Hot DIY Hair Accessories

Feathered Headband

The Inspiration:

Maggie Gyllenhaal had feathers in her cap for a recent Late Show with David Letterman appearance.

Feathered Headband

The Toolkit:

1 yard of black ribbon
1 foot of feather trim
glue gun
plastic headband
scissors

Affix one end of the black ribbon to headband with hot glue. Wrap ribbon around multiple times to cover headband, then hot glue in place. Cut feathers from trim. Attach feathers with hot glue one at a time with quills pointing to either end of the headband, and keep feathers overlapping to hide quills. Dry for five minutes before wearing.

Jeweled Headband

The Inspiration:

Natalie Portman was crowned with jewels during Oscar season.

Jeweled Headband

The Toolkit:

2 pieces of 8mm chain
1 string of rhinestones
2 feet of ribbon, scissors
15mm jump rings
pliers

1. Using pliers, cut 2 pieces of chain and 1 string of rhinestones the same length (about 12 inches each).

2. Loop one end of chains and rhinestones onto a jump ring and close end loops with pliers.

3. Braid the 3 pieces of chain and rhinestone together; loop ends onto a second jump ring, then close.

4. Cut ribbon in half, then knot onto each jump ring. Tie loose ends into a knot so headband fits snugly around your head.

Braided Scarf

The Inspiration:

Hermes showed colorful braided headdresses for spring.

Braided Scarf

The Toolkit:

Hair elastic
1 yard of bright ribbon
clear elastic
scissor

Knot ribbon onto hair elastic, leaving equal lengths on each side. Wrap hair elastic around ponytail. Braid ribbon into hair, then secure ends with a clear elastic. Trim length as desired.

Lace Headband

The Inspiration:

Model Chanel Iman masters the haute flapper look.

Lace Headband

The Toolkit:

2 feet of metallic trim
hair elastic
glue gun

1. Connect trim to the hair elastic. Feed about an inch of it through the elastic, fold the trim over itself, and hot-glue it closed.

2. Repeat on the other side, then allow 5 minutes to dry.

Feather and Chain Barrette

The Inspiration:

These edgy feather and chain barrettes stood out at Chanel during spring fashion week in Paris.

Feather and Chain Barrette

The Toolkit:

Glue gun
6-inch black and white feather trim
chains (3mm to 4mm in silver and black colors)
70mm French barrette
pliers
black ribbon
scissors

1. Cut feather trim to the length of barrette; apply hot glue to barrette, then attach trim.

2. Using pliers, cut 8 pieces of chain (about the same length as the feather trim). Hot-glue 1 end of each piece to the barrette, on top of the feather trim. Space evenly across barrette.

3. Cut a piece of ribbon the length of the barrette, and hot-glue it lengthwise over the barrette to hide tops of feathers and chains; allow 5 minutes to dry.

Stone Barrette

The Inspiration:

The spring Rodarte show featured stone age barrettes.

Stone Barrette

The Tool Kit:

Wire
5–7 stone beads
70mm French barrette
pliers

Line up stone beads along the barrette, with largest in the middle. Tie wire to end of barrette with pliers and string on beads, then fasten wire to the opposite end of the barrette and tighten. Wrap extra wire between each bead to secure, then tie off.

Beaded Hairpins

The Tool Kit:

Wire or glue gun
30 beads
30 bobby pins

Beauty director and editor of InStyle Hair and Makeover issues Amy Synnott-D'Annibale loved the pearl pins scattered throughout models hair at the spring 2012 Chanel runway show, so she decided to see how hard it would be to recreate the look. The good news: It took her less than five minutes to make 30 decent-looking pins using a glue gun. "True, they were a bit fragile," she explains. "You need to grab them by the pin, not the pearl when inserting; otherwise they can snap-but they looked super chic mixed into a messy bun." (And if you're wearing them to a wedding who cares if they last longer than one night?) For a cute, less girly option, Synnott-D'Annibale suggests turquoise beads instead. "Wrap them onto the end of a bobby pin using craft wire," she adds, "and they may even last all season!"