DIY: Sequin Flower Hairpin/Bobby Pin (pseudo-vintage/Victorian!)

Intro: DIY: Sequin Flower Hairpin/Bobby Pin (pseudo-vintage/Victorian!)

Ooh, I just can't get enough of my new hairpin.

The iridescent quality of sequins makes it sparkle so much under the sun, it's hard to get a clear picture of it on my hair.

Ooh, and it's pseudo-vintage/Victorian! How can you not make one for yourself!? 

STEP 1: Materials

To make 1 sequin flower hairpin/bobby pin:

Sewing needle
Thread
20 x Sequins
10 x Seed beads
5 x Small plastic pearl beads
Glue
Felt
Scissors
Plain hairpin/bobby pin

STEP 2: Thread

Thread a long piece of thread through the eye of a needle. Tie the 2 ends of the thread together into a knot.
Bring your needle and the thread through a piece of felt. This is the point where the middle of the flower lies.
Insert beads and sequins through the needle in this order:

1. small pearl bead
2. small seed bead
3. sequin with the concave side towards the eye of the needle
4. sequin with the convex side towards the eye of the needle
5. small seed bead
6. sequin with the concave side towards the eye of the needle
7. sequin with the convex side towards the eye of the needle

STEP 3: Insert

Insert the needle through the felt again. The point of insertion should be just a small distance away from the point of the middle of the flower.

STEP 4: First Petal

Pull the thread all the way and make it tight. (BUT NOT TOO TIGHT!)

This is how your first petal should look like from the side.

STEP 5: Repeat

Repeat the same for the subsequent petals.

You can make as many petals as you like. I like to have 5 petals because it makes it look like a sakura.

STEP 6: Tie

Tie a dead knot at the back of the flower.

STEP 7: Cut

Cut off the sequin flower from the piece of felt and trim the remaining felt such that the no felt can be seen when you see the flower from above.

Cut a small piece of felt and insert it between a plain hairpin/bobby pin. This piece of felt should be smaller than the back of the flower.

STEP 8: Glue Flower

This is how your flower should look from the top! You shouldn't be able to see any of the felt.

If you find that your flower seems a bit floppy, you could fold the flower into half to reveal the felt at the centre of the flower. Then add a small dab of glue to the felt and push all the petals towards the centre again!

STEP 9: Glue Hair Pin

Use super glue (or whatever kind of adhesives that you are comfortable with) to stick the small piece of felt between the hairpin to the back of the flower.

STEP 10: Wear

Comments

[schnitzle]

What a clever and cute instructable! Very clear instructions too, thanks ^_^

[chicks_with_sticks]

I used super glue for this step. If you are also using super glue, here are some things you may want to know: -The super glue will seep through the fabric, and when it dries on the back side, it will make it look kind of bad (esp. if you just use your fingers to smoosh the two bits of felt together because the glue will get on your fingers and when pull your fingers off, it will pull some of the felt and glue off as well) -To prevent the super glue from getting on your skin, try using wax paper (or parchment paper, or possibly aluminum foil) when sticking the two pieces of felt together. 1. Put the wax paper between the felt and the bottom of the bobby pin (suggested method because it allows you to get your hair further into the bobby pin, which makes the pin stay in better) 2. Put the wax paper underneath the pin entirely, just so the glue doesn't touch your skin or your work surface Let me know if you find a better glue or a better way to do this step!

[chicks_with_sticks]

Thanks so much for the idea! I wanted to add color to mine, so I bought the following items: -black beads -pearl beads -seed beads -a bag of multi-colored and different sized-sequins -golden sequin leaves -small gold bells -different colors of felt & thread I really suggest using different sized sequins, as they add more depth. I will add a photo later, as soon as I find my camera.

[jumpingpea]

Start small. Maybe 4 or 5 dozen. Keep a cheap tray handy to leave the stuff on it . I keep mine on top of the frig. Do you have say 1 hour or so while watching TV? Little People? Maybe after bedtime. I did a few things I like to do, and went in with two other women at a church christmas bazaar. No I wasn't a member of her church, she represented us. Christmas community bazaar? They didn't really have alot of time either. none of us did. And we sure didn't have a lot money. Maybe if 3 or 4 go together on 1 table? Have you thought of bookmarks? These on ribbons? Would be pretty. Whatever you make, will be used by women, if you like it, they probably will too. Luck.

[jumpingpea]

I made a bouquet of these for my granddaughters 9th birthday. She loved them. Planning for Christmas now. Thanks for this, they are beautiful. Have you thought about crafts fairs and flea markets?

[gwenstella]

i'm glad that she loved it! :) hmmm you mean like setting up a store at a fair or a flea market? yes of course i'd LOVE to have a stall at craft fairs and flea markets. (^_^) but i never really have the time/resource/opportunity to do so....

[BeanGolem]

I like the rounded-corner images. A nice touch. Don't have much use for hairpins, myself, though ;)

[gwenstella]

hee hee yes i like images with rounded corners too! i edited them for my blog and simply use the edited ones here... you can make the hairpins as gifts! ;)

[gwenstella]

hee hee yes i like images with rounded corners too! i edited them for my blog and simply use the edited ones here... you can make the hairpins as gifts! ;)

[scoochmaroo]

You should enter this in the beauty contest!

[gwenstella]

oh, i didn't know that it would be eligible. i've just done that. thanks a lot for giving me the heads-up! :D