How NOT to make Korker Bows - Craft Fail

It is getting to be quite a sizzling summer. Yesterday was 105 degrees. Since NASA is still unemployed we have to try everyway we can to cut back. That means a much warmer house with less use of the A/C.  With a 2 story house on just 1 unit it is tough. It just means using the oven as little as possible to help keep the house cooler. Well, you have to use the oven to make good korker bows. So I was thinking.... think, think, think. Then, Pooh, I had an idea.


My favorite korker bow creations before summer hit.

It is hot here. To make korker bows you need heat. Normally I put the ribbons in the oven for 20 minutes at 275 degrees. It may not be necessary to keep the oven that hot for that long.  So I wondered if I took the ribbons out into the hot sun would that 'bake' them enough?

Out in the sun all day to make korker bows.

So I wrapped my ribbon around my favorite korker ribbon makers, BBQ skewers. Then what everyone else uses, 1/4" wooden dowels. Wet them thoroughly to set on my old cookie sheet outside. I placed them outside in the part of our yard that gets sun 16 hours of the day. I put them on a teak end table thinking heat rises up from the walkway. I let them 'cook' there all day.

After a day in the sun, they were super dry, but were they curly?

I brought them inside out of the desert heat and sun at 8 PM. I chose two specimens to test. I felt like a hairdresser checking to see if a perm is done. Anywho, the results were less than I wanted, but still made them curly. They just weren't curly enough for my korker bows. Bummer.

The results are a little to loose for me.

Huge craft fail. I guess I will stick with my other bow making until it is cool enough to turn the oven on or if I feel like staying up past 1 AM or get up before 5 AM. I don't see that happening anytime soon. I am not that dedicated or driven for korker bows.

Right now I am into what I call my Gardenia bows. Look for that post soon.

Surprise! Another Day of Bows

My oldest daughter has been invited to a birthday party of one of her classmates. We don't really have the resources to buy a present that I would feel comfortable giving. I am trying something new. I have until May 19th to see if I can pull it off to my satisfaction. I decided to follow directions and make some corker bows. I didn't realize how time consuming it could be. First I used dowels that were to large so the spirals were to loose. So I used skewers from our grill tools to get a tighter spiral. They worked great, but I only had four of them.

The mail arrived while I was lamenting about my lack of choices. My Mom, Grandma, comes through. She sends us boxes of clothes or supplies I request on a fairly regular basis. She rocks. She sent me 1/4 inch dowels that were perfect. I was able to make more that had the right spiral tightness.

I made some different combinations of the 3/8 inch grosgrain ribbon. It takes 25 minutes in the oven for the wet ribbon to get the twist. Add on twisting it onto the dowel and taking it off then the time to heat seal the ends it is quite the project. I wish I knew some shortcuts. The end results are fairly nice. I spent 6 hours making 6 bows and 2 hair clips. I would like a better return on my time. I can see why bows like this cost $8-10. If I ever see any for less than $8, then I know they are a real steal since they are so labor intensive.

I do have two favorites that I will have to make again since I will want my daughters to get a chance to wear them. I also think I will look in their closet to see what I can specifically coordinate with a dress or outfit.

Now I have to figure out what to do with all the 5/8 inch ribbon. I will have to watch more You Tube videos. Feel free to make suggestions.