October 2004

Despite turning (ahem) this year, (or maybe because of it), I desiring to re-live my high school days a bit. So, I'm throwing an old fashioned slumber party to celebrate my birthday. You know, lots of junk food, games, maybe a movie and no one going to bed before 2am. As a general rule I'm not a big birthday party girl, I don't like being the center of attention in that way, but this year I feel the need for one.

... so the madness begins.

This is a slumber party, but a sophisticated grown-up one. Like me. *smile* I decided early on that the theme would be a chic-pink-retro-orchid sort of thing. Decorating with orchids was good but I really wanted to incorporate them into the favors as well. That is when I hit upon the idea of making hair barrettes.

I love flowers in my hair, they are such fun. I love the trend for flower hair barrettes and pins right now but couldn't bring myself to pay that much. After examining the lovely barrettes in the department stores, I decided that I could make them much, much cheaper. I was right.

Creating the Favors

For this project you will need:
a medium sized silk flower
green silk leaf
flat pin-curl barrettes (I bought mine at Target)
a glue gun
scissors

Take your silk leaf and, if necessary, cut it to the desired shape with scissors.

Clamp a barrette onto the leaf, the outside of the leaf towards the flat bottom of the barrette. Set aside.

Using the scissors, trim the bottom of the silk flower, making the bottom as flat as possible.

Using glue gun, draw a 1" line of glue across the bottom of the flower.

Immediately press the barrette/leaf element to the glue, wrong side of leaf to bottom of flower.

Once glue has cooled slightly, begin applying glue to inside edges of leaf. Be sure to press well and allow glue to cool slightly before moving on to next area.

Once the leaf and barrette are completely sealed, set barrette aside to cool completely. Ta Da!