DIY: Bling Your Bobby Pins

Emily Wootton. Etsy.

Bobby pins are the opposite of lighters – instead of always disappearing, they seem to be everywhere: pockets, the bottom of purses, any available surface. Just the other night, a friend of mine gave me an impromptu up-do using eight bobby pins while we sat at the Bloodhound and drank cider. It’s a good thing they’re prevalent too because having a bobby pin on hand can provide you with opportunities to be a total MacGuyver – I will always have a bookmark, a lock pick and something to pin my sleeves up because I carry fist fulls of bobby pins for my locks.
Here’s a few nice ways to class up that old standard – the bobby pin.

Bobby Pins with Glue Pads and Buttons.

1- Find buttons, felt items, bows, flowers, etc’s and fire up the glue gun. I like using different sizes and colors of gems myself. Note: this can be made easier if you buy bobby pins that have a glue pad on one end, especially if you’re planning on using bigger objects.
2. Get beads and grab some 34-gauge silver beading wire. Use the wire to thread the bobby pin at the closed end like a needle. Measure the lengths of the wire to perfect halves then cross the two ends of the wire where they touch the pin. Slide the beads over both wires then seal off the end by wrapping the wire around the pin until its secure. I’m told these tend to wear tight, so start off with bigger bobby’s.

Wire-beaded bobbys

3. There are somehow a flippin’ boatload of bobby pin tutorials on YouTube, but the DIY Flower Bobby Pin is awesome in that it requires only assembly. It’s clever and simple: take the flat colored flowers from a cut lei then thread the bobby pin through the hole in the center of the flowers with the top side up. Now practice your evil laugh ’cause you are a mad genius with yer bad bobby pins!