Easy Everyday Wreath Bow

How to Make an Everyday Bow

Sometimes you need an everyday wreath bow for in-between seasons. That’s where I found myself, in need of a bow to put on my boxwood wreath before spring. So I figured what better time to share and show you how easy it is to make one!

Watch the video!

Supplies

You can make your wreath bow out of almost any kind of ribbon, but I always use ribbons with wired edges. Wired ribbons make it easier to shape the loops and tails and to keep them that way. I used a combination of 1.5″ and 2.5″ width ribbons and three pattern styles. These were “scrap” ribbons but I’ll give you a list of some neutral suggestions. All my ribbons came from Trendy Tree.

RGC138708 1.5″ Black Silver Ivory Stripe

RG01918J1 2.5″ Tan Fuzzy Royal Ribbon

RX9146TT 2.5″ Beige Ivory Dot Ribbon

RGC162901 2.5″ Beige Black Dot Ribbon

41125-09-21 1.5″ Black Ivory Horizontal Stripe Ribbon

71165-40-18 2.5″ Ivory Canvas

RGA127401 2.5″ Light Beige Diagonal Check

X916340-38 2.5″ Chocolate Ivory Cabana Stripe

EZ Bowmaker

Bowmaker

I used the EZ Bowmaker for this bow, but you can use the Bowdabra or Pro Bow, or just make it free-hand style. Some of the crafters I know never use a bowmaker of any kind, but it helps me hold the ribbon in place and keep the measurements even. Keeping the loops the same size is always the hardest part for me when making a free-handed bow.

Here’s a link to a red velvet wreath bow tutorial that I did on Trendy Tree a while back. I used chalk to mark the ribbon in places, then was able to just gather and pinch at the marks keeping everything nice and even. Check it out, it may help you too!

Boxwood Wreath

I love my boxwood wreaths. The ones I have are made of plastic. You can buy real dried boxwood, but they are pretty expensive so I’ve always opted for the plastic one. Some are made on a Styrofoam base and some are on a twig base or a wire frame. I personally think the twig base or wire base is more durable. I’ve had both kinds, but one of my Styrofoam base wreaths fell off the door one time and broke.

Sometimes you just have to take what you can find though))) If I had secured my wreath better, not likely it would have fallen in the first place!

Practice Practice Practice

Practice making an everyday wreath bow until you get it perfect. Well, I shouldn’t say perfect! No bow is perfect and that really should not be your goal. A bow you make is unique. Just practice the basics until you get the hang of it.

I always recommend practicing with scrap ribbon, or inexpensive ribbon with a wired edge. A 50-yard roll of Sam’s ribbon is a perfect choice. You can make a lot of bows with that ribbon. Make a bow, secure it with a chenille stem or floral wire, undo it, and make it again.

Experiment with different widths of ribbon. Ribbons don’t have to be too matchy-matchy. Use some contrasting colors and textures.

The Terri Bow is a beautiful bow technique created by our friend Terri Marshall of Mil and Dil Design. Terri created this bow using the Pro Bow and I believe six different styles of ribbon. Watch the tutorial. It’s really an easy bow and it comes out near perfect each time))) The Pro Bow bowmaker is in stock at Trendy Tree.

Here’s a link to one of the first Terri bows I ever tried….it was several years ago)))

Easy Halloween Bow

More Craft Tutorials

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Lantern Bow with Neutral Ribbons

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How to Make a Deco Mesh Carrot Wreath

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