5 in × 5 in (13 cm × 13 cm) to make a 2 in (5. 1 cm) bow. 9 in × 7 in (23 cm × 18 cm) to make a 4 in (10 cm) bow. 11 in × 8 in (28 cm × 20 cm) to make a 5 in (13 cm) bow. 13 in × 9 in (33 cm × 23 cm) to make a 6 in (15 cm) bow. 17 in × 11 in (43 cm × 28 cm) to make an 8 in (20 cm) bow.
There’s no need to iron this crease as long as you can see it when the fabric is unfolded.
Use your fingers to hold these folds in place. Using glue here might make your bow too stiff when it’s finished.
While ironing the piece isn’t absolutely necessary, it will make the finished bow look much neater. When you’re finished ironing, set this piece of fabric aside for a few minutes.
Ironing will help this piece of fabric hold its shape, even without glue or stitching.
If you’d like, you can secure these ends with a small dot of glue. However, you can also hold them in place with your fingers if you’d prefer to use less glue—you’ll secure the ends in a later step.
The fold should resemble a folded fan or an accordion, and you should start seeing the shape of a bow. For very large bows, you might prefer to use 4 or 5 accordion folds.
If you’d prefer, you can use double-sided fabric tape instead of hot glue. Just cut small pieces that will fit inside the folds. [8] X Research source
To make the center piece look neater, place a small drop of glue underneath the top folded layer, as well. This will keep the unsecured corner from lifting away from the bow. Try attaching your bow to a barrette or alligator clip to make a hairbow, or glue it to a longer strip of fabric to make a cute bow tie![10] X Research source
The width of your ribbon will determine the width of your bow. 1. 5 in (3. 8 cm) is a good option for most bows, but you could use thicker ribbon for a larger bow, or multiple loops of a thinner ribbon if you’d prefer! As an alternative, you can take a wired ribbon. It may be easier to shape, and your bow will keep its shape better.
If you’re a kid, be sure to ask for an adult’s help for this step!
If you need help finding the exact center of the ribbon, fold it in half from left to right, then crease the fold. When you unfold the ribbon, the line will be in the center.
Work quickly, since hot glue doesn’t take long to dry. Once you’ve glued down the left and right edges of the ribbon, you should start to see a bow shape emerging.
This will help give your no-sew bow the characteristic gather in the center.
Be especially careful not to use too much glue here, or it could make your bow too stiff.
Fabric bows make adorable hair accessories, but you can also use them to decorate crafts, jewelry, and gifts!
For instance, if you want a bow that’s 5 in (13 cm) with tails that are 3 in (7. 6 cm), you’d cut a piece of fabric that’s 15 in × 9 in (38 cm × 23 cm).
If you’d prefer, you can use double-sided fabric tape in place of hot glue. Allow the glue to dry for about 30 seconds before you move on.
This will hold the sides together as you shape the bow. You can tie a piece of string around the bow instead of using a pin, if you’d prefer.
Once you see a basic bow shape, you can remove the pin from the fabric. Just hold it in place with your fingers in the meantime. The raw edges of the fabric will form the tails of your bow.
You’ll cover this string in the next step, so it doesn’t matter what color it is or how neatly you tie it.
The width of your fabric strip can vary depending on your preference, but about 3⁄4 in (1. 9 cm) and 2 in (5. 1 cm) should be fine. For a more subtle look, use the same fabric as the rest of your bow. However, you can create a cute contrast by using a different, complementary color, if you prefer. To make a no-sew sailor bow, attach a barrette or an alligator clip to the back of your bow when it’s finished!
