Creating The Perfect Wedding Bow: A Step-By-Step Guide

Wedding bows are a great way to add a creative touch to your ceremony and reception. They can be used to decorate pews, chairs, gifts, and even the champagne glasses. Making wedding bows is easier than you think and can help you save money on decorations. With some ribbon, scissors, and a few other materials, you can create beautiful bows to enhance the atmosphere of your wedding.

Pew bows with flowers

Materials

Before you start, you'll need to count the number of pews at your venue to plan how much material you need. For each bow, you will require:

• 2 1/2 yards of six-inch-wide, wired organza ribbon
• One rose or other large bloom
• Baby's breath or other filler flowers or greenery
• Floral tape and wire

Steps

• Visit the venue to determine how you'll attach the bows. Most pews have a place to loop the ribbon. Measure this area so you know how big to make the loop.
• Cut the rose stem to around six inches long. Arrange the baby's breath behind it and trim the stem to match. Use floral tape to secure the stems together.
• Fold the ribbon in half and make a loop slightly larger than you need to attach it to the pew. Tie a simple knot. If you are wiring the bow, make a small loop to string the wire through.
• Spread the two ribbon ends apart at the knot. Place the flowers at the knot and use floral wire to tightly attach them.
• Fold one end of the ribbon to make an eight-inch loop. Wrap the other end around it and tie a simple bow over the flowers. Adjust the loops to your desired length.
• Cut the ribbon ends at an angle to give them a finished look. They should not quite touch the floor.

Chair bows

Materials:

• Wired Burlap (4 inches wide) in a natural colour
• Ivory Lace Ribbon (4 inches wide)
• Hot Glue Gun with glue sticks
• Ruler or Tape Measure
• Lighter (optional)

Step 1: Measure and Cut the Burlap and Lace:

Start by measuring the width of your chair backs. Cut the burlap and lace ribbon to the desired length, keeping in mind that most burlap and lace ribbons come in 10-yard rolls. For each bow, you will need approximately 3 yards of both materials.

Step 2: Glue the Burlap and Lace Together:

Lay the burlap ribbon flat on a surface. Starting at one end, use the hot glue gun to carefully glue the lace ribbon onto the burlap ribbon. Glue the ribbons together about every 6 inches, ensuring that the lace lies flat against the burlap and doesn't bunch up.

Step 3: Prepare the Ribbons for Tying:

Before you begin tying the bow, decide on the height you want the bow to be on the chair. This will determine where you place the ribbon. You may want someone to help you hold the ribbon securely while you tie it.

Step 4: Tie the Bow:

Wrap the glued ribbons around the chair at your desired height. Tie a single knot and then create two loops with the ribbon, holding one loop in each hand. Take the loop in your right hand and cross it around the loop in your left hand in a clockwise direction, then bring it through the back to make the bow. Adjust the bow to centre it evenly with the back of the chair.

Step 5: Trim the Ends:

Once the bow is tied, trim the ribbon streamers that hang down to your desired length. You can use a lighter to seal the ends of the ribbon and prevent fraying, if desired.

And there you have it! A beautiful and elegant chair bow for your wedding. Repeat these steps for each chair, and feel free to add your own creative touches, such as faux flowers or brooches, to make them even more special.

Bows for champagne and wine glasses

Firstly, gather your materials. You will need a roll of ribbon, preferably in a colour or style that matches your wedding theme. You will also need a pair of scissors, a piece of clear, double-sided tape, and optionally, a glue gun.

Cut a length of ribbon that is long enough to wrap around the stem of the glass with some excess. Take the glass and wrap the tape around its stem. Starting at the base of the stem, carefully stick the ribbon to the tape, wrapping it around until you reach the bottom of the bowl of the glass.

Now, create the bow. Cut another length of ribbon, this time about 18 inches long. You can adjust this measurement depending on how big you want the bow to be. Take this piece of ribbon and form it into a loop, with the ends crossing over each other. Pinch the centre of the loop to create a bow shape. Secure the centre of the bow with another small piece of ribbon, wrapping it tightly around the centre and securing it at the back with glue from the glue gun, if desired.

Attach the bow to the stem of the glass by wrapping the ribbon tails around the stem and securing them with glue or tape. You can finish the bow by trimming the ends of the ribbon at an angle, using a lighter or clear nail polish to prevent fraying.

For an extra special touch, you can personalise the glasses by etching the bride and groom's names or a message onto the glass. To do this, you will need etching cream, a computer and printer, a piece of glass or plastic, a craft knife, and vinyl stencils. Design and print your desired text or image, then use the vinyl stencil to transfer it onto the glass. Apply the etching cream over the stencil, being careful to avoid smudging, and let it sit for about 5-15 minutes before rinsing it off.

Bows for wedding gifts

Bows are a great way to elevate your wedding gifts and make them stand out. They can be made from different materials like ribbon, paper, wired ribbon, or floral ribbon. Here are some detailed instructions on how to make beautiful bows for wedding gifts:

Classic Bow with Ribbon:

This is one of the easiest bows to make and only requires a wide ribbon and a pair of scissors.

