Make A Large Tree Top Bow With Streamers

A ribbon that holds it's shape is best when making a large decorative bow.

A large multi-loop bow with cascading tails is an elegant decorative touch on a Christmas tree. The large tree-top bow will hold it's shape throughout the holiday season when it is fashioned from wired ribbon. The streamers can be positioned to flow down the front or sides of the tree or be shaped in subtle rolling waves over the branches. Velour, satin or cotton ribbons will match your taste in holiday decor when you make this large bow for your tree.

Instructions

1. Measure your tree from the top to the area where you want the streamers to end. Cut two to four lengths of wired ribbon, five inches longer than this measurement, with fabric shears. Set the streamers or tails aside on your work table.

2. Cut a 30 inch piece of wreath wire with wire cutters. Bend the wire in half at the center point to form a U-shape. Set it on the table in front of you.

3. Unroll a few yards of ribbon from the spool. Hold the ribbon in one hand and pinch the fabric between your fingers about two feet from the end.

4. Form a loop that is 12 inches long and pinch the ribbon in your fingers. Continue forming loops and pinching the ribbon in between your fingers until you have 8 to 10 equally proportioned loops.

5. Place the wire over the center of the bow. The two ends of the wire will be at the back of the bow. Press the U-shape firmly against the front of the bow where the ribbon has been pinched. Twist the ends of wire tightly against the back of the bow to secure it. Fluff the loops to shape the bow.

6. Place the ends of the streamers against the back of the bow. Wrap the wire around the ribbon about four inches from the tops to secure them to the back of the bow. Fasten the loose ends of the wire from the back of the ribbon bow and streamers to the tree top. Arrange the streamers over the branches on the tree. Use a second piece of wire around the tree top to add extra support to the bow.

Tags: ends wire, your fingers, against back, between your, between your fingers

Hairstyles With Tiny Flowers

There are many ways to incorporate tiny flowers into your hairstyle. Flowers can add elegance, class, beauty or fashion. Baby's breath, mini roses and other tiny flowers elevate the classic French twist, a half updo and other styles for everyday wear or special occasions.

French Twist

Place your hair in a ponytail at the base of your neck. Take the hair from the pony tail and twist it around your finger, then pull it upward and clip it to your head sideways with bobby pins so that it faces north-south, with the loose ends inside the twist. Pin the flowers inside the crease of the twist at random places so that they look like they are sticking out.

Braided Bun

Comb your hair smooth and spritz it with a smoothing spray. Braid it in one solid braid, starting about halfway down the back of your head and continuing down to the ends of your hair. Secure the braid with the smallest rubber band possible. Twist the braid up into a bun at the nape of your neck and secure with bobby pins. Pin flowers into folds of the braids at random places.

Floral Frame Style

Curl your entire head of hair with a large-barrel curling iron and spray with finishing spray for added hold. Take a 1- to 2-inch section of hair at the center of your forehead and pin it back about 2 inches from your hairline with a small barrette or bobby pin. Pin a 1- to 2-inch section of hair to the left and a 1- to 2-inch section to the right as well. Place flowers inside the barrettes or bobby pins (or use bobby pins to attach flowers over the existing barrettes or pins) to frame your face with an elegant look.

Half Updo

Curl your entire head of hair with a medium-barrel curling iron. Tease the top half of your hair (except for your bangs if you have them). After teasing, spray on finishing spray for texture and hold. Pull back the teased portion of your hair into a ponytail on the top half of your head with your fingers, twisting it once. Push the hair forward to give it extra body and to create a little poof on top. Use bobby pins to secure the twisted ponytail into place. Pin flowers into the top half of your hair where you have secured your updo. You can also place flowers randomly for added style.

Tags: your hair, bobby pins, 2-inch section, flowers into, half your, your head, 2-inch section hair

Pageant Hairstyle Tips

Pageant ready hair

In the world of pageants, sometimes a great hairstyle can be the difference between walking away with the crown or just walking away. Getting that show-stopping look can be a headache, but proper hair care combined with a bit of preparation will help you look your best on the stage. To pull off a first place pageant hairstyle, you just need to know a few tips and guidelines.

Basic Hair Care

Having a healthy head of hair to work with is an essential component when creating an award-winning pageant hairstyle. To help keep your hair strong and shiny, eat a balanced diet with a mixture of proteins, complex carbohydrates and plenty of fruits and vegetables. Nuts and cheese will give your locks the necessary protein; eating cold water fish such as salmon, packed with omega-3 fatty acids, is especially good for your hair.

