One thing that seems to elude so many people when it comes to Christmas decorating is how to tie a nice, big, showy Christmas bow. For some reason it’s just something that many people have a hard time with. Their fingers don’t seem to want to cooperate without getting all tangled up in the ribbon or each other….and before you know it all they have is a big mess and lots of frustration.
But, it really is very simple. A teeny bit tricky…..but, very simple none-the-less. My favorite ribbon to decorate with during the holidays are the wider, showier mesh ribbons like this shown above. They make a big impact because of the size and metallic sheen. And, they’re relatively inexpensive – usually $6.99 to $9.99 per bolt.
The first thing you want to do is roll off the amount of ribbon you’d like hanging down from the loops. Take that to one side.
Then using the other side of the ribbon that is still wound on the bolt, start pulling your ribbon to create a small loop.
This will be the center loop of the bow.
Holding the loop in place with your thumb start adding another larger loop…
And, again hold this with your fingers and thumb…..
Pull the ribbon to the opposite side and fold back into another loop. As it crosses back across the back of the center loop secure it with your fingers again…..
Continue going back and forth until you’ve created as many loops as you’d like.
I tend to prefer five loops in my bows….whether it’s using a large ribbon like this or a smaller one. I just tend to like the look of five loops, but you could do anywhere from two to as many as you can cram in there.
Once you’ve got all your loops done and have them secured with your fingers take a pipe cleaner and slip it through the center loop to the back of the ribbon making sure that all the ribbon from all the loops are still secured. Wrap the pipe cleaner around it all. (I generally use a matching pipe cleaner, but in this case I was out of red so I opted for gold. It doesn’t usually show much anyway.)
Twist the pipe cleaner around in the back and voila……you have yourself a giant showy bow.
Use them for wreaths, trees, stair railings, gift boxes, etc.
Happy Decorating!!!