Learn techniques for tying ribbons into bows.
If you want to dress up your gift-wrapping with professional-looking ribbons or add a decorative ribbon detail to a wreath or flower arrangement, you don't have to spend a lot of money on pretied bows. You can save money and personalize items by tying ribbons yourself. If you purchase ribbons when they are on sale at craft stores, you can find a variety of colors, styles, widths and textures of ribbon for very affordable prices.
Wreath Bow
Create a simple, yet elegant bow for a wreath by following a few basic instructions. Start with a 1- to 2-inch wide ribbon in a fabric such as satin, taffeta or velvet. Match the color of the ribbon to the type of wreath you have; for example, use a red velvet ribbon on a Christmas pine wreath. Cut the ribbon to the desired length, depending on the size of bow you want. Form two loops equal in size with a foot of ribbon between them. Twist the right loop behind the left, pull tight and secure.
French Bow
French bows consist of two sizes of ribbon loops with a small ribbon loop in the center. Make a French bow by creating a small loop in the ribbon with your thumb for the center bow. Add a bigger loop to one side of the first loop, securing it under your thumb. Continue to make loops on each side of the center loop until you have the desired fullness to your bow. Add a large loop of ribbon at the back of the bow, wrap a small wire around all of the loops and twist it until secure. Cut the large loop at the back of the bow in half for the bow's tails.
Knot Bow
A knot bow is a contemporary looking "bow" that is really a knot with tails. To make a knot bow, tie a ribbon around the item you wish to adorn with a bow. Tie the ribbon ends into a knot. Add a second knot on top of the first. Trim the ribbons to the desired length for the tails, cutting a diagonal line on either end or a V-shape so that the ribbon won't fray. Any type of ribbon can be used for knot bows, but ribbons with wired edges tend to hold their shape better than unwired ribbons.
Shoe Buckle Bow
A stylish shoe buckle bow adds a touch of elegance to a gift or card. Create the shoe buckle bow by taking the desired length of ribbon (cut ribbon twice as long as you want the finished bow to be) and adding a dot of glue to the center. Fold each end of the ribbon up to the glue dot to stick in place. Use a small length of ribbon to wrap around the center of the first ribbon piece to create the bow; glue it in place. Add a long length of ribbon to the bottom of the completed bow with glue to tie the shoe buckle bow to a gift, card or flower arrangement.
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