to find the center and insert into the Bowdabra wrong side up. Bring the right end over and insert the tail end into the Bowdabra. (See photo)

6. Bring the other tail end over and under the first loop forming an X and insert the end in the Bowdabra.

7. Push down both pieces of ribbon into the Bowdabra forming the bow.  Scrunch down with the Bowdabra wand.

8. Insert the two loose wires through the loop and while the bow is still in Bowdabra and pull tight. Remove from the Bowdabra, turn to the back and tie a knot. Adjust the bow and tails.

9. Using the wires from the back, bring back around to the front and insert a bead or charm of your choice through one of the wires.  Bring the wires back to the back of the bow and tie a knot making sure the charm is centered on the front of the bow. Cut off any excess. Add an alligator clip, small elastic, or French clip to the back of the bow.  Repeat all the steps for a second bow.