Over the Top Bows w/ a Surprise!

[dawn1686]

So here are 2 Over the Top Bows I've made! One is for Valentine's Day w/ a Mickey and Minnie Bottle Cap. The other is just something I was kind playing around with! My favorite part about both of these bows, I made them so that the bottle caps are interchangeable!! Would love to hear what you ladies think. I've got them listed for $18. Do you feel like that is fair or what do you think?? Thanks!!


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[BusyBumbleBee]

I love this idea, but I have to voice my concern here.

We actually had to take my dd to the ER about a year ago b/c she had eaten part of a magnet.

I have seen these bows made with the magnets and interchangable bottlecaps, but the magnets are secured under the ribbon so that they aren't easily picked off the bow. So that would make it a little bit more safe.

To be honest, after my scared with dd, I don't do anything with magnets for kiddos. It's just not a liablity risk I'm willing to take.

That being said, the bows are cute!

[Barbara Jean]

I like them Dawna! The tulle spray is a nice touch. How many bottlecaps would come with the bow? If just the one, the bow would be a little bit on the high side at $18 for me personally as a buyer.

[dawn1686]

BusyBumbleBee thanks for sharing that. I honestly hadn't even considered the idea of the magnet coming off the bow. Maybe I can make a smaller bow to cover the magnet and see if the bottle cap still stays in place. I did however list a disclaimer on my fan page about not leaving children unattended that some pieces (bows) may contain parts that could be choking hazards.


Barbara Jean, at $18 as a buyer, how many bottle caps would you expect to come with it? I mean, do you think 2 caps per bow would be fair?

[BusyBumbleBee]

Well I can't seem to find it now, but I did see a photo at one time of a magnet that was in the center of the bow, but the 3/8" ribbon you use to wrap the middle and pull the whole bow together was over the magnet. So there was less chance of the magnet coming detached. If that makes sense. Too much ribbon over the magnet will probably make the magnet weak and the bottlecap wont hold.

[mamabrandy]

Well I can't seem to find it now, but I did see a photo at one time of a magnet that was in the center of the bow, but the 3/8" ribbon you use to wrap the middle and pull the whole bow together was over the magnet. So there was less chance of the magnet coming detached. If that makes sense. Too much ribbon over the magnet will probably make the magnet weak and the bottlecap wont hold.

You could probably even use a thin coordinating piece of fabric. Glue the magnet to the center of your center ribbon, then use the piece of fabric to sew over the magnet to encase it so it is virtually impossible to get it off/out to pose a hazard.

[dawn1686]

Thanks for sharing the advice and tips! :)

[ishop2much]

Well I can't seem to find it now, but I did see a photo at one time of a magnet that was in the center of the bow, but the 3/8" ribbon you use to wrap the middle and pull the whole bow together was over the magnet. So there was less chance of the magnet coming detached. If that makes sense. Too much ribbon over the magnet will probably make the magnet weak and the bottlecap wont hold.

Cute bows! I've seen them this way...As a buyer I would expect any thing interchangeable to have atleast one thing to switch...and then packs of just the bottlecaps etc to order more

[dawn1686]

So you think the bow and 2 bottle caps would be $18 worthy?

[ishop2much]

So you think the bow and 2 bottle caps would be $18 worthy?
The great thing about our business is we all have different clientelle and we all live in different areas...what is right for you may not work at all for me. kwim...I would get them out there if you don't get a good response or you get feed back from your clients then you'll know.

[beth]

g'day Dawn,
ya, I agree with some that $18 is abit at the high side.. especially if the exchange rate and the shipping kick in.. at least for me as Im not residing in the US..

just a thought...

cheerios,
beth

[IzzyB]

I love the bows, but the magnet does kinda scare me. I would cover it with some ribbon. In my area $18 would be kinda high.

[dawn1686]

Thanks for the feedback. I understand what you ladies are saying about the magnet, trust me I do. But at the same time I think about the kids fridge magnets, the letters and numbers, that almost every child plays with. Those have really small magnets in them. I just thought that was the whole point in listing a disclaimer. A lot of bows have small pieces on them, like center pieces, even jewels glued on them.

Don't get me wrong here, I understand the concern. And again, I appreciate the feedback. Aside from everyone's concern of the magnet, I really wanted thoughts on the bows, these are some of my first over the top bows, so I was just curious how they look. Thanks again! :)

[mamabrandy]

Thanks for the feedback. I understand what you ladies are saying about the magnet, trust me I do. But at the same time I think about the kids fridge magnets, the letters and numbers, that almost every child plays with. Those have really small magnets in them. I just thought that was the whole point in listing a disclaimer. A lot of bows have small pieces on them, like center pieces, even jewels glued on them.

