A guide to making Korker ribbon for your hairbows

Making Korker Ribbon for your hairbows

Korkers are the cutest little hairbows....full and fluffy, they are really eye catching, show our your childs hairstyle and compliment her outfit! You have two main choices when looking to add these to your child's line of hair embelishments - buy them - often not that cheap and you are limited in style, color and design. Or make them - it really is not that hard, and you are limited only by your creativity. You can chose the size, color, ribbon and mix and match to your childs outfits.

There are numerous guides out there instruction you on the art of making Korker hairbows. They vary in quality and ease of instruction, but one thing they have in common - is the fact you have to pay to get this information. I out together a simple guide on eBay that has a basic step by step guide to making your own Korkers and best of all it is free:

"A guide to making Kids Korker hairbows" Guide number: 10000000000730051.

However, the one question I keep getting after people have read this guide is : 'Where do I get my ribbon or how can I make it?"

You have two options - you can buy premade Korker ribbon - just click on the link and it will take you to eBay and the current selections they have or you can MAKE it! This is great for several reasons - it is simply and easy to do, you can take ownership of your creation from start to finish and your options are limited as you pick the color, the fabric and can match to any outfit or occasion you chose.

Getting started

You will need the following:



Ribbon - preferably 3/8 " lenght

Some pins / clothes pegs to secure your ribbon

A wooden dowel ( or a wooden spoon works fine) 1/4' thickness

Some spray starch or access to a oven depending on the method you chose.

Making your ribbon

First you need your basic ribbon - you can experiment with types and size of ribbon, I really do find that 3/8 inch is the best size especially when you are just getting started, and you can chose different types depending on the look you are going ofr such as satin, matte, tulle but I always like Grosgrain as it is very durable and holds the curl well! You can use the link to find it on ebay or search your local craft store.

Then you will need your dowel - I find that the best thing you can use without having to go out and buy extra supplies is a wooden spoon, they have a handle that is about the right thickness and though the handle is not always very long, it will still make enough korker ribbon to use in your bows .

The take your ribbon and secure on the handle with a clip like so:



I am using a crocodile hair clip which I bent a little at the ends to keep secure - you can use a clothes peg or whatever you have available that will work!

The begin to wrap your ribbon tightly around your handle and keep going until you get to the end. You want it close together but NOT TOUCHING and you may find you need to keep adusting it to get your ribbon cloer which will give you more curl:



You will want it closer than I have in the picture as it will look better when finshed and more curl gives your korkers more volume and the overall look is better!

Once you get to the end, secure with another clip and prepare for the next stage - setting your ribbon.

Setting the ribbon and keeping the curl in place

Almost done - you are at the last stage where you have two choices:



OPTION ONE - This is the fast method. You will need to spray your ribbon with an ordinary household starch spray. Make sure every piece is saturated and allow to dry in an upright postion so it dries evenly and no ribbon is touching a surface. Is is best to allow to dry naturally to for best effect.

When dry , remove your pins and gently slip the ribbon off the handle - your korker ribbon is ready to use.

This is a great speedy method and good for beginners - however, the curl has less staying power the effects of heat and humidity reduce the shelflife on this ribbon. I find it is good to use if you are in a hurry or need a bow for a short period of time but is not the best if you want to get some good use out of your korker.



The finished look of your korker ribbon





OPTION TWO - The second method is the oven bake way of setting your ribbon. This is slightly tricky but you will soon get it down to a method that works for you and it produces long lasting effects and a stronger more defined curl to your ribbon!

Preheat your oven to 200f ( you may need to experiment with this depending on your oven) and in the meantime you will need to soak you ribbon - I find this is easier all around if you do so once it is wrapped around the handle. You can either hold under a gentle tap or immerse in a sink on water until is is saturated....then gently shake off the excess water and lay in the oven on a baking sheet until dry. This is where you will need to be careful and keep checking...do not be surprised in the early days if you experience some burnt ribbon or ten! But soon you will be a pro and know what works best for you.

Remove from the oven when dry and allow to completly cool - the longer you leave it the better; then remove your pins, and again gently slip off the handle....your ribbon is done and ready to cut to use in your korker projects:





Now you are ready to make your korker bows!! Have fun and please contact me with any questions - I will do my best to help you out!

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