How to make a patriotic dollar store hat with Bowdabra

Create a fun and festive patriotic dollar store hat you can actually wear for patriotic celebrations! Sandy Sandler, creator of the Bowdabra®, shows how easy it is to turn a simple Dollar Store straw hat into a beautiful red, white, and blue fashion accessory using ribbon and a patriotic floral accent.

Materials:

• Large Bowdabra
• Bowdabra Bow Wire
• Straw Hat
• Star Spangled Ribbon
• Rose Red Burlap Wired Ribbon
• Natural Burlap Wired Ribbon
• Patriotic Rose Stem/Pick
• Bowdabra patriotic ribbon

Instructions

First, cut a piece of Bowdabra bow wire.  Then, fold it in half and insert it into the Bowdabra.  You will have a loop on one side and two loose wires on the other side.  This will serve as your slipknot. Tuck the ends under to stay out of the way while you are making your bow.

Next, place a length of pre-dovetailed patriotic ribbon into the Bowdabra for the tails. To dovetail, fold the ribbon in half and cut at an angle away from the fold.

Repeat this step with some red and natural color burlap ribbon.

Next, make a multi-loop twist and fold bow, Scrunch in some patriotic ribbon, then, bring the ribbon across and scrunch down, twist, and repeat.  Continue making loops back and forth twisting and scrunching down into the Bowdabra.  Make sure the wrong sides are always on the inside of the bow.

Find the center of some patriotic ribbon and place it right side down into the Bowdabra.  Next, take one end of the ribbon bring it over and scrunch that right side down into the bowdabra. Then, bring the other end over the first loop which forms a sort of X shape and lay that in the Bowdabra. Now, push the lower ribbon in first, then push the top one and you have a boutique bow.  Scrunch everything down with the Bowdabra wand.

Finally, place in a patriotic floral in the center. Now, scrunch everything down with the Bowdabra wand.  Then, insert the loose wires through the loop and pull tight while the bow is still in the Bowdabra. Then, remove the bow from the Bowdabra, separate the ends, turn to the back and tie a knot.  Tie a double knot for extra security.

Glue the ribbon onto a dollar store straw hat. Fuff and arrange the bow.  You have a stunning patriotic dollar store hat to wear for all your patriotic celebrations! This bow is equally stunnin on a wreath as well!