I’ve long been a fan of Spin Pins. They are a million times better than bobby pins or most hair elastics for up-dos and buns. I always have a spin pin in my purse and in my hair arsenal – they come in so handy! If you’ve never used one, I have a tutorial here. A spin pin provides the hold of twenty bobby pins, and because of how it twists into your hair, it’s practically invisible. And that’s what got me thinking…because sometimes, you don’t want your hair clips to be totally invisible – you want a little sparkle to dress things up.
In my mom’s never-ending quest to de-clutter her house, she gave me some old jewelry that belonged to my great-grandmother. My great-grandmother didn’t have pierced ears, so the majority of the jewelry was clip-on earrings. I thought the jewelry would really dress-up a hairstyle, and an idea was born. This is incredibly simple – you can make a bunch in five minutes! So grab some spin pins (you can get them on Amazon
Spin pins, any size/color will work
Old jewelry
Wire cutters
Glue gun
Extra glue sticks
If your old jewelry has a backing on it, remove it. Some of my great-grandmother’s stuff was so old the backings popped right off with little pressure.
I did have to use wire cutters to remove the backs of others. If you do, make sure you a) have protective glasses on (seriously!) and b) if a jagged/sharp edge remains either file it down, or cover it completely with hot glue.
Using your hot glue gun, glue your jewels to the top of your pin. Take your time and glue in small amounts, letting the glue set before you add more. Glue all over the jewel and pin, making sure it’s secure.
Annnnd…you’re done! It’s that easy.
Little Miss Make Everything Beautiful looooves these new spin pins.
“Mommy, they’re so sparkly and beautiful!”
She’s thinking about how awesome I am.
If you have any questions, let me know. Have fun!
Lindsey Cote says:
How cool and special would these be for wedding hair!? Especially if you could find a blue one – something blue, something old…and from a grandparent! Love it!
Glenda says:
Annie is the perfect model too
Jeanie says:
Adorable, but how do you keep them from getting stuck in your hair? I get my SUNGLASSES stuck in my hair.
Heather says:
The pin itself doesn’t get stuck! The jewels can sometimes catch a bit of hair, but I’m just extra-careful when I’m twisting them out and Annie and I both haven’t had any problems.
Jackie says:
I LOLed at “She’s thinking about how awesome I am”!! :)I love the little flower pin!
K.B says:
I make scrapbook jewels sometimes out of old or mismatched earrings and I use a dremel to quickly file down those little points. I got a dremel at walmart for 12 dollars and love it way more than the expensive one my friend has.
Anne says:
I have tried multiple times to use spin pins in my hair but cannot, for the life of me, get them to work. I’m hair stupid.
Susana says:
Same here
And trying to put two in to make the bun sturdier makes it worse. Wah!
Jessica says:
Me too! I’ve watched Heather’s hair tutorial, but I can’t get it to work either. I have really fine hair, so maybe I need the smaller ones?
Heather says:
Try the smaller ones! When Annie was younger and had less hair, the smaller ones worked like a charm for her.
Missy K says:
I LOVE spin pins & I LOVE this idea!!! I think I need to hit yard sales & ebay to find some old clip on earrings. Such an awesome idea Heather. Thanks for sharing.
Johanna says:
I had no idea spin pins existed… I better watch your tutorial.
Pearl says:
This is such a great idea! I wish I had long hair!
Paula R. (fka preTzel) says:
Spin pins are amazing! You have me hooked on them. I also have old costume jewelry from my grandmother – in – law. I’m going to practice this move!
Jennifer says:
I also love spin pins! It took me a while to figure them out (I even bent one out of shape the first time!) Do you have any ideas about how to use the Modern Updo thingy (http://www.goody.com/Products/Hair_Accessories/Simple_Styles_Modern_Updo) or the Bun Spiral (http://www.goody.com/Products/Hair_Accessories/Simple_Styles_Bun_Spiral?colId=df976d93-59e1-4844-892b-19a40f22cfb0&c_id=1a7ea079-c44c-481e-8d02-db7cd0b32277) ? I’ve been having problems figuring those two out. I LOVE your tutorials!
Heather says:
WHOA I’ve never seen either of those, but I’m intrigued! I’ll order some and play around with them and see what I can figure out!
Sara Mc. says:
I think I was meant to see this at this time. My Nana passed away this last weekend and she too wore clip on earrings. This will definitely come in handy when going through all of her jewels and deciding which ones to keep.