My Kooky Christmas Headband

Holiday cheers to you! Last week, my husband and I were invited to a small cocktail party in our neighborhood. Tacky Christmas attire (give it up for crazy Christmas sweaters!) was encouraged. I didn't have any crazy Christmas sweaters, but decided to whip up a kooky little headband to wear instead. 

It came together so easily, I didn't even think to take step-by-step pictures, but I'll share how I made it below. I was tweeting the progress, so all I've got are some quickie iPhone & Photo Booth pics, but you'll get the idea. It took literally maybe 15 minutes from start to finish, and was a big hit at the party. I may have gone a little overboard and also fashioned a matching ring and set of gift wrap bow brooches to complete the accessory set as well ... What can I say? I hadn't played with a glue gun in a while, and I forgot how easily and quickly hot glue projects come together. 

Headband: 

- 1 wide headband (I picked a cheap one up at a local drugstore) 

- Martha Stewart Glitter Eyelash Yarn from Lion Brand Yarn (I got mine from my Whimseybox) 

- A set of miniature Christmas trees (I got a pack of about 7 at Michael's last week. They were on sale 50% off and ended up being just about a dollar for the bag) 

- Small jingle bells 

- hot glue

- Wrap the headband in the glitter eyelash yarn. I left a tail at the beginning and just wrapped around it to secure it. I left about 3 inches just off center for the trees to be mounted. I secured the yarn at the end with a dab of hot glue.*

- Decide how you want to arrange your trees on the headband before you start gluing. Add a dollop of hot glue to the base of each tree and stick 'em on the headband. I ended up putting glue on the bottom and back side of a small tree or two to "nestle" them into the bigger trees. 

- Use small dollops of hot glue to secure the jingle bells across the front to hide the massive amounts of hot glue used to add the trees. You're done! 

Ring: 

- Ring base (similar to this)

- small tree

- sequins 

- Aileen's tacky glue 

- Martha Stewart Glitter Eyelash Yarn

- hot glue 

- Use the tacky glue to add sequin "ornaments" to the tree. 

- put a dollop of hot glue on the base of the tree and stick it on the ring base

- Add a small piece of the eyelash yarn around the base of the tree 

Mini bow buttons 

- mini gift bows (I found mine at a drugstore) 

- 1" buttons (I had a ton from various events) 

- hot glue 

- jingle bells 

- small Christmas tree 

- I wanted to come up with a gift bow brooch, but didn't have any blanks to use. I spied a little bowl of 1" buttons I'd collected at various events over the years and a light went off in my head. I grabbed a few and just hot glued the bows to the button fronts. 

- I also put a bunch of hot glue on the back of a tree and smooshed it into one of the gift bows and then glued a few jingle bells on to the front. I pinned them on to my dress in a group and made a festive little bow "corsage." 

And, because you stuck with me through all the poorly-lit/focused pictures: an action shot! 

Happy Holidays, y'all! :) 

* A word of warning: when gluing the yarn to the headband, be sure you let it dry before you try it on. Hot glue is hard to get out of your hair. Not that I know anything about that.