OT Help With Fabric Cheer Bows!

[amanda]

Could someone please explain to me the cheapest and easiest way to make fabric cheer bows?
I make them with ribbon now but have heard that fabric is better and as i see in stores fabric has a much better selection of colors.

 

[coach4gold]

Even with fabric, you have to use a base of grosgrain ribbon. Some sites are cheaper than others but usually cheaper ribbon is of a lesser quality, but good enough to glue fabric on top of. Papermart and Gifts International have cheap grosgrain. I prefer to use Schiff from Tea Party Ribbons or Lone Star.
Fabric has to be cut into strips using a rotary cutting tool on a cutting mat (found in the quilting section of the craft store). Then you glue the fabric onto the base of ribbon.

 

[amanda]

oh great thanx! I made one yesterday with fabric and cut it with scissors....it was crazy! HAHAH i will have to get that cutting tool...does that tool stop it from fraying and cut it nice even fabric that has sequence on it?

 

[jiannib]

oh great thanx! I made one yesterday with fabric and cut it with scissors....it was crazy! HAHAH i will have to get that cutting tool...does that tool stop it from fraying and cut it nice even fabric that has sequence on it?

If you don't want it to fray, try fray check (hobby lobby or joann's) or gently use a lighter on the ends where it could fray.
The rotary cutting tool will cut it very nicely especially if you have a nice clear ruler to guide it and the cutting mat.

hope this helped :)

 

[coach4gold]

oh great thanx! I made one yesterday with fabric and cut it with scissors....it was crazy! HAHAH i will have to get that cutting tool...does that tool stop it from fraying and cut it nice even fabric that has sequence on it?

The rotary tool will cut most materials very nicely as long as they are sharp, definately use a clear rule from the quilting department - the 3" wide one is handy. They get dull after a lot of use cutting sequin material, so I have two separate ones - one for spandex and one for sequin dots. They do not seal material. For synthetic materials, you can heat seal them with a ruler and woodburning tool. But natural fabrics like cotton can not be heat sealed - you will need fray check for that or fold the edges under.

 

[caylaepstein]

where do you guys recieve your fabric? does joann's have good fabric for cheer bows? thanks!

 

[CricketCheerMom]

where do you guys recieve your fabric? does joann's have good fabric for cheer bows? thanks!

Sometimes they do but it is best to just buy the fabric bows.

 

[DaniV]

where do you guys recieve your fabric? does joann's have good fabric for cheer bows? thanks!

I have been to Joann's to buy spandex fabric or fabric that has glitter/foil on it but it's always been synthetic fabric. The only bow I've ever made with actual fabric was a mossy oak camo one. I had to use alot of fray check to edge the entire bow before folding it into shape and within a couple weeks the edges of the tails of the bow started to curl up. They are possible, but don't hold up as well as the stretchy fabrics

 

[sparklequeen7641]

oh great thanx! I made one yesterday with fabric and cut it with scissors....it was crazy! HAHAH i will have to get that cutting tool...does that tool stop it from fraying and cut it nice even fabric that has sequence on it?

To stop the edges fraying i recommend using some clear nail polish!:)

 

[iCheer4G]

I get my fabric from hobby lobby or spandex world! Also make sure you have one of them self healing cutting mats or else your cutter will get dull fast. As for attaching the fabric to the ribbon, I use 3M spray glue. I just cut the ribbon and the fabrics, lay the ribbon down somewhere outside, spray, then lay the fabric down on the ribbon.