Fact: The word “present” is contained with in the word “presentation.” Question: So, when you’re wrapping up a storm this holiday season, why not freestyle some presentation into your presents?
Or, if you’d like that in simpler terms, why not make your present look really pretty? It’s not so hard to craft beautiful bows, and the resulting creation will add an extra twinkle of terrific to the gift you give.
Bow #1: The Ultimate
1. Gather materials: ribbon (preferably wire-edged), thin wire, scissors to trim ribbon.
2. Cut a very long length of ribbon. Place gift top-down and lengthwise on ribbon, about 1/3 of the way down ribbon. (Shorter end will become you bow’s tail.) Pull ribbon around back of gift, and twist ribbon sections around one another.
3. Pull ribbon sections around top of gift and tie in double knot.
4. Make a loop, twisting ribbon a half rotation where it crosses over the center. Create matching loop (twist included!) on other side.
5. Continuing making matching loops with twists, but make each set of loops slightly smaller as you build up.
6. When you have made three sets of loops, make a small loop around your thumb.
7. Take a piece of thin wire, slide it through the loop made around your thumb and beneath the the knot at bottom of the bow. Twist wire shut.
8. Fan out loops, and you’re done!
Bow #2: The Purist
1. Gather material: long strips of smoothly cut wrapping paper, scissors, tape
2. Place one strip of wrapping paper against open scissors, using one hand to hold strip’s end, and the other to hold scissors open while your thumb secures strip against the scissor edge.
3. Gently-yet-firmly pull end of strip over scissor edge, letting strip slide out from beneath your thumb as you pull. Curl all strips.
4. Place a small circle of tape on present and affix ends of each curled strip to tape, and then admire your ‘bow’-utiful work!
Bow #3: The Surprise Gift
1. Gather materials: long strip of fabric, needle, thread, pin back, scissors to trim thread
2. Fold strip of fabric in half. Iron if desired. Edges don’t need to be finished; they’ll be on bottom!
3. Bend one corner of folded ribbon down to meet fold bottom, making a triangle.
4. Push threaded needle (make sure you’ve knotted the end!) through bottom of fold made in Step 3 to hold in place.
5. Begin wrapping fabric in a spiral, pushing needle through base periodically.
6. As the rosette grows, make pleats as you spiral, being sure to sew down pleat when made.
7. When fabric reaches end, tuck towards base and sew down. Add several stitches through base to secure rosette form.
8. Sew pin back on bottom of rosette.
9. Affix pin to present. Tape if preferred. It doubles as a great brooch and add-on gift to your present!
Think you’ll try any of these out? Or, have any other great pointers?
18 loves 
Gorgeous bow guide, you guys make it look so easy. I’d love to do the ostentacious Ultimate Blue Bow but I’d fail!
This year I used fabric scrabs and tied these into bows. They added nice texture, pattern, and color to my gifts, which were wrapped in plain brown paper.
I posted about Mod Cloth today! It was exciting to recommend goods for the shop!: http://bit.ly/dKD2IM
I have made the curly paper with narrow ribbon and it reallyworks. Thanks to you now I’ll use wrapping paper.
I had no idea that you could curl strips of wrapping paper like ribbon! I am so going to try that.
Love this. I adore homemade/unique wrapping techniques!