Use a shampoo with natural cleansers, such as Aveda or Ojon brand shampoos. Natural cleansers are milder and won't strip your hair of essential oils. If you regularly blow dry your hair or use any other kind of heat styling, you should deep condition your hair or use a hair mask once a week to keep it from drying out. Also, don't forget the importance of a good hairbrush. Stylists suggest using brushes with natural boar bristles, because these brushes help evenly distribute your scalp's oils (see References).

Preparation

Every pageant is different, and individual judges have their own personal tastes, so taking a look at the hairstyles of past winners can be a smart strategy. You'll find that some pageants are likely to feature more dramatic hairstyles with lots of curls, crimping and even false hair extensions, while others may feature a conservative, classic look such as a bun or sleek ponytail.

Think about what kind of image you'd like to project with your hairstyle. A head full of bouncy curls can project a bubbly and youthful personality, while a polished up-do will give an air of sophistication. Once you've selected a possible hairstyle, take it for a test run. Style your hair as if it were the day of the pageant and spend an afternoon walking around with it. This will allow you to make sure the hairstyle holds. It's also an opportunity to get a second opinion. Invite friends or family over to check out your look and see what they think.

Further Advice

Remember that in a pageant the focus should be on you, not your hair. A successful hairstyle serves as a frame to showcase your face, and it should accentuate your features without overpowering your look. Don't let your hair steal the show, and don't pick a hairstyle that competes with your outfit. Use an "either or" approach: either your dress is elaborate and your hair is simple, or your dress is simple and your hair is elaborate. If you're wearing a busy dress with lots of beads, ruffles, or sequins, choose a simpler, sleeker hairstyle to balance out your look. If your dress is plain, you can accentuate it with a bigger, bolder hairstyle. Most of all, it's important to choose a pageant hairstyle that makes you feel comfortable and confident, so you can project that to the judges.

Tags: your hair, look your, your dress, your look, hairstyle that

Make A Hair Bow Holder

Hair bows are a staple around many households with little girls. If your little girl loves to match hair bows to each and every outfit, you are probably overwhelmed with a rainbow of ribbon. These sweet little hair bow holders are so cute that your little princess will be proud to have her hair bow collection displayed in her bedroom. These hair bow holders are fun and easy to make and they are fully function and exude diva style! This beautiful hair bow and barrette holder will save you and her from having to search for the perfect hair bow again. You can create them using the same color theme as any room or in your little girl's favorite color. Make a couple because they fill up fast!

Instructions

1. Lay your fabric out on a flat working surface. Decide if you would like your hair bow holder to hang vertically or horizontally. Lay the canvas on the fabric and cut the fabric to size of canvas, adding 1.5 inches per side. This will allow you to fold the fabric over to the back of the canvas.

2. Turn the canvas over and bring up one side of the canvas. Staple the fabric onto the back board of the canvas. Repeat this process on the remaining three sides, folding the corners in to create a clean corner. Pull the fabric tight before stapling so that the fabric does not bind when adding the ribbons.

3. Lay out ribbons and staple them onto the back of the canvas. Try choosing different widths and textures of ribbons for added interest to your hair bow holder.

4. Cut off any excess fabric and ribbon on the back of the canvas. You can also glue the edges of the fabric to finish the hair bow holder.

5. To attach your bows to the hair bow holder, simply slide the open barrette of the bow under a length of ribbon and close the barrette.

Tags: back canvas, hair holder, your little, hair holders, little girl

Create Finger Waves With Hot Rollers

Finger waves create a glamorous look.

Using hot rollers or curlers to make finger waves for that sexy, vintage 1930s look is very similar to the technique used to make spiral curls. Usually finger waves are done as a wet set and use a lot of hair gel. You can do something similar with hot rollers if you do not have time to wait for wet hair to dry but your hairstyle will not last as long. You will need the smallest rollers you can find and a lot of hairspray in order to get the tightest curls possible. It will also take some practice to get the look right.

Instructions

Set Your Hair

1. Wash, blow dry and comb out your hair.

2. Heat the smallest hot rollers you can find.

3. With a comb, section your hair at the earlobe level, all across the base of your hairline around your head. Use a claw to keep the rest of your hair pulled up and away from your face and neck. Take a 1- to 2-inch section of hair and spray it with hairspray. Roll it in a hot curler tightly until you reach your scalp. Secure the hot roller with a clamp or other fastener. Continue making 1- to 2-inch sections, spraying and rolling each one.

4. Remove the claw from your hair and section off hair at the level of the top of your ear all around your head. Put the rest of the hair back up in the claw. Divide the hair into 1- to 2-inch sections, spray and roll.

5. Remove the claw and section off the hair around your crown, putting the rest of the hair in the claw. Divide the hair into 1- to 2-inch sections, spray and roll.