• Cut a piece of ribbon between 15 and 20 inches long. Adjust the length depending on the thickness of the ribbon.
• Create a "bunny-eared" loop and twist the longer end twice so it becomes rope-like, ensuring the shiny side of the ribbon is still facing up.
• Create a second "bunny ear" loop, adjusting the size of the loops to your preference. Ensure the tails are fairly even.
• Take the left loop and fold it over the right loop, bringing it around and back through the center, similar to tying a shoe.
• Pull it tight to create a knot, and then adjust the loops and tails to your desired shape.
• Trim the ends if needed.

Wired Ribbon Bow:

Wired ribbon is great if you want to make a big, dramatic bow for a large box.

• Take a long piece of ribbon (at least 2 yards) and create a loop. Wrap the rest of the ribbon in a continuous circle around that loop.
• Decide on the length of the tail and add 2 inches to that measurement. Then, fold the loop in half.
• Pinch the center and wrap a matching pipe cleaner around it. Twist, tighten, trim, and discard the excess pipe cleaner.
• Cut vertically up the center of the bow's tail to create two separate tails.
• Use these tails to tie a standard knot around the center of the folded ribbon, covering the pipe cleaner.
• Fan out the loops to achieve your desired shape and fullness.
• Trim the tails if desired.

Paper Bow:

Paper bows are a unique and cute alternative for small gift boxes.

• Download and print a paper bow template.
• Using a pencil and scissors, trace the template onto cardstock and cut out the outline.
• Place a small amount of glue in the center of the bow cutout with the rounded edges.
• Fold one of the rounded pieces in half and press it onto the glue. Repeat with the other side. This piece will be your bow loops.
• Add glue to the center of the tail cutout and press the center of the bow loops onto it.
• Wrap the small band cutout around the center of the bow and glue the ends together at the back.

Floral Bow:

This type of bow is perfect for adding a finishing touch to flower vases or corsages, but can also be used for other wedding details like wreaths or card boxes.

• Cut two pieces of ribbon, one short (about 12 inches) and one long (depending on the size of your desired bow).
• Create a small loop with the end of the long ribbon and twist where the loop ends.
• Hold the first twist taught and make another loop on the opposite side. Then twist.
• Repeat these steps, alternating loops, until you achieve your desired size.
• Use the shorter piece of ribbon to tie the bow loops together, double-knotting at one end and leaving the other end loose to create the second tail.
• Cut and fluff the tails and loops to your desired length and fullness.

Crossover Gift Bow:

This type of bow allows the recipient to easily unravel the ribbon with a single tug.

• Measure the amount of ribbon needed to loosely wrap the gift, giving yourself a little extra length.
• Begin wrapping the gift with one end of the ribbon at the top. Wrap the long end around so that the ribbon on the bottom lies flat.
• When the long end reaches the center, twist both sides of the ribbon 90 degrees.
• Take the long end and wrap it under the gift, bringing it back up to the top. Ensure the ribbon doesn't twist at the bottom.
• Place the long end over the crisscrossed ribbon at the center and pull it under to the bottom right corner. Pull both ribbon ends diagonally so that the ribbon is wrapped tightly.
• Make your bow and cut the ribbon ends to your desired length.

With these instructions, you can create beautiful bows to adorn your wedding gifts and make them extra special!

Tulle pew bows

Pew bows are a popular decoration for wedding ceremonies, adding colour and style to the venue. Tulle is a great material to use for these bows as it is inexpensive and available in a wide variety of colours. Here is a step-by-step guide to making tulle pew bows:

Planning and Materials

Before you start, decide on the size of your bow and the length of the tails. For a 12-inch diameter bow, you will need a piece of cardboard that is at least 12 inches long. You will also need a roll of tulle that is approximately 6 inches wide, a large piece of cardboard, and a plastic pew clip or wire/pipe cleaner if you wish to hang your bow.

Creating the Loops

Place one end of the tulle along the side of your cardboard and pin it down. Gently stretch the tulle to the other side of the cardboard, creating a fold, and pin this down. Continue this process, creating at least five loops on each side. Remember to remove the pins and replace them as you go to hold the tulle in place.

Cutting and Tying the Tulle

Once you have an even number of loops, cut the tulle in a straight line along the edge of the loops. Find the midpoint of the loops and lightly mark it. Take your pre-cut tail piece and tie it in a knot around the centre, so the ends hang down.

Finishing the Bow

Remove the pins holding the loops and gently fluff out the pieces of tulle to create a full bow. Tulle holds its shape, so be careful not to stretch it too much. You can now add any extra decorations, such as flowers, ribbons, or feathers, using thin wire or glue.

Transporting and Hanging

Tulle bows should be hung by their tails and transported with care to avoid creasing. If you wish to hang your bow from a pew, you can use a pew clip or attach a piece of wire or pipe cleaner to the back of the centre knot.

Frequently asked questions