Double Ruffle Ribbon Puffs

I LOVE dressing my girls up for the holidays. These cute little hair accessories are perfect for every holiday. Just change the ribbon colors and you've got a 4th of July or Christmas hair clip!

You will need: 12 in. of 5/8 in. double ruffle ribbon in three colors (36 in. total), needle and thread, scissors, lighter for sealing ribbon ends

1. Cut each color of ribbon into four 3 in. pieces. Seal the ends. You can cut the ends into two points by folding the end in half long ways and cutting a triangle from the folded side about half in. down to the outside edges at the top, then sealing by running the flame along the angle quickly. I call that 'forking' the ends.

2. Take one of your ribbon length's and pinch it half in the middle. Run the needle and thread through the middle (after you make certain you have a nice secure knot at the end of the thread, which should be about 12 in. long, by the way). There is no need to find the exact middle, just eyeball it.

3. Repeat step two with the remaining 11 pieces, alternating colors.

4. Now you're going to fan out  the ribbons so that they're going all different directions. For the most part, this will happen naturally, but it's good to fan them to make sure there are no bald spots in your pom pom.

5. Pull the ribbons tight to the knot. Run the needle and thread back and forth through the center of the stack of pell mell ribbons, pulling tight. When the ribbons feel securely together, knot the thread and cut of the excess.

The result should be a super cute pom pom shaped ribbon puff. It's simple and girly and can be used on an alligator clip, hair elastic, or headband. Customize the colors to match any outfit or double them up for adorable pigtails!

The picture with the pink, hot pink, and brown double ruffle puff and the Valentine's Day one showcases the difference between 'forking' the ribbon ends and leaving them straight.

You can also use this technique with 1 1/2 in. double ruffle ribbon. Simply cut your ribbon pieces 5 in. long instead and make the project the same way. You get a puff that is approximately 4 in. wide.

A word of caution: cheap double ruffle that is 'plasticky' down the middle does NOT work well in this project. You'll want to make sure you're using a soft, supple double ruffle ribbon or the ribbon lays flat instead of fluffing. I don't suggest ordering mass quantities of double ruffle ribbon online for this project unless you've ordered it from that company before and know you'll be getting a high quality product.