For all of us who admire all the lovely but pricey J.Crew accessories, here’s a ribbon flower embellishment that is a breeze to make, and can be worn on a belt, as a brooch, or as a hairpin.

I found this vintage grosgrain ribbon at an all-ribbon store in San Francisco (I know, who knew? Certainly not I, until this week). I took one yard and folded it back on itself to make it more rigid. Using a hot glue gun, I glued the two layers together, working a few inches at a time. Once it was doubled over, I folded and re-folded at asymmetrical angles until I liked the arrangement. Then I lifted the folds and glued underneath. Add a decorative button in the center. To finish, cut a circle of felt for the back, glue in place, and glue or sew a pin backing onto the felt.

I found this studded synthetic leather ribbon at Britex to pair with this brooch for a little hit of preppy-meets-punk. Please excuse this very front-on view of, as Jack Donaghy would say, my swimsuit region.