Simple Bow
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Select a 1" to 1-1/2" ribbon in your team's color. Lay the ribbon out, and fold it into a heart shape with two loops at the top and the excess ribbon lying down crisscrossing (don't actually tie a bow here). Grab a thin, black hair tie with no metal and lay it against the back of your ribbon heart in the center.
Next, use a smaller ribbon or thread and wind it tightly around the center of your heart shape, including the hair tie in the back. While you're winding, you can adjust the loops of the bow by lightly pulling on the ends and loops. Pull tightly and tie the smaller winding ribbon a couple of times. Secure the knot with hot glue.
Lastly, trim the bottom two ribbons on the bow to the desired length and cut out a small triangle shape to get the upside-down "V" in the bottom of the ribbon. Use fabric paint (fabric marker will not work as well) to add your child's name, team name or jersey number to the bow.
Hair Streamers
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You will need various ribbons of different widths and a hair tie. Measure how long you want the ribbons to hang, then cut strips twice that length.
Fold your strips in half and tie them around your hair tie. If you have a lot of strips, you may want to tie them together first and hot glue them to the hair tie. With just a few strips, as pictured, you can tie each individually.
When the tying is complete, cut the ends of the strips as desired (you may want them all the exact same length, some a bit shorter, or with "V" or slanted ends). Again, add fabric paint to personalize your streamers.
Softball Bow
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The DIY for this fun and unique bow comes from Hairbow Supplies, Etc. First, carefully cut a softball along the outside of the threading with an X-ACTO knife. Pull off the part without the threading, then pull off the main part with the threading which you will use for the project.
In the thin, center part of the softball skin, crinkle-fold and tie a thin ribbon around tightly. Bend the ends of the softball back and hot glue them to the back of the ribbon.
Next, choose three or four larger (2" to 3") ribbons for the back. Lay them down behind the softball bow and cut to desired length, using a "V" or slanted edge for the ends. One by one, hot glue the backing ribbons to the softball bow, offsetting them in diagonals as seen in the picture above. Tie one more ribbon around the center, where you tied the first knots, to secure the entire bow. Finally, hot glue the bow to a lined alligator clip.
Headbands or Hair Ties
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Maybe your team doesn't allow bows, or maybe you just don't like them. No problem. Take a page from USA softball pitcher Jennie Finch's book and wear a headband or hair tie in your team's colors. Even better—this is a super simple DIY.
Purchase fold-over elastic from a fabric store. Measure your head for a headband or a hair tie. Cut the elastic a couple of inches longer than your measurement, and then make a simple knot at the end, forming a loop. Bonus points if you make them for the whole team.
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