Show off your tresses with these DIY hair jewelry projects!

One of the emerging spring and summer 2015 fashion trends is hair jewelry. Hair jewelry is nothing more than hair accessories, but hair jewelry emphasizes the form a little more over the function of hair accessories. And hair jewelry isn’t just the purview of the wedding world either.

Learn how to make your own hair jewelry to rock this trend this season with these fashion forward DIY hair jewelry projects and tutorials.

19 Hair Jewelry Projects

1. Gold DIY Twig Pins – Make elegant golden twig pins to decorate your locks with this project how-to.
2. Vintage Inspired Bobby Pins – If you are into a more retro look, make these pretty vintage inspired bobby pins.
3. DIY Knit Hair Bow – Knit up this cute hair bow to show off your topknot. You will need to translate the how-to first though.
4. Vintage Brooch Hair Pin – Use vintage brooches to make pretty hair pins to show off your tresses.
5. DIY Boho Hair Chain – And for something a little more boho, try making your own hair chains.
6. DIY Bejeweled Hair Combs – Add chunky jeweled pieces to hair combs for a chunky look.
7. Paper Hair Flowers – Make paper blossoms for your next updo.
8. DIY Hair Necklace – Here is a pretty draped chain hair necklace you can DIY up.
9. DIY Hair Cuffs – A ponytail doesn’t have to be boring with these hair cuffs.
10. DIY Triangle Hairpins – Use lightweight craft wood to make these pretty hairpins.
11. Gemstone Bobby Pins – Another project idea for adding jewels to your locks.
12. Boho Chain Headband –  Love this boho inspired chain hair jewelry project.
13. Crystal Chain – This is a pretty project for a bride or bridesmaid.
14. Plate and Chain Hair Necklace – Make this pretty plate headpiece for a trendy look.
15. DIY Feather Grip – This one is a throwback to the 1980s.
16. Beaded Felt and Ribbon Headband – This project is for a sweet beaded headband that would show off your chignon perfectly.
17. Nail Polish Painted Bobby Pins – Add some panache to your simple bobby pins.
18. DIY Spike Hair Comb – Show off your inner rock with this rock-n-roll spiked hair comb project.
19. Glitter Star Headband – Perfect for your next party or night out on the town.

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Image: HeadbandsByCUP

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If you’ve got what feels like millions of bobby pins, here’s how to put them to good use in every area of your life.

I love bobby pins, don’t get me wrong, but I only use about four in my hair at any given time, leaving the other 3,000 that came in the package to do nothing but collect dust. Luckily, they’re a surprisingly handy tool to have around when you’ve already got your pretty on.

Here are 23 unusual (and super useful) ways to use bobby pins:

1. Use as a dotting tool for nail art.
2. Clip onto the end of a nail to hold it in place while you hammer it into the wall. No more bruised digits!
3. Use every last drop of toothpaste by clipping a bobby pin onto the end of your toothpaste tube and sliding it toward the lid.
4. Use as a chip clip.
5. Make your own bib necklace.
6. Use as a bookmark.
7. Pit cherries and olives.
8. Clip a bobby pin to your clear tape when you’re done using it so you don’t lose the end.
9. Use one to tear open those annoying plastic seals on your food.
10. In a pinch, use one as a toothpick.
11. Use to press those teeny tiny reset buttons on your electronics. (Whose bright idea were these tiny buttons anyway?)
12. Pick a lock.
13. Attach notes to your gifts by clipping them to the ribbon with a bedazzled bobby pin.
14. Hold your electronic wires in place so they don’t get tangled.
15. Poke open air-sealed food bags/wrappers.
16. Clean up the edges of freshly painted fingernails.
17. Pin your bra straps in place, or any other awkward wardrobe malfunctions.
18. Use bobby pins to dislodge hair from a clogged drain (gross, but useful).
19. Make your BFF a Valentine’s Day card.
20. Use as a temp zipper should yours break when you’re out and about.
21. Use as Christmas ornament hangers.
22. Make colorful barrettes by painting bobby pins with nail polish.
23. Design your own earrings.

What are your favorite uses for bobby pins?

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Image: Bobby pins photo via Shutterstock

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Elastic hair ties are always there for us when we need them – but they leave our hair looking blah with a side of womp, womp.

Okay, so you’re totally fed up with your elastic hair ties and you have been for a while. But when you’re in a rush to get ready in the morning, styling your hair is the first beauty routine out the window.

Lucky for you, there are plenty of alternatives to your oh-so-boring, oh-so-plain elastic hair ties that will spruce up your hair in seconds:

Image: Anthropologie

1. Bow Tie Pony Holders

While you’re still throwing your hair up like you would with an elastic hair tie, these Bow Tie Pony Holders bring a touch of color to any outfit. Best of all, they come in a set of two!

Image: Nordstrom

2. Claire Cuff Ponytail Holder

The Claire Cuff Ponytail Holder‘s clever cuff houses an elastic on the inside, giving your ponytail an instant upgrade.

Image: Nordstrom

3. Notched Chignon Stick

One of my favorite alternatives to elastic hair ties? Chignon sticks! They come in a wide variety of styles, and the Notched Chignon Stick stays securely in place (even with fine hair like mine).

Image: Ulta

4. Bobby Spins

So you want to put your hair up sans elastic – but if you were to use bobby pins, you’d never be on time for work again. Enter Bobby Spins, a hair-friendly invention that does the work of 20 bobby pins! You’ll be surprised at how many hairstyles you can create in so little time.

Image: Ulta

5. Bandette Hair Comb

This is another alternative I now refuse to live without: The Bandette Hair Comb allows you to score ah-mazing looking twists and ponytails with no stress on your hair. Cha-ching!

Image: Nordstrom

6. 3-in-1 Head Wrap

This 3-in-1 Head Wrap isn’t only retro chic, but versatile: Wear it as a simple head band, stylish head wrap, or you can remove the bow and use it to secure a ponytail.

Image: Nordstrom

7. Bun Wrap

If you’re in the market for an unexpected pop of color, this Bun Wrap will do the trick. Its hidden wire molds around a bun or ponytail and looks good doing it.

Image: Nordstrom

8. Hair Stick

You’re probably tired of chopsticks – or in my case, pencils – sticking out of your hair when you’ve had enough of your elastic hair ties. It’s time for an upgrade: This Hair Stick has class written all over it.

Image: Nordstrom

9. Scoop Hair Clip

For those with thicker hair or hair that tends to get a little unruly, this Scoop Hair Clip is the answer to all your prayers. Plus, it’s accented with polished studs to bring some edge to your look.

When you’re tired of elastic hair ties, how do you switch things up?

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Image: Katrina De-Francesco

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Summertime is brutal on hair – what with humidity, swimming in pools, the ocean, and all the beatings your hair takes just from whipping it up into ponytails, buns and braids. There are some great conditioners out there to help battered tresses, but for the basic styling issues, let us suggest some options to brighten your mood and of course, hold back your hair.

A Alicia Wedding is a great hair accessory line out of London that produces handmade accessories based on “exploiting the textural and sculptural possibilities of ethically produced and vintage fabrics.”

The accessories are great for weddings but also great for adding a little pizazz to traditional bridal garb. And after your wedding day, you’ll have something really cute to wear at a later date.

Frogs and Pots recycles and re-purposes cast off materials when creating her hair accessories, fashioning them into little works of art for your locks.

I love this little fabric covered button elastic.

Etsy’s Niandra combines vintage glass and lucite beads with high quality handmade findings in copper, brass, silver or gunmetal. Her unique designs are gifts to us when it comes to maintaining side swoops and overly sunblocked bangs.

You can buy from BeSomethingNew’s website or custom order a hair accessory utilizing their vintage stash of goodies. This delicate headband is so summery and pretty you’ll want to frolic through a meadow, picnic with a lover, or do both and see what happens.

California native Leslie Yang, founder and designer for Feisty Elle,  has a love for bright colors and bold accessories (which I share with her). She produces hair clips made from laser cut Merino Wool felt. Love.

Thea Starr creates the most beautiful (non-wilting) flowers out of vintage kimonos. Choose from pin forks, hair clips, bobby pins, combs and headbands.

Have fun deciding which one you like best as they’re magnificent.

Image: Evil Erin

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