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138 Comments

  1. Marjorie
    November 20, 2013 @ 10:58 am

    Beautiful! I have a closet full of wired ribbon, and I’d love to make bows like there. Just a question, though —

    What did you do with the ends? When you began, did you leave a long streamer, or did you cut it flush with the middle of the back of the bow? Or did you get the streamer at the end of the process? If so, hoe did you get it to lie flat?

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Victoria Elizabeth Barnes
      November 20, 2013 @ 7:17 pm

      When I started, I used the very end of the ribbon and pinched it into a loop… no excess at end.

      I used the whole spool, so there wasn’t any extra on the other end either (how this worked out so perfectly, I cannot say!) but you could cut any extra off.

      The flat piece hanging the wreath is a separate piece, not connected to bow. Look at the photo with the cardboard, and I think you’ll see how I kept it flat.

      Hope this helps! I know following other people’s instructions can be confusing! Good luck!!

      Reply

  2. Melissa V
    November 21, 2013 @ 7:09 am

    Excellent post! I too have a Mom who is excellent at this bow-making skill. I secretly believe she never taught me because she liked that it was something she could always do for me; that I would always (in a sweet way) rely on her for. Unfortunately, here I am at 40 years old and three states away and I still can’t make a darn bow! 🙂

    So, here’s my question for you. After you made the center loop, what did you do with the end of the ribbon? Cut it really short or twist it underneath the bow somehow. This is where I keep messing up! Thanks for such a great tutorial! Melissa

    Reply

  3. Melissa V
    November 21, 2013 @ 7:10 am

    Okay – so just saw your response to Marjorie and I think that answers my question! Thanks!

    Reply

  4. Nicole
    November 23, 2013 @ 10:21 am

    Victoria,

    You slay me like a dragon! How I missed this post of perfection I can’t fathom! Not only do you inspire to create bows and buy impossibly huge mirrors, you also inspire me to use “college” words like fathom and slay. Which is saying a lot since I am a Kindergarten teacher. Not only that but now I have a new phrase (“Like Spanx for.. [insert choice word] ) that I will use over and over until my coworkers become impossibly annoyed by me and remove me from their presence. Just imagine..”hey, this glue is like Spanx for art projects!” or “Look, this paper clip is like Spanx for a stack of papers!”

    Oh and P.S. thank you for a tutorial for THAT I will never be able to replicate! I am that person who will buy a $30 dollar bow just to avoid the crying and curling up into the fetal position due to my inability to make one stinkin’ bow!

    Reply

  5. Sylvia
    November 29, 2013 @ 8:40 pm

    Do you do tutorials on small gift bows? I’ve tried these and they look like something a couple of kittens found and really went to town with. Any help would be appreciated.

    Reply

  6. Marina
    November 29, 2013 @ 8:41 pm

    Yesterday, I decided to make up a new wreath, I went to my trusty ribbon box where I just knew I had spools of gorgeous white snowflakey Christmas wired ribbon…….to find odd bits of totally unsuitable, red, green, purple, gold, silver Christmassey, but not white ribbon. Had to make a dash to our local odds and sods store, which by the way are completely inadequate compared to yours! (I live in australia) and came home with ten different spools of ribbon, because they did not have more than one of any pattern. My wonderful new bow will nw have several different patterns in it. Will let you know how it goes, unless I screw it up and put it in the bin in a fit of crafters rage!
    Love your blog, especially love your sense of himour!

    Reply

  7. Screendoorgirl 3
    December 1, 2013 @ 8:26 am

    Thank you ! I’m not crazy–only for ribbon. Made my day..

    Reply

  8. Janet
    December 2, 2013 @ 11:37 am

    Your bows are a perfect solution for the home with double front doors. I am reluctant to pay retail prices for two of everything I would choose to hang on mine, but even making two wreaths with trims can be very expensive. Your two bows are a happy medium, and you can afford to buy a lavish ribbon if that is all the cost involved. I mean, what, two simple wreaths would normally run you $60 for both, and they aren’t half as attractive as this treatment. So, there. My gift to you is justification without apology. Tell Paul. And your adoring readers.

    Reply

  9. Kristne
    December 2, 2013 @ 1:13 pm

    Victoria
    well done! As a professional bow maker here (I’m a florist by trade) Bow making is the hardest thing to learn and teach! [I’m right handed but tie my bows as a leftie] Wired ribbon is the best, you can tuck and pleat till your hearts content to get the correct size. Couple hints I’m happy to pass along. When you cut your tails, carefully pull the wire about 1/2″out of the ribbon casing and cut it. Then you don’t have that pokey wire ready to stab you. AND Chenille stems AKA Pipe cleaners are great to tie off bows and they come in many colors including sparkly and they don’t scratch the way a wire may on furniture, bannisters etc.

    Reply

  10. Susan
    December 2, 2013 @ 1:26 pm

    OMG!!! WE’RE SISTERS!!! Who knew?? (You just described my mother….)

    PS: Your bow is fab. 🙂

    Reply

  11. HomeGoods
    December 6, 2013 @ 10:17 am

    Hi Victoria, not sure what we enjoyed more – the tutorial or your commentary! You made us laugh and taught us something new. Thank you for stopping by our blog link party. We love meeting new bloggers. Your friends at HomeGoods

    Reply

  12. Karen
    December 8, 2013 @ 11:17 am

    Thanks so much for the great blog and tutorial on bow making. I bought a book on bow making, watched YouTube videos and tried many times not too successfully to make different sized bows for all my projects. I like the idea of stapling the first loop as I’m beginning to get arthritis in my fingers and holding all the loops eventually starts to hurt. Your humor is so contagious; I’ll try to remember to laugh when the loops all fall apart right at the end and I have to start over. 🙂 I look forward to reading all your blogs! Have a very Merry Christmas!

    Reply

  13. KathyJB
    December 8, 2013 @ 12:44 pm

    I really love your style of writing. Have you thought about writing a book? Like maybe a whimsical mystery?

    Reply

  14. Jennifer
    December 20, 2013 @ 5:36 pm

    Victoria,

    Thanks for the great post! I’ve never commented on someone’s blog before but I found your sense of humor and obsessiveness over details so similar to my own that I just had to drop you a line. As my husband and I recently purchased an 1880s Victorian, I am looking forward to delving into the rest of your blog as well.

    Cheers!

    Reply

  15. Linda T
    December 23, 2013 @ 12:22 am

    I thoroughly enjoyed your instructions for making a bow. It wasn’t just about the bow, it was the humor of the whole process. Thanks for the great laugh. Am posting to pinterest as you’re bow instructions would interest others but also I hope they will enjoy you’re great sense of humor like I did. I still chuckle at some of the comments you made..
    Merry Christmas

    Reply

  16. Sarah
    December 30, 2013 @ 2:39 pm

    I love this tutorial, such a great way to use saved ribbon!

    Reply

  17. Linda Wise
    January 7, 2014 @ 3:35 pm

    Hey loved this tutorial! You are funny as well as creative!

    Reply

  18. Riza
    August 8, 2014 @ 2:48 am

    Hahaha. Your instructions are so much fun to read! I think this tip is full of wisdom: But at some point, you are going to think: it’s ALMOST right. I’ll do it again.
    Just one more time. DON’T DO IT. Almost is as good as you get.

    Hurray for Kenny Rogers. :))

    Reply

  19. Riza
    August 8, 2014 @ 2:51 am

    Wonderful bow by the way 🙂

    Reply

  20. Megan @ Our Pinteresting Family
    September 23, 2014 @ 8:06 am

    Thank you for sharing this and I love the wreath tip too!

    Reply

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