I’m not one of those people who can just come up with an idea for a craft project; I’m more of a copier than an inventor. My desire to DIY usually comes from when I see something that I like but I know that I could make it better somehow, or more often, I know I could make it for cheaper than it’s being sold for.

I was inspired to make these earrings just about a year ago when I was out shopping with Jake, his mom, and his sister on Thanksgiving weekend of 2017. We stopped in J. Crew and while browsing, I stumbled upon these earrings that I loved–but I didn’t love the price. Here they are:

I liked the idea of them, but I thought they’d look more amazing in a classic red for Christmas. So I took a picture to remind myself of how they looked, and I told myself that I’d make a pair. Well, I didn’t end up making that pair until about a year later. But hey, it gave me the opportunity to create my first DIY-related blog post! Keep reading to see how I did it.

How to Make Christmas Ribbon Earrings

What You’ll Need:

• A pair of hoop earrings (I bought mine in a 3-pack at Charming Charlie for $14)
• Some ribbon in your color of choice
• A hot glue gun
• Scissors

Step 1.

Cut a length of ribbon that is long enough to wrap the bottom half of your hoop. I found the perfect length just by winding it around the way I wanted it and cutting it off there.

Step 2.

Put a small dot of hot glue on the end of your ribbon. Be sure to have your earring ready, because you don’t want your glue to solidify before you can get your ribbon secured to the hoop.

Step 3.

Once you have the end of your ribbon glued to the hoop, begin wrapping it carefully around the earring.

I found that this worked best when I wrapped slowly. I had some issues with the ribbon not wanting to lay flat, but taking my time helped.

Step 4.

Wrap your ribbon around the earring several times until it looks the way you want. I covered roughly the bottom half of my hoop.

Step 5.

Put a small dot of hot glue where your final wrap meets the earring. Make sure to put this on the side that will face the back while you wear them.

Step 6.

Once your glue solidifies, cut the ribbon off as closely to the glue as you can.

Step 7.

Now it’s time to make your bow. Even though the J. Crew earrings had faux bows (just a strip of ribbon with a band around the middle), I wanted to try to make a real bow. I found it was easiest to tie the right size bow by using my other earring as the base. I simply tied a regular shoelace bow around the earring and then slid it off the end of the hoop.

Step 8.

Once you have your bow tied, use your hot glue gun to put a small amount of glue on the back of your bow. Again, have your earring ready so that the glue doesn’t harden before you can attach it.

Step 9.

Place your bow where you’d like it on your hoop. *Mistake Alert* I should’ve wrapped my earrings and placed the bow more towards the back of the hoop, like the J. Crew earrings had, because I forgot to factor in that these hoops sit at an angle in your ears. Oh well, learning experiences happen all the time!

Step 10.

Your final step is to trim the ends of your bow to your preferred length. Then, boom! You’ve got a brand new pair of festive earrings!

These only took me about a half hour to make, and that’s because I was taking my time with the ribbon. If you used wider ribbon than I did or opted for the simpler J. Crew version of the bow, these may take you no more than 15 minutes!

I can’t wait to wear these to Christmas parties in the coming month. I might even make some as gifts for friends!

If you try out these earrings, let me know how they come out! I’d love to see your creations.