** If you are interested in buying some of these pre-made, I’m now selling them on my Etsy shop! I’m also making some “updated” versions with cool imported ribbons, so check them out on my shop here.**
The little girl I drive in my carpool was wearing these cute ribbon barrettes the other day, and it kicked me back to my childhood and those braided ribbon barrettes we all used to wear. C’mon, you know you had about 17 pairs. My mom used to make them for me in whatever color I wanted, complete with the dangling tails of ribbon and even little square beads on the end.
I kind of had to make some. Since I don’t have a girl, I asked my carpool daughter if she’d like some, and she agreed. I found some instructions online, and I busted some out today.
these were the first ones I made
What do you think? They’re pretty easy to make once you get the hang of it. I have a few suggestions, though, to go along with the instructions you can find here. I’m going to duplicate their instructions with my modifications below.
You’ll need:
- two colors of 1/8″ satin ribbon, a yard each
- double bar barrettes
, which look like this:
1. Cut two strips of 1/8″ satin ribbon, in complementary colors, to 1 yard each.
2. Line the ribbons up together and stack one ribbon on top of the other. Start directly in the middle (the halfway point of the ribbon); don’t worry about the ends at this point. Just the very center needs to be stacked cleanly.
3. Put the ribbon under the double bars at the clasp end of the barrette. The instructions I found tell you to do this on the opposite side, but then when you are finished you have an upside-down barrette, so that’s not good. Make sure you have an even amount of ribbon on either side of the barrette.
4. Start braiding by taking the right hand ribbons and feeding them over the first bar and under the second bar. You need to keep them stacked. You will end up with one color of the ribbon covering the right bar on the barrette.
5. Now you’ve got two ends of the ribbons both on the left side. Take the ribbon you did NOT just feed through on the right, and feed it over the left bar and under the right. Make sure you are feeding it so the same color you just used is on top.
6. Now you’re back to having one end of the ribbons on each side. Next, take the right hand ribbon (which is the one you just worked) and fold it over, feeding it through the right bar and under the left (like you did in step 4). You should now have your other color on top. Once you’ve got that through, pick up the other ribbons and feed them through, over the left bar and under the right, just like you did in step 5. Again, you should have the other color working on top this time.
7. Continue braiding, alternating colors, until you get to the end of the barrette. The action is a little awkward, especially since you have two slippery ribbons that you are trying to keep totally flush with each braid. The best method I devised is to fold the ribbon over and secure it with your thumb while you feed the rest of the ribbon through. Once you’ve pulled it relatively tight, you can release your thumb and adjust. Here’s a kind of step by step of that:
When you get to the bottom, it’ll look like this:
8. To secure it, I tie a double knot at the end.
You want to leave the 8″ or so of strings hanging, since that’s part of the point. You can trim them even and you can add beads to the bottom by threading one on, tying a knot at the end of the ribbon, and letting it hang. I haven’t been able to get my hands on any of those cube wooden beads we used in the 80s, so I haven’t embellished with beads yet.
Cute, though, right? Am I totally out of the loop since I have boys, and have you ladies with girls brought these back ages ago? I’m gonna give it some thought and try out some variations, and maybe I can make everything old new again. Too bad I don’t have a girl who can wear them.
Look at me, doing crafts that aren’t even part of the Massive Craft Undertaking. What am I thinking? I guess I’m high on crafting, folks.
May 14, 2010 at 4:04 am Christine
Thank you posting!! I had many of these barrettes also. I remember making them too! I bet you could sell them!!
May 14, 2010 at 1:56 pm Charlotte
I’ll take ‘em for Sadie! I totes remember these, yet I am not crafty.
May 15, 2010 at 7:41 pm Amy In Australia
Cute!! What a blast from the past! Can I be your carpool daughter?
May 18, 2010 at 7:00 pm Becky
Somebody stop her before she crafts again!
Can’t believe I missed this post last week. I used to love those things (still do). I should make some for my Laura. Or maybe she can be your blog daughter?!?
May 18, 2010 at 7:25 pm bethpc
You know what? Perhaps she can. Tell me what her favorite colors are…
January 13, 2011 at 5:18 pm Miranda
Where is the best place to find the double bar barrettes?
January 13, 2011 at 7:46 pm bethpc
You can generally find them at drug stores & places like Walmart or Target. Goody & Scunci both make versions. I’ve been trying to find a source for larger quantities with no success lately…
December 3, 2011 at 1:35 pm savemcgee
Sometimes you can find then at your Dollar Store or 99Cent Store.
