If you don’t have floral wire, you could also use a pipe cleaner.
If you’re at the store and aren’t sure if the ribbon is wired or not, simply pinch a portion of it together—if it keeps its shape, it’s wired. Keep in mind as you work that you’ll need to stop when you have about 12 inches (30 cm) of fabric remaining.
You’re going to use your non-dominant hand to hold together the fabric the entire time you’re making the bow.
When you look at the bow from the side, it’ll look like the number “8. ”
At this stage, your loops will be layered rather than spread out and the bow might look a little strange, but don’t worry! You’re on the right path.
12 inches (30 cm) of ribbon will produce bow tails that are about 6 inches (15 cm) long each.
If you’re using a pipe cleaner, follow the same process: thread it around the pinched fabric and twist it off to ensure it’ll stay in place.
If you want longer tails, leave more fabric at the end when you stop making your loops. If you want shorter tails, you can simply trim them to the length you want.
The great thing about using wire ribbon is that you can reform the loops easily if they get bent out of shape.
If you don’t have floral wire, use a pipe cleaner.
If you’re using ribbon that isn’t patterned on both sides, just make sure that the patterned or colored side is on the outside of the twist.
For this bow, you won’t be making a figure-eight pattern. Instead, you’ll just be making each loop consecutively right next to one another.
The even number helps create symmetry in your bow.
It’s okay if the edge is a little jagged—you can tidy it up later on.
If you’re using a pipe cleaner, follow the same process. You can leave the excess floral wire in place and use it to attach the bow to the wreath later on.
If you want, you can also cut small triangles out of the ends of the tails for an added flourish.
These measurements will create a large, rustic bow that will hang down off of your wreath.
It’s usually easier if you do this at a workstation so you can lay the ribbon down flat.
This second piece of fabric helps create depth in your bow by giving it a second dimension, rather than just having a flat, single-layer bow.
One side of the bow should be a mirror reflection of the other side.
You can either trim off the excess ends of the wire, or let them stick out to the sides so you can use them to attach the bow to the wreath later on.
A fun variation here is to use a colored or patterned ribbon to cover the floral wire for a little pop of color!
If you don’t have a hot glue gun, you could use double-sided tape.
It’s okay if the triangles don’t match exactly, but try to keep them about the same general size.
