Home-made Flower Hair Pin

After searching for a floral hair pin for a special event and coming up with highly overpriced options ($20+ and up), I decided to figure it out myself and make my own. Here is a little tutorial for all the ladies out there (and, um, any guy who wants to get crafty).

I got all my supplies from Michael's. (I already had the glue gun). To complete this project you will need:

• Silk/artificial flower(s) (they make some very realistic flowers now)
• Alligator clips (found in the jewelry section)
• Craft ribbon
  
• Scissors
• Glue gun
• Something to protect your work surface (such as scrap paper or newspaper)

1. Remove the head of the flower from the stem. Most of them pop off easily and leave a little plastic nub.

2. Lay paper down on your work surface to protect it from any dripping hot glue. Turn on the glue gun to let it warm up while you complete the rest of the steps.

3. Cut a piece of ribbon that is slightly wider than your alligator clip*. I used purple scrap ribbon, but you could get dark green or a color that would blend into the flower color. You need the ribbon as a binding surface between the flower and the clip. Hot glue applied directly onto the clip will not work well.

*note: I used small clips (it was the only size Michael's had at the time...but it was big enough to hold a flower that was 3.5" in diameter. You may need to experiment with different sizes of clips.)

4. Apply a thin strip of hot glue to the clip. Immediately affix the ribbon to the clip and let dry for a few minutes.

5. To prepare the flower, trim the plastic nub down slightly using scissors. Don't cut too close or the bottom petals may fall off. They can be repaired but it's a pain.

6. Apply a healthy-sized dollop of hot glue to the bottom of the flower. For a 3-4" flower, I used a nickel-quarter sized dollop. Smaller flowers required less. If it spreads out, it's okay because you are putting it on the ribbon.

7. Immediately affix the clip/ribbon to the flower. I put the flower upsidedown on the table and put the clip/ribbon on top. Gently press down and let dry for at least an hour before using.

I have used large and small flowers in my hair so far, and with gentle pressure have not yet managed to make the flower detach from the clip. The clip will tug a bit on your hair when you remove it, but it's not too bad.

All in all, each clip costs less than $5 to make!! The websites I checked had them listed for $20-40!

Here is the cost breakdown:

• Alligator clips, pack of 12...$3
• Large silk rose...$4
• Scrap ribbon...I already had a ton
• Glue gun...I already had one but they are not too pricey