Framed Hair-Clip Holder (with some hair-clips included)

Earlier, I mentioned that I would show in-depth tutorials on how to staple things together. Despite the fact that I had meant it as a joke, that's exactly what I'm about to do. Why? Because that's really all it takes to make this framed hair-clip holder!

 

I generally don't wear many accessories (with the notable exceptions of my Aggie ring and tattered, Velcro watch), so when I want to spice up my ensemble, I usually default to a hair-clip of some sort. Unfortunately, I'm pretty dang lazy and scatter-brained, so if they're not easily accessible and right in front of me, I tend to either forget about them entirely or just decide to forego them on the grounds of not wanting to bring down, open, dig through, then put away the box of hair-clips I keep in my bathroom cabinet.

In an attempt to remedy the situation, I thumb-tacked a ribbon to the wall and just hung all of my clips and barrettes on it. While functional enough, it was pretty white-trash-tastic. Then, when browsing Pinterest, I saw a much better solution, and decided to try it myself!

FRAMED HAIR CLIP HOLDER

What you'll need:

• Empty frame - I got mine at Hobby Lobby. They also have lime green and purple ones.
• Ribbon - Try to use one of the sturdier fabrics. I usually love satin ribbon, but decided to go with a stronger type for this project for the sake of structural stability.
• Staple gun and staples
• Hammer

How to do it:

It's incredibly easy to do. Basically, just staple the ribbon to the back of the frame. I spaced my ribbons about 3.5" apart on center, but it doesn't really matter. Do what works for you.

If your staple gun is like mine, the staples will probably still stick out a bit from the surface of the wood (I'm guessing this is because they sometimes are used to hold wires and stuff in place). I just used my hammer to hit them in the rest of the way. And then you're pretty much done.

I hung mine in my bathroom. I think it looks great with the
flamingo picture Hannah gave me a few years back.

Then, just attach your hair-clips and you're ready to accessorize away!

What's that? You don't have any hair clips and/or are extremely jealous of mine?
Definitely the latter, right?

I mean... they go with everything! Even Batman masks!
*Photo courtesy of Walquist Photography

Well, fear not, dear citizens! I've got you covered.

FLOWER HAIR-CLIPS

What you'll need:

Fake flowers
Hot-glue gun and glue sticks
Alligator clips or Barrettes
Pliers with wire-cutting capability

Oh, and a novelty Halloween cup of Diet Dr. Pepper. That's key.

How to do it:

Start by selecting which flowers you want to make into a clip. I recommend flowers that lay somewhat flat, such as daisies or sunflowers, rather than more shapely flowers, like lilies and rose buds.

Then, remove the flower stem and backing. Because there are wires in most fake flower stems, use the wire cutters rather than scissors. Cut them as close to the base of the flower as possible.

Because the green backing is usually what holds the flower together, put a dollop of hot glue at the base of the flower to hold everything together. Note: if your flower is still lacking in structural integrity, try spot-welding between the different petal layers with hot glue.

Finally, attach the alligator clip (or barrette) with more hot glue. It's important here to position the clip correctly. I like to position it so that the tip of the clip is in roughly the center of the flower, and the open/close lever is near the edge of the middle portion - just before the petals start branching out on their own.

 

It's also important, when hot-gluing the clip in place, to fully encase the rounded top of the clip in hot glue (so that stray hairs don't get caught underneath) without covering the alligator teeth or accidentally gluing the clip in a permanently closed position.
Let the glue cool, and voila!

ALTERNATE USES:
If hair clips aren't really your thing, you could use clothespins to attach small pictures to the ribbons in the frame and use the flower clips as decorative items around the house.

WHILE I CRAFTED: I listened to my Kate Nash station on Pandora.