6. Remove the claw and divide the remaining hair at the top of the head into 1- to 2-inch sections, spray and roll.

7. Let the hot rollers cool. This may take 30 minutes or longer.

Curl Your Hair

8. Take out the curlers one at a time when they are cool. Begin with the bottom curlers and work your way up the head.

9. Keep your hair in the curled loop when you take out each curler. Apply hairspray to each curl. With your fingers, wind each loop and resecure it against your head with a hairpin or two.

10. Apply hairspray over your entire head when all of your hair has been pinned up. Let it dry for at least an hour or until you are ready to style it.

11. Take out the hairpins. Style your hair as desired and spray into place.

Tags: your hair, 2-inch sections, your head, 2-inch sections spray, around your, into 2-inch

Pageant Hairstyles For Teens

Ms. Phillipine Center of Minnesota

A hairstyle can make or break your look. When competing in a pageant, the hairstyle and clothing choices should complement each other as well as be easy to maintain. Here are three hairstyles that work with most hair lengths and facial types. Each of these styles are beautiful and can be used to accent your personality and clothing choices, which will ultimately set you apart from the other competitors.

Classic Up-do

The French Twist is an iconic and sophisticated look that is simple to achieve and can be dressed up with accessories such as barrettes, pins and headbands. This hairstyle can be accentuated with bangs, loose tendrils curled around the face or teasing to give the do extra lift and volume. A simple twist can be done on one's own, but, for a more advanced twist, it is best to seek help from a professional hairstylist. This look works best for medium to long hair lengths, but if you have short hair you can get extensions to add length.

The easiest way to complete this look is to brush your hair out completely and gather it into a ponytail at the crown of your head. Hold the ponytail with your right hand and twist it clockwise or counterclockwise depending on the direction you want the twist to face two times. With your left hand, grab the length of the ponytail about one third of the way down and lift it pointing the end straight up. Then fold it down over the fingers of your right hand and begin tucking and folding the hair into the space created. Tuck the ends up the hair into the fold and then pin hair along the crease.

Flirty Fun

A flirty style is all about showing off your youth and fun personality. A simple look such as the ponytail can be highlighted with a sparkling barrette or a dramatic side-sweeping bang to attract attention to the style. The ponytail can be worn high on the head or lower at the nape of the neck. Teasing the top part of a back section of your hair for higher ponytails adds volume creating a voluptuous look. The actual ponytail should be curled with a large barrel curling iron to create soft, full curls that fall at your shoulders or cascade down your back. If you have bangs, use the large barrel curling iron on the ends to create a flirty flip or straighten them with an iron for a more edgy and fun style. Some good products to use for this look are volumizing spray for thinner hair, an anti-frizz serum for curly or thick hair and a styling gloss that will give the hair a vibrant sheen.

Bohemian Beauty

The Bohemian hairstyle has surged in popularity since it was first worn among female flower children of the 1960s and 1970s. This look is all about emphasizing natural beauty and creating a hairstyle that is no fuss. This style is ideal for all hair types and lengths and works well with a blunt straight bang or a wispy side bang. Take sections of your hair and spray a curl-enhancing spray on the section and begin scrunching the hair from root to tip. This will add volume to the hair and create beautiful waves. Part your hair down the middle and let it dry naturally, once dry use your fingers to comb through the curls. This look can be emphasized with a headband, a flower behind your ear or loose braids on either side of your face that are pinned back at the center of your head.

Tags: your hair, barrel curling, barrel curling iron, clothing choices, curling iron, hair into

French Twist Directions

French twists are popular with brides.

A French twist is a popular up-do hair style that has been around since the 1950s. It is considered just as elegant today with brides often choosing to wear French twists for their weddings. The style is also popular for proms and other formal occasions. While there are many variations of this hair style, a basic French twist is easy to create at home and works best on medium to long hair lengths.

Instructions

1. Wash your hair with shampoo and conditioner.

2. Towel dry your hair and add a hair straightening or sleeking product such as a gel or shine serum.

3. Blow dry your hair straight using a large round-barrel brush.

4. Part your hair to one side and comb your hair back into a low, sleek ponytail at the nape of your neck.

5. Without putting an elastic band around the ponytail, twist the hair into a long spiral.

6. Twist the hair roll up so that the ends of your hair are close to the top of your head.

7. Hold your hair in place with one hand while using bobby pins with your other hand. Pin the hair roll against your scalp and pin the ends of your hair down into the roll so you can no longer see them.

8. Use hair spray or a styling serum to smooth down any flyaway hairs and to keep your style in place.

Tags: your hair, ends your, ends your hair, French twist, French twists