December 21, 2011 at 11:11 am Shannon
I recently ordered a set of twelve from Oriental Trading. They were a little flimsier than I remember. Other craft companies, like Michaels or Hobby Lobby or Joanns might have something also.
February 25, 2011 at 12:33 am Chinnu
These are so pretty. Thanks for an easy tutorial. Am sure to make lots of these as gifts!!
Cheers!
March 31, 2011 at 3:29 pm Ashley
I love these my moms gonna make them 4 me (:
SUPER CUTE
March 31, 2011 at 4:01 pm Magickisme
I love making these…we added feathers and glass beads…Big and little girls enjoy them.
October 8, 2011 at 2:52 pm Jenna's MeeMaw
Thank you so much for posting this!! I used to make these all the time when I was growing up in the 80′s and wanted to make some for my grand daughter, but couldn’t find instructions anywhere until I thought to put “80′s” in the search bar and up came this post! You’ve made a little girl and her grandma VERY happy..lol.
December 15, 2011 at 11:58 am Tari
THANK YOU!!! You are the only person who gave a pictorial along with the instructions, you made it so easy. It came right back to me as though it was the 80′s!
December 15, 2011 at 12:16 pm Beth
You are welcome!
January 2, 2012 at 10:52 am Jennifer
Thank You I have been wanting to make these with my Girl Scouts. We plan on adding beads and feathers, especially since feathers are “in”. Maybe the girls will start a new trend in their schoool
January 2, 2012 at 10:07 pm ALBERTA
THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS. I HAVE 5 GRANDDAUGHTERS AND PLAN TO MAKE EACH A SET FOR VALENTINE’S DAY AND EASTER. I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING MY STASH FOR THE ORIGINAL INSTRUCTIONS AND NOW I NEED LOOK NO FURTHER. THANK YOU SO MUCH!! SENDING YOU A VERY SPECIAL HUG FROM A GRATEFUL GRANDMA
January 2, 2012 at 10:08 pm Beth
Thanks for visiting! So glad it was helpful.
February 9, 2012 at 9:58 am carlye
Thanks for the instructions! I was trying to explain these to my daughters….now I can make them! Your instructions were perfect.
Carlye
February 19, 2012 at 1:32 pm Waiks
wow thanks for posting the instructions…i wore these, and i had beads and feathers attached to the ribbon ends!! =)
March 8, 2012 at 2:07 pm franni
These are cool!!!!! I’m gonna make some in my school’s colors with feathers…!
April 4, 2012 at 10:24 am Susie Cooke-Erskine
WOW! I love these! I wish we’d thought of this back in the 60′s. They are so pretty and can be made in so many different ways, colors, beads etc. Thanks! I’d never even seen them. (shows you how old I am). LOL
April 19, 2012 at 8:19 pm Charley Chandler
Thank you so much for sharing the directions. I saw them on fb but w/out directions. I can’t wait to make some for all my granddaughters but especially my 16yr old w/her school colors.
May 16, 2012 at 7:12 pm michelle
where can you buy the open center barrets??? I’ve looked @ wal-mart, kMart, Target, etc??? Say them on eBay for $12 – that’s crazy!!
May 16, 2012 at 8:41 pm Beth
I can usually find them at Target, but you can always order them on Amazon if you can’t find them. Try the link I added to my tutorial page; it will take you to Amazon. 3 pairs for $5.00.
May 29, 2012 at 7:29 am Lisa G
I do remember these from the 80s and I too made them in EVERY color combo! Your pics are great, very nicely done tute! I have a couple comments, though. One based on the fact that I started to follow your instructions & realized something. The instructions that you had originally read, stating to start at the “hinge” end of the barrette instead of the “clip” end were actually correct. Or at least it’s a correct variation. It depends where you want the ribbons to hang once the barrette is in your hair. In your picture at the top it doesn’t really matter, because it’s all the way on the back of your head. If, however, you are wearing the barrette more on the side of your head and the ribbons hang down at the “hinge” end they’ll end up right near your face. You want them towards the back, which is the opening end of the barrette. So in that case you do want to start the ribbons at the “hinge” end, so they end up by the opening end & away from your face. Without a graphic I hope that makes sense. Other comment is that you can also do this with the “contour clip” kind of barrettes! You know, the ones that you bend in the middle to snap shut? Though I did use the double bar ones when I made them years ago, I was thinking how my daughter would probably like these but she’s only 6. Those double bar ones are both a little large for her small head, and a little trickier for her little fingers to operate. I thought I’d try using these other kinds & see if it can work, since they are super easy for her to put on & take off by herself. Yes! There is a large-ish metal end that doesn’t get covered by the braiding (the double bar ones don’t have that b/c the bars are split the whole length of the barrette), but I did a little extra wrapping at the start to cover at least part of it, and I’m sure I could do something even better once I play around some more. Might require some glue. Not sure how to send/post a pic, but I could take one if you like. Again, though, thanks for making such a clear & thorough tutorial, really got me excited to make some of these for the little princess!
