Countdown to Christmas: How to Make Beautiful Designer Bows

Who wouldn’t love receiving a gift wrapped up with a beautiful bow? No crinkled, crumpled, recycled bows repurposed from Christmas gifts from years past. What if I told you that you can easily create beautiful designer bows like these for all your holiday packages? It’s a lot easier than you can imagine and I’m going to walk you through the process with helpful pro tips that will have you creating the loveliest bows for all your gifts in no time.

These lovely designer bows can be made using either a wired ribbon or with a satin acetate ribbon. There are a few small differences in how they are made but I will walk you through the process to make both kinds.

Let’s start with the satin ribbon bows first. If you are making bows with a satin acetate ribbon it’s important to get the correct type of ribbon to create the loveliest, fullest bows. The ribbon we used is a McGinley Satin Ribbon. It’s not like the acetate ribbon used by most florists. It’s not as flimsy and it’s thicker, with more heft and body than a florist ribbon.

You can purchase this ribbon in varying widths and colors on Amazon. Just do a search for McGinley Mills acetate satin ribbon. It comes in numerous widths and colors. The 2 inch wide ribbon was used to create the bows in this post.

Start by placing the ribbon on the top of your package, leaving a tail about 3-4 inches long hanging over the edge of the box.

Turn the box and cross the ribbon/then twist.

Tie the two ends together using a square knot. Cut the ribbon leaving a 3-4 inch long tail. Set box aside.

These are the ties you will use to attach the bow to the package.

Here is the process using string so you can more easily see how to wrap the box with the ribbon so you can add the bow.

Once you have the ribbon on the package it’s time to make the bow that we will be attaching to the package.

Use your hands to make a loop. You want enough loops so you end up with a nice full bow, wrap the ribbon around your hands about 12-to-14 times.

Cut ribbon and fold the loop flat holding it in the center. Cut a large “V” at the center point of the loop.

Do the same on the other side of the ribbon, so it looks like this. Kind of like a bow tie shape.

Pro-Tip: Cut a wider “V” rather than a taller, thinner/skinny “V” on each side. This makes it easier to twist the loops forming a prettier, fuller bow.

Place the bowtie onto your package and use the tails on the package to tie on the center of the bowtie to the package, using a knot to secure it in place.

Once you have secured the bow to the package, begin pulling out the loops to each side. Pull one loop out to the left, and twist it. Pull the next loop out to the right and twist it. Do this to all the loops on one side, then turn the package and repeat the process on the other side, pulling out a loop to the left and twisting it and pulling out the next loop to the right and twisting it.

Once all the loops have been pulled out and twisted go back to fluff and twist the loops to fill in any bare spots until you have a full, luscious looking bow.

That’s all there is to it. Look how pretty it turn out!!!

See I told you it was a lot easier to create these beautiful bows than you thought. Creating these bows using wired ribbon is even easier!

Nice job Cindy! Your smile is even prettier than that bow!

There is no need to cut a “V” into the bow like you do with the satin ribbon. Instead create loops, pinching the loops in the center as you loop the bow. Remember, the more loops, the fuller the bow.

Once you have the amount of loops you want to make a nice full bow, attach it to your package using the tails from the ribbon you used to wrap the box.

Use these tails to attach bows to the package.

Fluff and twist the loops until it looks nice and full and there are no bare spots. Trim any long tails.

A huge shout out to my dear friend Sabina for sharing her knowledge and expertise, and teaching us how to create these beautiful designer bows. Not only did she share her expertise with us but she served up a delicious luncheon as well! It was such a fun afternoon learning a new, very useful skill and we all left with our Christmas gifts topped with beautiful show stopping bows. I know I will be creating these bows for all my gift packages going forward. It was a fun filled day with my lady friends; with lots of love, laughter, and good conversation. We finished off the day with a delicious home cooked meal. It was an utterly delightful afternoon I won’t soon forget! Thank you so much Sabrina!

HO-HO-HO!!! Merry Christmas!

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Our hope comes from God. May He fill you with joy and peace because of your trust in Him. May your hope grow stronger by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

Remember…Jesus ❤️’s you!