Oh, I am BURSTING to share this little project with you today!

But first, can I share something a little…personal? 

I have three, smart, fun-lovin’, wild little gals, and I’m not planning on having any more.

Which means…

all of these gorgeous bows on headbands that I’ve been buying up for the past 5 years will just sit there collecting dust unless I do something about it.

And man, oh man, some of them are just too darn cute to let go. 

So, today’s project is all about converting those headbands into alligator clips. 

I have to admit, I’m intimidated by many crafting projects, and I’ve been putting this one off for far too long. But now that I have completed the project, I can tell you…it’s SUPER-SIMPLE! Even the least-experienced crafters (like myself!) can tackle it! 

So today, I’m going to give you a few options on how to do the conversion, depending on what kind of bows you have over there in your neglected-bow drawer.

What you’ll need:

1. Scissors
2. Alligator clips – The pictured clips are from Little Poppy Bows, but I also got 100 clips for very cheap on Amazon! I chose the 45mm clips which proved very sturdy.
3. Hot Glue Gun 
4. Felt (or try my favorite choice thanks to my doc hubby’s recommendation  – self-adherent tape for first aid.

(*some links in this post are affiliate links – which means I may receive a commission at no added cost to you! A win-win, friends!)

I really wanted to put some material on the inside of my clips that would hold hair strongly, as my girls have hair that is quite thick. Felt is a popular choice for this. You can get a sheet of felt with a self-adhesive backing for extra-sticky security. For round bows, the self-adhering pre-cut circular pads (on the right below) worked well. 

However, doing my due-diligence for this post (because I love you guys so much!), I started a hunt for material even more “sticky” than felt and discovered that self-adherent wrap is exactly that (pictured on the left, above)! Plus, it’s a little thinner, which will allow some smaller alligator clips to close more tightly! It’s slightly more tricky to cut, but worth it!

Okay, on to how to convert those beautiful bows!

First, let me ask you a question: Are you able to push a clip through the back of the bow, or is the back glued shut? Follow the corresponding instructions below!

Instructions for bow conversion if your bows have a nylon headband LOOSE INSIDE THE BACK:

Option 1: The DIY method

Step 1: Cut the headband and remove from the bow. 

Step 2: Cut an appropriately-sized piece of felt or a self-adherent wrap to fit the back of the bow.

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Step 3: Hot-glue the felt (or wrap) to the back of the bow. 

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Step 4: Slip in the alligator clip! Put the slanted side of the alligator clip into the back of the bow, leaving the straighter side out.

Ta-da!

Option 2: Buy a Conversion Kit

Little Poppy Bow Co. has conversion kits for $3.00 to convert 3 bows. The kits contain non-slip tape and alligator clips and are super-easy to use. You simply pull out the nylon headband, place the non-slip tape on the back of the bow, and then put the alligator clip through the back. But if you find that price unpalatable (which I did after realizing I had nearly 50 bows to convert), then try option 1 above!

Pin it for later!

Instructions for bow conversion if the back of your bows have a headband GLUED INSIDE THEM and you’re not able to push the clip through the back of the bow:

Step 1: Cut the headband and remove from the bow. 

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Step 2: Cut an appropriately-sized piece of felt or a self-adherent wrap to fit the back of the bow.

Step 3: Hot-glue the felt (or wrap) to the bottom piece of the alligator clip (the most slanted side). 

Step 4: Hot-glue the bottom piece of the clip to the back of the bow.

And there you have it! 

I hope you love these instructions and find them oh so helpful!

Our girls are LOVING all of their new bow options!