**Make your own Barrettes**

Pretty hair ties for your dolls.

These can be used on all dolls, not just My Child dolls..

Great for children to use on their dolls too!

Nice and easy to make..

Oh so pretty!

Choose your lace - the wider the lace the longer piece you will need. If the lace is gathered, you will need a shorter bit ! The best way to find out the perfect length is to start the process before cutting your length.	Use your needle, and go up and down, in and our, along the bottom of the lace.

Keep going and pull up and see if it is nice and round with no curl. If it curls then the lace is too short, do a few more in and out, up and down and pull up to gather again and see if it is now a nice flat round cycle.	Gather up tight, so it is nice and flat but still a lovely gathered round cycle.

Now pull out flat, measure how long it is and cut. Make a note in a note book so you know for next time. Make a note of the width and the length and if it is flat or gathered lace. Pull tight and knot off, making the stitching really tight. It pays to double or triple knot to make them last. I often add a spot of hot glue to make them last even longer.	Make lots of cycles, all different sizes, even if you don't need them right away, they come in really handy for lots of things, not just barrettes. These are great to make while sitting watching TV, or a good movie. It is amazing how many you will get made.

Cut ribbon longer than you want when finished. They will be cut later on to make them look tidy. The finish is much nicer when you tidy up at the end, rather than cutting them too short and then find you don't like the look you have achieved.	Sew in the middle on the right side of the barrettes. You can use more than two pieces of lace if you wish. You can end up with a really lovely look if you use 4 pieces on each barrettes. I am only using two for the instructions.

Pick some nice bows or flowers. These can be picked off old clothing or hair ties. It is amazing where you will find pretty unwanted things around the house that can be use on these. Even old buttons look great!	Here I have picked the two flowers at the top of the picture. They are both missing their middle piece as I cut them off some old dolls shoes. I will add a nice flower to the middle to make them look finished.

Sew in place, going up from the underside, through the centre, up to the top, go through the flower and then go down again through the middle and knot off. For stronger sets, go up and down 2 or three times. Knotting off is best to do a double or triple knot and even a dab of glue make them so much stronger.	Now I have sewn on the little flowers on the top. If you find this part too fiddle like I do, try using a hot glue gun and attach using that method. I have done many barrettes using the hot glue gun and my barrettes are still in use, going from doll to doll even after 2+ years!

This photo is showing you the front and back of the barrettes to this stage. Now you need to get the ribbons ready to be attached to underside. These are used to attach the barrettes to the hair !! a nice tidy look!	Now sew on your ribbons that you will use to attach the barrettes to your dolls hair. I always use a long piece of ribbon on my barrettes. I use a piece around 24" long for each one. This way I know attach to the doll easy and even do a bow if I wish..If they are too long, I can cut later once they are on the doll. That way I get the look I am wanting.

I always cover my hand sewing with a bit of felt. You don't have to do this, but I like them looking tidy both sides. I use the hot glue gun to attach this small piece of felt.	Now trim the short ribbons to the look you like. I cut mine on a diagonal, as that gives a nice round look to the barrettes..they look nice longer too.
Finished on my ash blonde girl	You can see the long ribbon in the photo..

Make your own Barrettes

Pretty hair ties for your dolls.

These can be used on all dolls, not just My Child dolls..

Great for children to use on their dolls too!

Nice and easy to make..

Oh so pretty!

Choose your lace - the wider the lace the longer piece you will need. If the lace is gathered, you will need a shorter bit ! The best way to find out the perfect length is to start the process before cutting your length.

Use your needle, and go up and down, in and our, along the bottom of the lace.

Keep going and pull up and see if it is nice and round with no curl. If it curls then the lace is too short, do a few more in and out, up and down and pull up to gather again and see if it is now a nice flat round cycle.

Gather up tight, so it is nice and flat but still a lovely gathered round cycle.

Now pull out flat, measure how long it is and cut. Make a note in a note book so you know for next time. Make a note of the width and the length and if it is flat or gathered lace. Pull tight and knot off, making the stitching really tight. It pays to double or triple knot to make them last. I often add a spot of hot glue to make them last even longer.

Make lots of cycles, all different sizes, even if you don't need them right away, they come in really handy for lots of things, not just barrettes.

These are great to make while sitting watching TV, or a good movie. It is amazing how many you will get made.

Cut ribbon longer than you want when finished. They will be cut later on to make them look tidy. The finish is much nicer when you tidy up at the end, rather than cutting them too short and then find you don't like the look you have achieved.

Sew in the middle on the right side of the barrettes. You can use more than two pieces of lace if you wish. You can end up with a really lovely look if you use 4 pieces on each barrettes. I am only using two for the instructions.

Pick some nice bows or flowers.

These can be picked off old clothing or hair ties. It is amazing where you will find pretty unwanted things around the house that can be use on these. Even old buttons look great!

Here I have picked the two flowers at the top of the picture. They are both missing their middle piece as I cut them off some old dolls shoes.

I will add a nice flower to the middle to make them look finished.

Sew in place, going up from the underside, through the centre, up to the top, go through the flower and then go down again through the middle and knot off. For stronger sets, go up and down 2 or three times. Knotting off is best to do a double or triple knot and even a dab of glue make them so much stronger.

Now I have sewn on the little flowers on the top. If you find this part too fiddle like I do, try using a hot glue gun and attach using that method. I have done many barrettes using the hot glue gun and my barrettes are still in use, going from doll to doll even after 2+ years!

This photo is showing you the front and back of the barrettes to this stage.

Now you need to get the ribbons ready to be attached to underside. These are used to attach the barrettes to the hair !! a nice tidy look!

Now sew on your ribbons that you will use to attach the barrettes to your dolls hair. I always use a long piece of ribbon on my barrettes. I use a piece around 24" long for each one. This way I know attach to the doll easy and even do a bow if I wish..If they are too long, I can cut later once they are on the doll. That way I get the look I am wanting.

I always cover my hand sewing with a bit of felt. You don't have to do this, but I like them looking tidy both sides. I use the hot glue gun to attach this small piece of felt.

Now trim the short ribbons to the look you like.

I cut mine on a diagonal, as that gives a nice round look to the barrettes..they look nice longer too.

Finished on my ash blonde girl

You can see the long ribbon in the photo..

If you need more help, please let me know and ill help out if I can.

If you have any craft ideas you would like to share!

Or if you would like me to make one of these for you

Please E-mail Me

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