Don't get me wrong here, I understand the concern. And again, I appreciate the feedback. Aside from everyone's concern of the magnet, I really wanted thoughts on the bows, these are some of my first over the top bows, so I was just curious how they look. Thanks again! :)

Yes, there are toys out there with magnets and bows out there will little embellishments on them, but even with a disclaimer, someone can and still will go after you if their child was to be hurt. We are all just trying to look out for you from both a business and parent's standpoint. Personally, I would probably not buy a bow with a magnet on it unless it was secured in a manner where the child could not easily get the magnet off. Hot glue melts if it gets hot enough and the magnet could come loose. While the chances are probably pretty low, the chance is still there, and what if they had previously swallowed another magnet or a piece of metal? It could be strong enough to rip a hole in their digestive tract and result in death.

This is from the CPSC http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/magnet.pdf

Aside from the magnet, the color combination's are great. I'm not sure I like the feathers on the one bow. The tulle looks nice. Honestly, I think $18 is a bit much for these bows. However, your market may support that price. If you choose to go forward with selling interchangeable bows, maybe market them to older kids to reduce your chances of a mishap.

[BusyBumbleBee]

Yes, there are toys out there with magnets and bows out there will little embellishments on them, but even with a disclaimer, someone can and still will go after you if their child was to be hurt. We are all just trying to look out for you from both a business and parent's standpoint. Personally, I would probably not buy a bow with a magnet on it unless it was secured in a manner where the child could not easily get the magnet off. Hot glue melts if it gets hot enough and the magnet could come loose. While the chances are probably pretty low, the chance is still there, and what if they had previously swallowed another magnet or a piece of metal? It could be strong enough to rip a hole in their digestive tract and result in death.

This is from the CPSC http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/magnet.pdf

Aside from the magnet, the color combination's are great. I'm not sure I like the feathers on the one bow. The tulle looks nice. Honestly, I think $18 is a bit much for these bows. However, your market may support that price. If you choose to go forward with selling interchangeable bows, maybe market them to older kids to reduce your chances of a mishap.

Very well put Brandy. We are just watching out for you as a fellow Posh girl. If you choose to sell them, it's at your own risk. But as I said before, it's not a risk I'm ever willing to take.

I sell my over the top bows for $10. I could probably go higher then that, but not $18. Unless you are in a high end boutique with equally over priced children's clothing, you don't see prices like that on bows often.

[dawn1686]

let me ask you this. would you feel any different if the magnet were glued to the bottle cap and then you could place the bottle cap on one of the flattened bottle caps? And when I say magnet glued to the bottle cap, don't you think as long as it were super glued together it would hold better than hot glue?

What are your thoughts?

[Barbara Jean]

The great thing about our business is we all have different clientelle and we all live in different areas...what is right for you may not work at all for me. kwim...I would get them out there if you don't get a good response or you get feed back from your clients then you'll know.
I agree. See what your direct market can/will handle and go from there as far as pricing. For me, even two caps included at this price is too much for me... but I am a bit more frugal than most, lol.

[dawn1686]

let me ask you this. would you feel any different if the magnet were glued to the bottle cap and then you could place the bottle cap on one of the flattened bottle caps? And when I say magnet glued to the bottle cap, don't you think as long as it were super glued together it would hold better than hot glue?

What are your thoughts? I've had a customer ask me if I could make a bow so that the bottle caps could be changed out. That's why I'm wondering.

[BusyBumbleBee]

I stay away from magnets all together. But there has to be a way to make it more safe. See if it works out, that's all I can say. Maybe there are snaps out there or something? Everything is a choking hazard, but magnets are scary if swallowed.

[dawn1686]

Yeah, I understand what you mean. And to be honest, when I made the bows, I didn't even think about that. So thank you for bringing it to my attention. I just decided I would just glue the cap.

So maybe like a button snap? Is that what you mean? And if so, would you just sew it to the ribbon, or glue it down with like E6000? Guess I'll just have to play with it! :)


Btw, I apologize if I came off as being rude or anything. That wasn't my intention. I understood the danger yall were concerned with. I wasn't trying to come across as arguing with yall about the magnets (like being on the fridge magnets). I just meant that when I made the bows, I didn't think it would be a problem having the magnet, since there are bows with embellishments and such. I have a little boy, so obviously I'm not going to put bows on him. I know a lot of you have dd's, so you would know more about other mothers concerns about the bows and such, not that I don't try to think of safety of other children. But I think you know what I mean. So again, I am sorry if I came across the wrong way. I do honestly appreciate your concern and for bringing it to my attention. I love this forum and I don't want to step on anyone's toes and tick yall off or anything. I love that we can post our creations and get feedback from more experienced bow makers. So thank you for that. I hope there aren't any hard feelings. And I may be totally silly for even going this in depth with an apology. I'm just the kind of person that feels really bad when I think I may have upset or peeved someone off. Anyway, I'll just leave at that, so I don't keep going on and on. haha!! :) Thanks again ladies!!