May 29, 2012 at 4:36 pm Beth
Thanks for your comment, Lisa! You are right about which end to start at. I was making them remembering them back in the 80s, when we wore one on each side, and we clipped them so the barrette was totally vertical. In that case, you want them with the ribbons hanging on the hinge end. But today, kids wear the barrettes more horizontally, in which case, it can be better to have them on the other side. I actually did another tutorial showing how to add ribbons to *both* ends, since so many girls now wear them in the back of the head, and it’s nice to have ribbons on both sides. You can see that here: http://remarkablydomestic.com/2011/11/15/updated-80s-braided-ribbon-barrettes-double-ended/.
I’d LOVE to see your ribbon barrettes with contour clips! You can send me a photo to my email (remarkablydomestic@gmail.com) and if you want, I can do a little post on it and link back to you (if you have a place to link!). Thanks again for visiting!
August 21, 2012 at 3:44 pm aine and chloe
thank you for posting such clear directions! i’m going to make these for my daughter and seeing your pics got her really excited. she is a determined headband wearer but has super thick hair so most headbands don’t stay and then she can’t see and it that makes me crazy. i think these barrettes could be the answer to our problems, and will be totally nostalgic for me. thanks
August 21, 2012 at 5:16 pm Beth
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for visiting.
August 28, 2012 at 9:38 am Rosemary
I just found these instructions and got the materials so that I could try them with my 9 1/2 year old granddaughter. Great instructions, easy to follow but I think before I get her to try them I will get some tiny safety pins to pin each end strand together (hope that makes sense) and to make them a bit easier to thread into the barrette. I think she might like to add a few sparkly beads to the end strands once finished — they seem to like fancy hair stuff.
Thanks again.
August 28, 2012 at 12:20 pm Beth
Safety pins would be great! It is a little tricky for small hands. Let me know if it helps!
September 21, 2012 at 6:03 pm Linda
I did make these for my 2 girls back in the late 70′s. We were just talking about them the other day. Glad I found this site as I forgot how to make them! Thanks much!!!
September 21, 2012 at 7:13 pm Beth
Thanks for visiting, Linda!
December 16, 2012 at 5:26 pm Edie
Just a little note regarding step 3: if you are planning to use two hair bows (one pulling hair up from each side of the face with a center part), you’ll want them to be “upside-down.” This is how I wore my hair as a child. I’ve done some in both ways for my girls & they always turn out cute. Thanks for the tutorial! I’d often wondered about these little flashback treasures.
December 16, 2012 at 5:47 pm Beth
Thanks for the tip, Edie! And thanks for stopping by.
January 4, 2013 at 8:27 pm jennifer
My Mom made these for my sister and our friends when we were kids. She would always put beads on the end of the ribbons.
January 28, 2013 at 9:26 pm Suzanne
Just finished making an assortment of barrette”s for my granddaughter. I did find that if you tape the ends with scotch tape the ends are easier to thread.
February 6, 2013 at 11:14 am Lisa
Thank you so much for remembering! I recall making these w/ my mom in California when I was 4! My friend and I were trying to remember how to do these for our Daisy Girl scouts who will be representing Jamaica on World thinking day In a couple weeks. now we be stylin’ mon!
February 6, 2013 at 11:36 am Beth
So glad I could help!
March 3, 2013 at 4:19 pm grammie deb
I m so excited. Iwant to make these for my little twin grandauhters.my friends and I made them for our daughters in th 80′s but I’be lost the instructions. Thanks!
April 12, 2013 at 6:48 am Melissa
Thanks so much for these clear instructions. To make it easier for my Brownie troop, I put tape on the ends of the ribbons to hold the two together and to make threading them through the barrette a bit easier.
April 15, 2013 at 8:33 am Beth
Great idea, Melissa!