How to Create a Perfect Bow in 6 Easy Steps

The recipe for a perfect bow is short and sweet:  3 yards of ribbon, a short piece of wire, a little practice folding and pulling, and you've created the perfect bow.  We used 2" wide ribbon (wire-edged ribbon holds shape better than non wire-edged), and followed these 6 easy steps to create the perfect finishing touch for floral arrangements, baskets, gifts, or to compliment any home decor.



Step 1:  Fold 3 yards of ribbon into an oval pattern, about 7-9 inches long, depending on how large you desire your bow.  For a smaller bow, shorten the length of your oval, and you'll have more folds, thus a fuller bow.



Step 2:  Fold the oval in half in one hand.  Using a piece of floral wire (up to 24" long, depends how much wire you need to affix the finished bow), center the wire in the middle of the oval fold, leaving an equal amount of wire on each side of the ribbon.

Step 3:  Tighten the wire so that the center part of the ribbon bunches together.

Step 4:  Twist the two parts of wire together tightly, leaving the remaining wire, below the twist point, straight.  The straight section of wire will allow you to affix the bow securely to your basket.

Step 5:  Holding the ribbon in the center (thumb over the wire), pull apart the individual loops of ribbon on each side.  Pulling from the center will help fan the loops and add fullness.

Step 6:  Add the ribbon to a basket or floral arrangement by wrapping the remaining wire around the basket and twisting the ends together to secure it.  Happy Creating!