types of ribbon bows for presents

types of ribbon bows for presents

One thing that makes finding the best present even greater is being creative with the wrapping. The receiver of the gift will really appreciate thoughtful, creative and impressive wrapping. Not everyone finds gift wrapping easy – bows are tricky, wrapping neatly is harder than it looks and corner folds can be a downright mystery!

So, for those who lack a bit of creative flair, here are some types of bows for presents that you can try to replicate yourself.

These are the types of bows for presents that you’ll have seen on Christmas and birthday presents in movies: they’re pretty and polished. The best thing about them? You can make them yourself for half the cost than buying them.

The Simple Bow

The simple bow is easy and quick to add to any gift throughout the year. It is ideal for making when you’re pressed for time or if you don’t want to make a special bow for every gift you give. Here is what you should do:

1. Make two ‘bunny ears’ (or loops) out of ribbon. Adjust the size of the loops so that they are the size of your desired bow. Also, make the tails to be a similar length too.
2. Fold one loop over the other, bring it around then back through the middle hole.
3. Pull it tight to create the knot. Gently pull the tails and the loops to make your bow look as desired.

The Layered Bow

This makes the perfect off-center bow on your gift and it makes the gift look really elegant. Here is how to make a layered bow:

1. Cut the ribbon – you need several ribbon pieces, each one needs to be two inches longer than the one before it. For the loop in the center, cut a piece of ribbon that is two or three times as long as it is wide. For example, cut pieces 3 inches, 5 inches, 7 inches and 9 inches.
2. Form the loops – Put the ribbon facing downwards and stick a piece of double-sided tape to the middle of each piece. Fold the ribbon’s ends to the middle and press them down to stick. This creates two loops. Use tape to stick together the two ends of the center loop. For the layer on the bottom, cut some ribbon slightly longer than the piece that forms the longest loop then notch its ends.
3. Stack the loops – stack your looped ribbons from the longest piece to the shortest, putting them on the bottom layer. Stick the center of each piece with double-sided tape. Now you have your layered bow!

The Flower Bow

A flower bow is an ideal gift topper for any special lady. You can make these bows even more special by putting a bobby pin underneath so that they can wear the bow in their hair afterwards! Here is how to make a flower bow:

1. Cut out a template from cardboard. This can be something like a 7-pointed star shape that has a hole in the middle.
2. Wrap satin ribbon around your template, crossing it over each side.
3. Sew the end of the ribbon into the center of the template.
4. When secure, remove the template from the flower ribbon.
5. Sew or glue ornaments or beads into the middle of the flower bow.
6. You can improve the look of your flower bow by adding more layer, stacking them together by gluing or sewing the ribbon.

The Pom-Pom Bow

The pom-pom bow is somewhat trickier than the others we have seen so far but it is really pretty. You can group a few together to make an even more impressive gift. Here is how to make one:

1. Create a circle of ribbon – this needs to be around the width of the desired bow. With this circle made, wind the ribbon at least 8 more times so that you have 8 more circles. The more circles, the fuller the bow!
2. After creating the circles, flatten down the loops and cut each corner diagonally. Don’t cut off too much as the middle of the finished bow will end up looking flat.
3. Secure the middle – when you’ve cut the four corners, fold the loops back so that all of the cut sections meet in the middle. Tie a piece of craft wire or string firmly around the middle notches and make it as tight as possible.
4. Fluff the loops – work on one side of your bow and pull the innermost loop out then twist it right. Pull out the next loop and twist to the left. Keep doing this until all of the loops on one side are twisted. Now repeat on the other side.
5. Adjust the loops – arrange your loops as required to finish your bow. Wire-rimmed ribbon will keep its shape.

Make it special for Christmas!

Bows are special as it is but you can make them even more special for the Christmas season. Next, we’re going to look at how to make a Christmas bow, how to tie Christmas ribbon bows to keep and reuse and how to make a Christmas bow wired ribbon style for Christmas tree ribbons bows.

How to make a Christmas bow

A lot of people often ask how to make a Christmas bow but the answer is simple. Make any of the bows above but use a festive ribbon or a festive-color ribbon! How to tie Christmas ribbon bows? Easy, follow the steps above using a festive ribbon and voila!

Make a Christmas Bow Wired Ribbon Style

A lot of festive ribbons are wired. This makes them ideal as they will be much more robust and can, therefore, be reused. Whether or not you use them as Christmas tree ribbons bows or to adorn gifts, it is better to make a Christmas bow wired ribbon style for this reason.

Final thoughts

Making bows is super fun! One tip I will say is to tie Christmas ribbon bows and Christmas tree ribbons bows early. Don’t leave it until the last minute as this is something you will put aside when there are gifts to buy and presents to wrap in a hurry!

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