Bows & Ribbon

A hand-tied bow often adds the perfect finishing touch to a do-it-yourself project. Great for embellishing all varieties of invitations, programs, and menus; or for securing folded layers, pochette envelopes, or favors to place cards, ribbons and bows can be as aesthetically pleasing as they are practical. However, although adding a bow as a final touch is a simple idea, tying a bow out of ribbon is not necessarily so simple. We have all successfully tied many shoelaces, leading us to think that forming a nice, symmetrical bow out of a piece of ribbon should be an easy task. Unfortunately, the method used by most people to tie shoelaces does not yield the most symmetrical bow when using ribbon. Though these embellishments can be initially frustrating, all it takes to form the perfect bow are a few tweaks to your technique, and a bit of patience and practice. You will be tying beautiful bows in no time at all!

1. When tying the perfect bow, the first step is to adjust the ribbon so that both ends to be tied are the same length. This will ensure that your final product can be symmetrically adjusted.

2. Next, similar to tying a shoelace, cross the two ends of the ribbon, passing one end under the other.

3. Checking again to see that the two ends are of equal length, tie a knot where the ribbons have crossed over. Tying a secure knot at this point will hold the equal lengths of the ribbon in place so you will not have to repeat this step if you make an error later in the process.

4. Now make one side of the ribbon into a loop of the approximate size you desire. At this point, you do not need to worry a lot about the size of the loop, as you can adjust it later. Be careful not to twist the ribbon while making your loop.

5. Repeat step four to make a similar loop. Again, be sure not to twist the ribbon while making your loop, and remember, you can always adjust.

6. Cross the two loops, pulling the top loop under the bottom loop, as you did in step one with the ribbon ends.

7. Pull the loops together tightly. Do not worry if your bow appears messy and asymmetrical at this point.

8. Adjust the loops accordingly, pulling on them loosely until they are symmetrical and of desired size and position.

9. If you choose, trim the ends of the ribbon to a preferred angle.

There you have it; a perfect hand-tied bow, made to your custom specifications to enhance the beauty of your project!

If you are not into tying bows, try one of LCI's Pre-Tied, Self-Adhesive Bows

or Metallic Elastic Loops.

This is a simple, quick way to obtain the look you are after; no tying involved!

Ribbons are great for decorating and securing the layers of a variety of creative projects, making these embellishments as beautiful as they are practical. After viewing LCI's variety of ribbon embellished items, customers frequently ask how much ribbon they will need for their own creative projects.

While we are always happy to answer customer questions, we are also pleased to tell customers there is a simple guideline they may use to quickly estimate their ribbon needs. Although all creative projects are different, most use ribbon in a similar fashion; tied around the project into a decorative bow. If you are using ribbon in this manner, you may perform a quick estimate by measuring the length or width of the card you will be tying ribbon around, and multiplying this measurement by four or five.

Keep in mind, multiplying your project dimension by four or five will yield average sized loops. If you prefer the look of an oversize bow, consider multiplying by six or seven. It is also important to keep in mind that large loops leave room for error and are easier to work with. Even if you prefer small bows, plan to use more ribbon than less.

To demonstrate this simple guideline in action, we will use a Passion Bat Mitzvah Tuxedo Invitation as an example. As shown here, the gate folds of this invitation are decoratively held closed with approximately 2 1/4 feet (28 inches) of white chiffon ribbon.

Determine the Length or Width of Your Project

The first step in estimating how much ribbon you will need for your project is to determine the length or width of the area that the ribbon will be tied around. In this case, ribbon is tied horizontally around the 5 1/2 inch width of the invitation. Seen to the right, the dimensions of your item can be found on its product page.

Multiply the Measurement by Four or Five

After determining the measurement of the area to be tied, simply multiply it by four or five:

5 1/2" Wide Invitation x 5 = 27 1/2" of Ribbon

Quick, simple, and direct, in no time at all you have an accurate measurement of how much ribbon you will need. This example is further illustrated in the photo below.