[mamabrandy]

Yeah, I understand what you mean. And to be honest, when I made the bows, I didn't even think about that. So thank you for bringing it to my attention. I just decided I would just glue the cap.

So maybe like a button snap? Is that what you mean? And if so, would you just sew it to the ribbon, or glue it down with like E6000? Guess I'll just have to play with it! :)


Btw, I apologize if I came off as being rude or anything. That wasn't my intention. I understood the danger yall were concerned with. I wasn't trying to come across as arguing with yall about the magnets (like being on the fridge magnets). I just meant that when I made the bows, I didn't think it would be a problem having the magnet, since there are bows with embellishments and such. I have a little boy, so obviously I'm not going to put bows on him. I know a lot of you have dd's, so you would know more about other mothers concerns about the bows and such, not that I don't try to think of safety of other children. But I think you know what I mean. So again, I am sorry if I came across the wrong way. I do honestly appreciate your concern and for bringing it to my attention. I love this forum and I don't want to step on anyone's toes and tick yall off or anything. I love that we can post our creations and get feedback from more experienced bow makers. So thank you for that. I hope there aren't any hard feelings. And I may be totally silly for even going this in depth with an apology. I'm just the kind of person that feels really bad when I think I may have upset or peeved someone off. Anyway, I'll just leave at that, so I don't keep going on and on. haha!! :) Thanks again ladies!!

I think a snap might be a good option to look at. It is something you might want to play with. If you have someone close to you to test it out for you that is an option too, this way you know how sturdy the cap and snap will be under usage. I would imagine if you can sew the snap to the ribbon, and then secure the other part to the cap with glue you will be good to go, if the snap happens to come off, at least it is small enough to not cause a huge issue should it be swallowed.

[bubbles]

cute bows

[dawn1686]

I unfortunately do not have anybody to test it. Soooo....I may have to end up testing out myself. LOL! My only concern about sewing the snap onto the ribbon is it may end up tearing the ribbon or just completely coming off the ribbon when you change out the caps repeatedly. Trial and error I suppose.

[mamabrandy]

I unfortunately do not have anybody to test it. Soooo....I may have to end up testing out myself. LOL! My only concern about sewing the snap onto the ribbon is it may end up tearing the ribbon or just completely coming off the ribbon when you change out the caps repeatedly. Trial and error I suppose.

If it doesn't work, maybe some sort of stabilizer fabric on the back of the ribbon might help?

[dawn1686]

Could also try Velcro. I think the snap would probably work better. But...I'll just have to play with it and see.

[Cheery Trinkets]

Cute idea! If you can get $18 go for it! Around here I could never get that much for any bow....lol.....but I'm not in an area with tons of money. I'd say 2 or 3 caps would be great. :)

[BusyBumbleBee]

Could also try Velcro. I think the snap would probably work better. But...I'll just have to play with it and see.

Velcro is a great idea!!!!!!! Try E6000 glue. It sticks to anything

[mamabrandy]

Velcro is a great idea!!!!!!! Try E6000 glue. It sticks to anything

I am pretty sure there is velcro out there that is super strong too. It shouldn't come off too easily.

[dawn1686]

Thanks ladies!! I appreciate all the advice!! :)

[ishop2much]

What about mini alligator clips....Have you seen the tutorial on here how you e600 a piece of ribbon and a felt dot into the back of a bottle cap then wrap the ribbon on the center of the bow except you would do that to a clip....What if you did that on mini alligator clips(I'll look for the link later tonight) and your bow has a loop...Like the bows you can buy and stack because they all have a loop?

http://www.loopdeloophairbow.com/Zebra-Korker-Stackable-Hair-Bow.htm
Then the bottlecap would be a clippie by itself and clip into your bows?

I like the sound of velcro too.

[dawn1686]

Hey now that's a good idea!! I never thought about doing that!! Thanks for the idea, I'll def. have to try it and see how it works!! :) Thanks girl!

[IzzyB]

That is a neat idea!! I hope you find that tut!
What about mini alligator clips....Have you seen the tutorial on here how you e600 a piece of ribbon and a felt dot into the back of a bottle cap then wrap the ribbon on the center of the bow except you would do that to a clip....What if you did that on mini alligator clips(I'll look for the link later tonight) and your bow has a loop...Like the bows you can buy and stack because they all have a loop?

Zebra Boutique Bows | Stackable Hairbows| Korker Ribbon| Animal Print Hair Bow (http://www.loopdeloophairbow.com/Zebra-Korker-Stackable-Hair-Bow.htm)
Then the bottlecap would be a clippie by itself and clip into your bows?

I like the sound of velcro too.

[albertandlinda]

Very pretty bows! The tulle gives it a nice touch, I do think the price is a little high. But in all, very nice creation!