A lot of fictional characters have some pretty groovy headgear, not all of which obeys the laws of gravity.  Lucky, we don’t have to obey the laws of gravity either!  Or at least, we can get around them pretty easily.  Launch from Dragon Ball is one of these characters, and in this tutorial, I’ll show you how I made her hair bow able to stand up on its own!

Materials/Tools

• Headband (thicker is better)
• Choice of Stretch Fabric
• Choice of Thread
• Sewing Machine
• Sewing Needle
• Scissors
• Writing Utentils
• Chalk, Pastel Pencil, etc (for fabric)
• Paper
• Jewelry Wire
• Wire Cutters
• Needle Nose Pliers
• Glue (optional)

 

Step 1: Cover your Headband

First, you’ll need to cover your headband with fabric.

To start, take a piece of fabric and fold it over so that the right sides of the fabric are facing each other.  Pin it in place to keep it from moving.  Make sure the piece is large enough to cover the surface of your headband and then some.

Then, take a piece of chalk, pastel pencil, or other writing utensil you can use on fabric, and trace around the edge of your headband as you roll it along the fabric.

Then, sew along the line you just made using a stretch stitch.  Leave one end open.  Be sure to leave some extra fabric at the end to work with later.

 

You can see above that I accidentally started to sew both ends shut.  If that happens, just take the stitching out.  It will be fine!  

Once that is done, cut the excess of with a pair of scissors.  Leave a small amount of fabric left over, no more than 1/4 of an inch.  This will help keep your stitching from coming out.

Next, turn the fabric right side out and slip it over the headband.  This is why I recommend using stretch fabric.  If the fabric didn’t stretch, you would have a much harder time pulling the fabric over the headband, and you wouldn’t be able to get as tight of a fit either.

 

Last, fold the excess fabric at the end inside itself and hand sew it shut.

 

 

Step 2: Make your Bow Pattern

Next you’ll need a paper pattern for your bow.  I did mine just by sketching the shape out free hand, cutting it out, and measuring it against my head to get the feel for the size and shape it needed to be.  Once I looked at it against my head, I was able to make adjustments and get the shape and size right!

 

Step 3: Sew Your Bow

Next, follow a method similar to how you did your headband cover and trace the pattern onto two layers of fabric (right sides together again) and sew along the line you traced.

Leave about an inch open at the center.  You’ll need this to put your jewelry wire through later!

 

 

Last, cut the excess fabric off, leaving no more than 1/4 of an inch around the edge.  You can go ahead now and turn the bow right side out as well!

Step 4: Add Your Wire

Take a length of jewelry wire and cut it with a pair of wire clippers.  For best results, use 18 or 20 gauge wire.  Make sure you have enough to go around the entire perimeter of the bow,  with a couple of inches extra.

Take your wire and shape it around the outside edge of your bow.  It doesn’t have to be perfect, but get it close.

 

 

Once you have the shape, use a pair of needle nose pliers to twist the overlapping ends together.

Then, slide the wire frame inside the bow through the hole you left in the center.  You’ll need to bend the wire frame in the middle to get it through, but you can bend it right back afterward.

Once you have the wire inside, hand sew the opening closed with matching thread.

With the wire inside, you can bend the bow into whatever shape you want!

Step 5: Attach The Bow to the Headband

To attach the bow, all you need to do is tie it into a knot around the headband.  It might be a bit difficult due to the wire inside, but with a little work and patience, you can get it to tie.  You can glue it in place, sew it in place, or you can leave it as is!  I left mind so that I could move the bow along the headband as I wished.

 

Now, your gravity defying bow is ready to defy gravity!