Upcycled Tennis Ball Hair Bow

This upcycled tennis ball hair bow was created as part of a sponsored post for Voya Financial.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

We’re in the middle of Wimbledon and that gets my repurposing mind reeling with ideas!  I’ve shared ideas before for repurposing tennis racquets but I decided to take it another step and repurpose a tennis ball!  This upcycled tennis ball hair bow is the perfect accessory for summer!

To make a hair bow, you’ll need an old or new tennis ball, sharp scissors, a small screwdriver, pliers, and hot glue.  

I prefer to save money by hitting up the stash of retired tennis gear in the garage.  I love the feeling of accomplishment that comes with a repurposed project: coming up with an idea that’s a little out of the box and reusing something that didn’t seem useful any more.  But my favorite thing about repurposing is saving money!

Voya Financial, Inc. likes to help you save money, too.  They help Americans plan, invest, and protect their savings to make retirement better.  This month, Voya Financial is celebrating Wimbledon and joining in the upcycling movement to show how saving money can be fun!

Ready to repurpose?  Let’s make a hair bow!

Use sharp scissors to poke a hole along the seam of the tennis ball, then trim all along the seam.  Be careful not to cut yourself when you’re poking into the ball!  Once you have the cut started, you can also tear along most of the seam.  Getting started is the hardest part.

When you’ve cut along the entire seam, you’ll have two separate pieces of tennis ball.  Each piece can be used to make a hair bow.

You’ll also need to cut a small rectangle to use as the center of the bow.  If you don’t want to cut up a tennis ball just for that piece, you can also substitute coordinating ribbon or trim.  Tennis-themed ribbon would be super cute!

In order to be able to get a nice shape for the bow, you have to remove the rubber inside.  Depending on how new or old the ball is, and the manufacturer, this can be a bit tricky!  Use a small screwdriver to separate the rubber from the outer felt piece and use pliers to separate and pull.  Don’t worry if some small pieces of rubber remain.

Pinch the middle together at the halfway point along the bow and hot glue it into position.

Attach the center piece of felt with hot glue …

… and you have an adorable hair bow upcycled from that old retired tennis gear!

Hot glue the bow onto a headband, hair clip, or ponytail holder …

… and wear it in style!  My younger girls love this unique bow idea!

Have you repurposed old tennis gear?  I’d love to see what you’ve done.  Share a photo on the Dukes and Duchesses facebook page!  And while you’re on facebook, be sure to follow Voya Financial for great tips for saving for the future!