How to make bows for xmas tree

There are so many fun ways to decorate for Christmas, but one great way to tie your decor (or gift wrapping) together is with Christmas bows! You can choose the ribbon and color scheme yourself to make your Christmas decorations extra special. If you’ve ever wondered how to make a Christmas bow like you see in pictures, look no further!

We’re going to show you how to make a Christmas bow out of ribbon four different ways, both big and small.

First, here are some things to take into consideration when purchasing your materials:

• Consider double sided ribbon – Though double sided ribbon isn’t required for all of these bows, we recommend it if you’re worried about your ribbon getting twisted. Double sided ribbon ensures that the right side is always facing up!

• Use wired ribbon for shape – If you want your bow to have a lot of shape or fullness, use wired ribbon so that it’s easier to arrange.
• Sharp scissors are key – Sharp scissors leave clean cuts, and make it easy easy to cut through multiple layers and wired ribbon. We used fabric scissors.

Ready? Let’s get started!

The classic bow is what everyone pictures when they hear the word “bow.” It is the easiest of the four to make. You can use either regular ribbon or wired ribbon when making a classic Christmas bow. We used wired ribbon, which allowed us to mold the loops into full shapes rather than having them lay flat.

Directions

Step 1: Create three loops with your ribbon. Two that face upwards and one middle loop that faces downwards.

Step 2: Cross the right loop over the left loop so that the side with the tail hanging down faces out.

Step 3: Fold the right loop down through the center loop.

Step 4: Arrange your bow and enjoy!

How to Make a Double Bow

For the double bow, we suggest using thin, non-wired, double-sided ribbon for best results. As you can see in the video, we use single-sided ribbon, which still works. However, one of the loops will be twisted, as you have to twist the ribbon on the second loop in step 2 so that the right side is still facing you.

Since you use your fingers as a guide when making these bows, they will be relatively small. You can apply the same technique using something wider, like chair legs, if you want to make a large double bow.

Directions

Step 1: Cut a length of ribbon. Ours was 18 inches long. Then, make a peace sign with your index and middle fingers and rotate them sideways. Place the ribbon over your index and middle fingers, leaving about 4 inches overlapping, and hold ribbon in place between your thumb and index finger.

Step 2: Wrap the ribbon down and around the back of your fingers once. Repeat one more loop so the ribbon is now facing downwards behind your middle finger.

Step 3: Bring the ribbon in front of your middle finger. The ribbon should still be facing downwards.

Step 4: Loop the ribbon up and behind your middle finger so that it is facing away from you.

Step 5: Bring the ribbon forward so it lays horizontally across the vertical loops of ribbon.

Step 6: Thread through the opening between your index and middle finger.

Step 7: Circle the tail back around so that it crosses the horizontal strip of ribbon, making an “x.”

Step 8: Pull the tail up behind the “x” and cinch the ribbon together, tightening the center.

How to Make a Gift Bow

A voluminous bow is a great way to make your gift pop. If you want to go beyond solid-colored, store-bought gift bows, try making your own with patterned ribbon! We’ll show you how to make a gift bow in six easy steps.

One-sided ribbon is fine for this type of bow. You can use non-wired or wired ribbon, though wired ribbon gives the bow a better shape. Since you’ll be cutting through multiple layers of ribbon, you’ll need sharp scissors, like fabric scissors, to create this bow. The gift bow uses a lot of ribbon (we used nearly 5.5 feet in our 4.5 inch wide bow), so if you plan on making multiple gift bows, be sure to stock up on ribbon.

Directions

Step 1: Measure how wide you want the bow, keeping the ribbon attached to the spool if you’re unsure how many layers you want.

Step 2: Fold that length inwards. Continue folding until you have the desired number of loops (one fold equals one loop). Once complete, cut the end of the ribbon. You’ll now have one big ring.

Step 3: Take the two ends of that ring and put them together so that they (and the loose end of the ribbon) are at the top center.

Step 4: Cut notches at the center of the ribbon. You should cut on the left and right sides about one-third of the way in on each side.

Step 5: Thread floral wire through the cuts and twist it tightly to secure.

Step 6: Pull and twist each loop to fill out your bow.

How to Make a Big Christmas Bow

This large bow is the perfect wreath bow. Use it to decorate your greenery, or place on your door or staircase to add festivity to your home! Single-sided, wired ribbon is best for this project. If you’re unsure how big you want each loop, leave the ribbon on the spool while you’re creating the bow.

Directions

Step 1: With the right side of the ribbon facing up, determine how long you want the tail of your ribbon to be.

Step 2: From that point, twist the ribbon so the side closest to the spool is facing wrong side up.

Step 3: Grab the end where the wrong side is facing up and loop it down towards the tail and back around to create a circle. Twist the ribbon so right sides are facing up on both sides. You should now have your center loop.

Step 4: Fold the ribbon back towards the bottom of the center loop to create your first side loop.

Step 5: Twist the ribbon so that the right side faces up and create another loop on the opposite side.

Step 6: Repeat until you’ve filled out your bow with the desired number of loops

Step 7: Cut a piece of floral wire and thread through the center loop and around the rest of the bow. Twist to secure.

Step 8: Measure your second tail so it’s equal to the first and cut ribbon from the spool.

DIY Christmas Bow Styling Tips

Now that you know how to make Christmas bows, what are you going to use them for? Wrapping Christmas gifts is the obvious answer, but there are so many other unique ways you can decorate with bows and ribbons. Here are a few styling tips to inspire you.

• • Use mini bows as ornaments | Elise + Hope
  • Top your Christmas tree with a paper bow | Studio DIY
  • Complement your greenery with contrasting ribbon | Clean and Scentsible
  • Tie together your place setting | This Happiness Blog
  • Dress up your bows as characters | Living Locurto