Bow & Headband Organizer - DIY

We don't do a lot of DIY explanations on here. Frankly, I think most things have been covered, and I'm really not the best at remembering to take "process" photos (where I take pictures of each step). I always think of my 2nd grade class writing "how-to" papers on How To Make an Ice Cream Sundae. After we wrote our essays, our teacher scooped each of us a sundae using the essays we'd written -- if the directions were clear enough to actually make one! Some kids never got the ice cream scoop out, so the ice cream couldn't be scooped! I won't go into that much detail here ("dig through your garage for the drill and drill bits, and bring them into the house..."), but that activity clearly left a lasting impression. I'll do my best not to leave you without a bowl for your sundae. ;)

I got a great deal on some headbands for Hannah recently, and when they arrived I realized that I didn't want to stick them in a drawer and see them tangled/disorganized, so I searched Pinterest & Etsy for solutions. Frankly, I would've been willing to buy one of these things, but most on Etsy were on $40, and I couldn't envision paying so much for something to organize headbands that weren't worth anywhere near that!

Supplies

- Open picture frame
(I used an 11x14 from Hobby Lobby. It came without the glass or backing, and was $15 at 50% off, which is a sale they frequently run)

- Ribbon.
I used 3 different kinds of 2 slightly different widths. I chose natural and gold accents to match the gold hooks. ($4.80 for 3 rolls on sale at Hobby Lobby and Michael's)

- Hooks
I bought 100 gold hooks in the screws aisle (they will screw into the frame) at Home Depot for about $3.50.

- Hot glue & gun

- Scissors

- Drill & drill bit

- Measuring tape

{total cost to me: $23.30} 

If you don't have some of the other equipment, it may cost a bit more up front, but the investment in those tools is a good one for any craft-er!

I first measured and cut the ribbons to the length of the opening. I wanted them to be precisely the length of the frame, from top corner to bottom corner of the lip of the opening so I could tuck them into hot glue and make sure they would stay. (More pictures of that below.)

Though the frame fits an 11x14" image, the outside edge was 18". I marked 17 spots for hooks, setting the first and last hooks in 1/2" from the corner, since you don't want them right on the edge.

Once marked, I drilled the holes for the hooks where I made my markings. I used a 7/64" drill bit to make way for 5/8" screws on the hooks. The size doesn't have to be precise, but you do want to use a slightly smaller bit than your screw so your screws can get some grip when you screw them in - otherwise they won't stay in. 

I used pliers to screw in the hooks, which was way easier than doing it by hand. If I could do it again, I would definitely use larger hooks, or take the headbands with me to the hardware store to make sure the hooks I was getting were deep enough to fit more than one headband. Fortunately, if this becomes a real issue, I can easily remove the hooks and replace with larger ones at little cost or effort.

Once all my screws were in, I laid out my ribbon in the order in which I wanted to glue them to the frame. I calculated that I could fit 8 cuts of ribbon in the 14" frame if I spaced them 1 1/2" apart. I started the first and last ribbon 1" away from the outer lip of the frame since the inner lip was a little under 14" and made measuring and spacing much more complicated than a pretty half-number. That may be TMI to you, but it just took a long time for me to figure out how many ribbons I wanted, as well as how far to space them. Laying them out helped greatly with visualizing!

Above, you can see my markings. I started with a dot of hot glue over the mark, and pressed the ribbon to the corner of the lip. I waited a few seconds for the glue to begin to cool and hold the ribbon more firmly before covering the top of the end of ribbon with glue as well. I did this because I figured it would better hold the ribbon in place in case someone accidentally yanked a bow off. It is going in a child's room, after all...

The final result:

It's now up in Hannah's room, complete with bows... and a ton of headbands!

I love the way it turned out. The colors in her room are very neutral so I may eventually choose to move this to the closet and tone it down a bit, but for now, I really enjoy getting to see these pretty headbands on display!

xo,
Elizabeth