How to make a bow out of ribbon without glue

Follow these step-by-step instructions for the perfect bow.

You mastered tying your shoelaces as a kid and have never looked back. But when it comes to how to make a bow, especially with ribbon, it's another story. Don't be intimidated—tying a bow is a lot easier than it looks. Remember that bunny ear trick you learned years ago? It still applies when making bows.

Bows are the perfect topper for wedding gifts and a lovely addition to your wedding day decor. You can tie bows with any kind of ribbon or even make the bows out of paper. From simple bows (perfect for flower girl sashes and wedding programs) to more elaborate bows with wired ribbon (a pretty finishing touch for wreaths and wedding aisle decor), we've got you covered. Check out our video tutorial for how to tie a bow, and read on for our easy step-by-step bow-tying instructions.

In this article:

How to Make a Bow Out of Ribbon

For this type of bow, you can use any kind of ribbon, like silk, grosgrain or velvet. Choose a ribbon in your desired thickness. Any width works but remember, the wider the ribbon, the bigger the bow. Once you learn how to tie a bow out of ribbon, you can use this simple but useful bow for outfits, like the flower girl's dress, or as a hair accessory (check out these wedding hair bows for inspiration).

Supplies: A ribbon, a ruler and scissors

1. Using your ruler and scissors, cut a piece of ribbon that's about 15 to 20 inches. This length will make a nice-sized bow.

2. Make two loops (or bunny ears) with your ribbon. Adjust the loops to be the size you want your final bow loops to look like. Make sure your tails are fairly even too.

3. Fold the left loop over the right loop and bring it around and back through the center hole.

4. Pull tight to create a knot. Tug on the loops and tails to finesse your bow. Remember: It's okay if you don't get a perfect bow on the first try.

How to Make a Bow From Paper

Paper bows are a cute and unique alternative to ribbon bows, especially for gifts in small boxes (think: bridesmaid jewelry or wedding cufflinks). We created a foolproof bow template (see the printable template at the very bottom of this article) for you to make this bow-tying project a cinch.

Supplies: A bow template, printer, card stock, pencil, scissors and glue

1. Download our bow template and print.

2. Using your pencil and scissors, trace the template onto card stock, then cut out the outline.

3. Place a dot of glue in the center of the bow cut out with the rounded edges.

4. Fold one of the rounded edge pieces in half (without creating a crease) and press to adhere the square tip to the center. Add another dot of glue and repeat with the other side. This piece is your bow loops.

5. Add a dot of glue to the center of the tail cut out, then gently press the center of the bow loops piece on top of the glue.

6. Wrap the small band cut out around the center of your bow and glue the ends together at the back.

How to Make a Bow With Wired Ribbon

Wired ribbon is a craft lover's dream. Even novice DIY-ers love it because it's so forgiving. The thin and flexible wired edge allows you to mold the ribbon in any bow configuration you'd like. Wire bows make an excellent choice for wedding gifts. They give you stability and design control, allowing you to build big, beautiful bows that will set your gift(s) apart from the rest. If you really want your flowers to stand out, a big wire bow can be a good option. Again, a wire bow will give the bow more stability, so the loops and tails will look great even during the bouquet toss.

Supplies: A wired ribbon, ruler, scissors and pipe cleaner

1. Take a long piece of ribbon (at least 36 inches) and create a loop at one end, folding one side over itself. Use your thumb to hold down the inside of the loop. This is the center of your bow.

2. Create a larger loop with the same piece of ribbon and fold it underneath the center loop. Repeat on the opposite side of the bow.

3. Continue making loops while alternating sides. Each set of loops should be a little longer or bigger than the previous one.

4. When you have as many loops as you'd like, make one final loop. This one should be big and will eventually be the tails to your bow. Cut the ribbon close to the center of the bow.

5. Tuck the edge of the ribbon you just cut under the bow. Insert a pipe cleaner into the center loop to gather all the bow loops.

6. Make sure to securely hold the center of the bow while twisting the two ends of the pipe cleaner, do this for about three to four rotations. Cut the ends of the pipe cleaner so there's about one inch left.

7. Cut the big long loop, from step four, in half. These are the tails of your bow.

8. Fluff the loops to achieve your desired bow shape and fullness.

9. Cut the tails at a diagonal to create two points for each tail. This step is optional.

How to Make a Floral Bow

This bow style is often used by florists as a finishing touch on flower vases or corsages. Florists typically use floral ribbon, which has a flat, waterproof finish. We added our own twist to the floral bow making it perfect for non-bloom-related things, like embellishing a wedding program basket or adding a little flair to a card box. Choose whatever type of ribbon you feel would work best for your project (we used wired satin for our bow).

Supplies: A ribbon, ruler and scissors

1. Cut two pieces of ribbon, one short (about 12 inches) and one long (depending on the size of your bow, one to two yards).

2. Create a small loop with the end of your long piece of ribbon, then twist where the loop ends.

3. While still holding the first twist taught with one hand, make another loop on the opposite side of the bow. Then twist.

4. Repeat these steps while making alternating loops until you achieve your chosen size (we made four loops on each side). You should still have some hanging ribbon, which will become one of your tails.

5. Use the shorter piece of ribbon you cut in step one to tie the bow loops together. Double knot at one end, leaving the second longer end loose—this will be the second half of your tail.

6. Cut the tails and fluff individual loops to your preferred length and fullness.

Three Tips for Making Perfect Bow Tails

You've learned (and mastered) how to make a bow, but there's no such thing as too much helpful bow-making advice. Read these three valuable tips for perfecting your bow tails.

Use Lots of Material

Use more material than you think you'll need. You can always cut long tails shorter, but if your bow tails are too short, you'll either have to live with it or start over.

Even Out Your Tails

Don't be surprised if, after you've completed your bow, one tail is longer than the other. Luckily, the fix is simple. Measure your bow tails, then cut the longer tail to match the short one.

Add a Special Touch

Sure, you could be done with your bow-making project, but why not add a little pizzazz to your bow? Cut the ends of your tails diagonally to give the tails classy points. Another option is to perform a chevron cut. Cut an even triangle from the ribbons so that the point of the triangle is in the center of the tail. Try to make clean cuts, so you can easily pull away the extra fabric.

Chapelle Johnson contributed to the reporting of this article.

How do you tie a ribbon without glue?