How to make a Creative DIY Ribbon Hair Bow Holder

When my daughter was young, we had hair bows, clips, and barrettes all over the place. Each time she would need one, we would have to go on a hunt to find the barrette or two to match.

How I wish we would have had this lovely ribbon hair bow holder to keep the hair accessories organized.

This tutorial shows how to make a pretty ribbon hair bow holder to hang in a little girl's room to keep the hair bows and clips organized. It truly is the most beautiful kind of storage for hair accessories.

The holder is made with bows and ribbons, and it looks so sweet with the different sizes of barrettes clipped to it.

To make this cute and functional craft, you need only some ribbon, craft sticks, a hot glue gun, and a few crafting items.

As a bonus, there is a link to instructions for making a big and beautiful bow that will be the center of attention!

Learn more about making the perfect bow holder by watching our step-by-step video or reading this post.

WHAT YOU NEED to make a DIY hair bow holder

• Two large craft sticks, 6" x 3/4"
• 1 1/2" wide ribbon
• 7/8" wide ribbon
• 3/8" wide ribbon
• 1" plastic ring
• Large bow or other embellishment
• Hot glue gun
• Marker that coordinates with the ribbons
• Sharp scissors

INSTRUCTIONS For making a ribbon bow holder

STEP 1: Make the loopy bow for the center top (optional)

The embellishment for the top center of the ribbon holder can be made or purchased.

If making the large loop bow shown in this tutorial, use the link to Hair Hardware for a video tutorial on making this beautiful loopy bow.

Stop before attaching the barrette or clip to the back of the bow. The clip will not be needed for this project.

step 2: Glue the two popsicle or craft sticks together

Take the 6" x 3/4" craft sticks and glue the two sticks together.

Lay one stick on the work surface, and with the hot glue gun, squeeze some glue along one side of one of the craft sticks.

Stack the other stick on top and hold them together firmly until the glue has dried.

Step 3: color in the ends of the sticks

The ends of the craft sticks will be visible in the finished project. To make the sticks look finished, use the marker to color the ends of the popsicle sticks. Do this on both sides as it is difficult to determine at this point which will be the front. Also, use the marker around the edge to cover the ends completely.

Set the sticks aside for now.

Step 4: Prepare the ribbons

Cut two 30" pieces of the 1 1/2" ribbon using sharp scissors. Do the same for the 7/8" ribbon. These ribbons will hang down to hold the hair clips and barrettes.

The 3/8" wide ribbon will need to be cut 10" long. This will be the hanger for the whole ribbon holder, which will be hung on the wall.

Step 5: attach the ribbons to the hair bow holder

The 7/8" ribbon will lay over the top of the 1 1/2" ribbon, so at the work area, lay a piece of 1 1/2" ribbon on the table. Lay one of the 7/8" ribbon centered on top of it.

Take the wider ribbon and, using the hot glue, attach it to the craft stick where the marker coloring is. Be careful not to get burned by the hot glue.

Next, glue the 7/8" ribbon directly on top in the center of the 1 1/2" ribbon.

Do the same on the other side of the craft stick with the remaining 30" ribbons.

Turn the project over, and put hot glue on the craft stick by the ribbons.

Turn the craft stick one-half turn, wrapping the two 1 1/2" ribbons around the stick. Make sure the ribbon is taut while doing this to make a nice turn.

Step 6: attach the ribbon hanger

Thread the 10" narrow ribbon through the plastic ring, which will be the holder for this project.

Use a little hot glue to attach each end of the ribbon hanger to the center of each 30" ribbon on the craft stick.

Be sure the ribbon hanger is not twisted when it is being glued.

Step 7: wrap the hanging ribbons

Next, we will wrap the ribbons one more time. The 1 1/2" ribbons need to be glued in place on the craft stick. Squeeze a small amount of glue on each side.

Turn the stick one-half turn again.

Unwrap the 7/8" ribbons from underneath to the top and lay them flat along the wider ribbon. Place a dab of glue on each side.

Pull the 7/8" ribbon across the stick to glue it to the wider ribbon wrapped around the stick. Pull tightly so the narrow ribbons stay flat and don't puff up.

Turn the whole thing over and glue the 7/8" ribbon down on the other side too.

Step 8: glue the hanger in place

The next step is to glue the hanger in place, so it is secure at each end and hangs properly. 

Place just a small amount of glue at each end of the 3/8" ribbon at the craft stick to hold it well.

Step 9: attach the embellishment

The last step is to attach the large bow or other embellishment to the center of the craft stick.

Use hot glue to attach it to the center. This will cover the part of the craft stick that is bare without marker coloring on it. Only the tips of the craft stick colored with a marker in Step 3 will be shown.

To prevent the ribbon ends from fraying during use, you can use the nail polish method or a lighter or match along the edge.

The ribbon bow holder is finished! Hang the holder by the plastic circle. Clip the hair bows and barrettes to the long 30" hanging ribbons to keep them organized and ready to use. This simple hair bow holder can hold a lot of bows!

Hair bows and barrettes

• Braided Ribbon Barrette
• Rose Hair Barrette
• Ribbon Hair Bow with Loops
• How to Machine Embroider a Barrette