How To – Make a Two Ribbon Bow
There are many projects where you need a beautiful bow as a finishing touch. Below are written and video instructions so you can make a show stopping bow for yourself!
Supplies
-Sharp pair of scissors
-1 chenille stem (pipe cleaner)
-12 feet of 1 1/2 inch wired ribbon
-12 feet of 2 1/2 inch wired ribbon
Large Loops
Start by laying your smaller ribbon (green) on top of the larger one (red). Make a large loop by taking about 12 inches of ribbon and folding it over. It is important to keep the smaller ribbon always facing out.
Once you have a loop, twist your ribbon 180 degrees so the back of the ribbon is facing up. Do this right where your center point will be. Hold the twist in place with your thumb.
Make a second loop by taking 12 more inches and folding it over. The 12 inches should end in the center where your thumb is holding the twist. Now make another 180 degree twist in the ribbon. You should again be looking at the back side of the large ribbon. This is the rhythm of making the bow – Loop, Twist, Loop, Twist…
With your first two loops in hand, bend your bow in half to make sure your loops are even. Once you know they are the same length, they can be used as a guide for following loops.
Repeat your loops rhythm (loop, twist, loop, twist) until there are six loops. Three on each side.
Small Loops
The next loop will be about 4 inches shorter (8 inch length). Twist and make a total of 4 small loops.
Finish off with an even smaller loop by twisting the ribbon so the small ribbon is facing out and wrap a loop over your thumb that is holding everything. Then cross the ribbon under your thumb. It will look like this.
Chenille Stem
Take your chenille stem and thread it through the smallest loop. Hold it in place with your thumb and turn the whole bow upside down.
Fold the chenille stem up and twist it tightly around the center of the bow where your thumb had been applying pressure. Not only does the chenille hold the bow together, but you can use the ends to fasten it to other projects like a package or wreath.
Trim Tails
Trim both tails to your desired length with an angle or “V” cut. Tails can be left long for dramatic effect of cut shorter to match the round shape of the finished bow.
Shaping the Bow
Lay the bow flat on the table and spread out each loop so they are evenly dispersed in a circle. Don’t worry if the loops are flat.
Insert your fingers inside a loop and lift the top of the loop, curving it and adding volume.
Take the wide ribbon and narrow ribbon and pull them horizontally away from each other. This doubles the loops your bow has and quickly adds volume. Rotate your bow and repeat these two steps with every loop. I did not separate the smallest center loop because I liked the look of it together, but feel free to experiment until you achieve a look you like.
Once all the loops have been fluffed up, tweak the placement of them until you are satisfied with the final look.
There you go! A beautiful two tone bow perfect for your next project.
Have any questions or tips about the bow? Leave them in the description box below so others can learn too!
