Making a ribbon-covered alligator hair clip should be hella-easy, right?  I mean, look at how many tutorials there are on Pinterest!  Well, I had to make a bunch of hair clips for a project (that I’m SO excited to share with you very soon!) and let me tell you, getting that perfect covered clip isn’t as easy as it seems! 

So, after soaking in a few tutorials, I got to work with my hot glue gun.  Yup, total disaster.  That crazy, bulky and busted ribbon-covered hair clip you see up there was like my third attempt.  And that doesn’t even convey the finger burns and stringy nonsense that you have to deal with!  I decided to step away from the hot glue gun. 

There had to be an easier way!  And, here it is!

Follow my tutorial below and you will get perfectly crisp, professional, and non-bulky ribbon-covered hair clips every. single. time.  I know because I’ve made over 20 of them!

First, we have to talk adhesives.  So, the glue gun is out.  What about tape?  Yup, I’ve seen quite a few tutorials touting the magic of double-sided tapes. 

But these tapes are pretty darn expensive and I had to make A LOT of hair clips, so enter my solution…

Use what I had on hand!  And what I had ended up being magic! 

A tube of Loctite Crafter’s Indoor-Safe Adhesive glue!  I had this puppy for almost 6 months before I cracked it open for this craft project.  It’s been so long since I found it at Hobby Lobby, in fact, that they changed the name to Stick’N Seal Indoor Adhesive.  Don’t worry, it’s the exact same formula!

Check it out here:

So, what makes this the best ribbon-covering hair clip option?  It’s cheap, effective and you don’t need to suffer though crazy toxic fumes!  That’s my number one complaint about most fabric adhesives–the nasty, chemically smell! 

I used this one tube of glue to make a bunch of these ribbon-covered hair clips and several other craft projects (I’ll be revealing soon).  You get a lot of miles out of this $6 tube!

NO GLUE GUN RIBBON COVERED HAIR CLIP TUTORIAL by My Momma Told Me

Materials Needed:

• Loctite glue
• alligator clips
• grosgrain ribbon, 1/4th inch wide
• lighter (for sealing edges)
• sharp fabric scissors–I highly recommend these: Gingher 8-Inch Knife Edge Dressmaker’s Shears
• weight (a heavy book or similar for drying)

1. Start with a 5 to 6 inch piece of ribbon.  Use a lighter to seal the beginning end.  Apply a thin layer of glue about 3 inches long, using the applicator tip. 
2. Clip the end of the ribbon as shown above. 
3. Bring the ribbon over the top of the alligator clip, pressing down as you go.  Add another small dollop of glue to the upper raised clip holder (if needed).
4. Press the ribbon down securely with your fingers, paying attention to seal the edges.  Place the clips under a weighted object while they dry.  Dry for at least 30 minutes before continuing!

1. Place a good amount of glue on the next 3/4ths of an inch of your ribbon. 
2. Press and hold the ribbon against the contours of the clip as shown above.
3. I held and molded this part of the clip for about 30 seconds on the upper section.
4. Hold and press the lower section for another 30 seconds. 
5. Wrap your ribbon around the bottom part of the clip to see where you need to cut and cut with sharp scissors.  Seal the end of your ribbon with your lighter. 
6. Apply glue to the remainder of the ribbon and secure around lower section of your alligator clip.
7. Place under book or weighted object and allow to dry for at least 30 minutes. 

Yay!  Now you’re ready to decorate your ribbon-covered hair clip!  Wanna know what I did with mine? 

Click the image below and check out this felt castle hair clip tutorial and free template: