How to Make Ribbon Hair Bows for Softball

For fastpitch players, softball hair bows are practically part of the uniform.  From the littlest coach-pitch players to the college athletes, fans will find ribbons on ponytails. 

Girl in yellow wearing yellow, black, and white.DIY pony-o streamer bows for fastpitch softball. White text on black overlay reads "DIY Softball Streamers, Make your own pony-o sports bows"

I made these “softball streamer” or “pony-o” style softball bows for my daughter’s team, making sure they were made as tough as the girls are. 

Customize ribbon colors for teams, school spirit days, or occasions. Be sure to check out all the 17 softball gifts for players and teams for more fun ideas.

This page may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through my link, I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

To Make Ribbon Hair Bows

If you’re making bows for a whole team, cut all the ribbon at once and make them assembly-line-style (all of step 1, then all of step 2, etc.) rather than one full bow at at time. It cuts down on having to switch out supplies over and over.

Softball Bow Supplies:

Softball Bow Instructions

  1. Cut ribbon in 24″ lengths. I find that older girls (10+) like the longer length rather than the shorter, poofy, style. If you’re looking for short and poofy, cut ribbons to 15-20″.
Vertical yellow, black and white ribbons arranged to make bulk athletic bows.
Make Sports Bows in Bulk | Carla Schauer Designs
  1. Arrange ribbons and sew together.  Next, line up ribbons in desired order, with narrower ribbons toward the top.  Thread needle, knot end, and sew ribbons, weaving in and out of each ribbon as shown.

    Once all the ribbons are sewn, gently tighten thread to gather ribbons together.  This method will produce more volume than simply stacking the ribbons flat and stitching through them.
Horizontal yellow, black and white ribbons being sewn together to make athletic bow.
Stitch ribbons for volume and security.
  1. Attach ribbons to ponytail holder. These are sport bows, they need to be as strong as our players are.

    Stitch through ponytail holder and ribbons, wrap thread around both pieces 4-5 times, and stitch through holder and ribbons again. Knot thread, and trim excess.
Make a "pony-o" ribbon bow for softball or other sports. Complete tutorial on carlaschauer.com.
Secure ribbon stack to ponytail holder.
  1. Cover thread with ribbon. Use 2″ length of ribbon (1/2″ to 5/8″ wide).  Tie a half-knot in the center for a bit of extra detail, then glue knot directly in center of stitching. 

    Hold in place for a minute or so until glue dries. Wrap ends around to underside, and glue in place.

    *note* Do not use anything containing hard plastic or metal as a decorative accent in this area if you are planning to use these bows for sports.

    Those hard materials are illegal for safety reasons, and won’t be permitted on the field.  The ribbon knot is perfectly legal.
Make Pony-O Ribbon Sports Bows|Carla Schauer Designs
Use fabric glue for attaching ribbon knot accent.
  1. Wrap loose ends of ribbon piece around ponytail band, trimming excess if needed, and glue in place.
yellow, black, and white ribbon streamers on black ponytail band
Secure ribbon ends under band.
  1. Trim and seal ribbon edges.  Use scissors to trim edges of ribbon so the ends of each ribbon type are even, cutting at an angle.  Ribbons can be cut all the same length, or varied lengths and angles, depending on preference. 

    Then, seal ribbon edges and prevent fraying. Pass end of ribbon lightly over tip of lighter flame or heat tool until the cut edge just becomes glossy.  (Alternately, dab white glue or decoupage medium on edges if flame or heat tool is unavailable.)
yellow, black, and white ribbon streamers on black ponytail band
Even-up ribbon ends with angled cuts.

Once the ends are trimmed and sealed, you’re finished.  And if you made softball hair bows for everyone, you’ll have a team full of happy girls at the next practice. Yay you!

Girl in yellow wearing yellow, black, and white.DIY pony-o streamer bows for fastpitch softball.
DIY Pony-O Sports Bows | Carla Schauer Designs

Easy-Save Instructions for Ponytail Streamer Ribbons

Use the instruction card below to save this tutorial to your favorites, or to print. Saving makes it easy to find your tutorial later.

Girl with ponytail wearing fastpitch softball ponytail streamers.

Make Streamer-Style Hair Bows

Yield: 1+
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: 2-Medium
Estimated Cost: under $10

Make DIY hair streamer bows for softball or other sports. Customize ribbon colors for teams, school spirit days, or occasions.

Materials

  • 5-6 styles of coordinating ribbon, varied patterns and widths as desired
  • Elastic ponytail band, no metal pieces
  • Scissors
  • Beacon Fabri-tac Adhesive or hot glue

Tools

  • Needle and coordinating thread
  • Lighter or heat tool

Instructions

    1. Cut ribbon in 24" lengths. (15-20" for short poofy bows)
    2. Line up ribbons in desired order, with narrower ribbons toward the top.  Thread needle, knot end, and sew ribbons, weaving in and out of each ribbon.Gently tighten thread to gather ribbons together.
    3. Stitch through ponytail holder and ribbons, wrap thread around both pieces 4-5 times, and stitch through holder and ribbons again. Knot thread, and trim excess.
    4. Use 2" length of ribbon (1/2" to 5/8" wide, and tie a half-knot in the center. Glue knot directly in center of stitching, then wrap ends around to back and glue in place.
    5. Cut ends of ribbons at an angle at desired length. Seal ends to prevent fraying by lightly passing end through flame until end just appears glossy. (seal ends with glue if flame unavailable)

Notes

If making multiple bows, save time by batching each step. Complete step 1 for all bows, then step 2, etc.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Did you make this project?

Please leave a comment or share a photo and tag me @carlaschauerdesigns

Thanks for stopping by, have a great season!
Carla

Share this Softball Bow tutorial with others:

Your shares are how this site grows, and I am genuinely appreciative when you do. Pin to your favorite softball Pinterest board or share this idea on Facebook.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

7 Comments

  1. LOVE these Thanks for sharing!

  2. So cute and your directions made this super easy!! Thank you!

  3. Love these and super easy to make used 12″ length ribbon. They turned out super cute. Thanks for sharing

  4. Judy butler says:

    Carla, where did you get the ribbon?

    1. Hi Judy, Most of the ribbon for this bow came from Hobby Lobby. The exception might be the small black glittery one, which I picked up on Halloween clearance at one of the big box craft stores. I like to comb the clearance after each holiday to get cheap things like that I can use year-round.