Grosgrain ribbon works great for this, but you can use satin ribbon too. Chiffon ribbon would give you a nice, delicate look. If the ribbon is wired, scrunch the end down to expose the wires, then pull the wires out—just like you would a straw. For a nicer finish, ask an adult to help you singe the cut ends of the ribbon with a lighter or candle flame. [2] X Research source
This crease is important because it will help you figure out where to overlap the ribbon later on. If you can’t crease the ribbon, don’t worry about it. You’ll just have to eyeball the placement instead.
When you unfold the ribbon, you’ll have 5 evenly-spaced creases, starting and ending 3 in (7. 6 cm) from the cut ends.
Keep the angle at about 45 degrees. [6] X Research source If you couldn’t crease the ribbon, bring the last 3 in (7. 6 cm) of the ribbon over by about 4 in (10 cm). You can start from the left side of the ribbon if that’s more comfortable for you, but you’ll have to reverse everything in this method.
The 2 ends of the ribbon should overlap one another, like an X, and pointing downward.
You can also just scrunch the middle of the ribbon up randomly, but doing an accordion fold will look much neater.
If you’re using thin ribbon, make sure that it’s no wider than 1⁄8 in (0. 32 cm). Zip ties can be difficult to cut. If you used a zip tie, ask an adult to help you cut it.
Alternatively, skip the knot, and hot glue the ribbon to the bow. Next, hot glue a large, fancy rhinestone to the middle of the ribbon. Rather than gluing the ends of the ribbon directly to the back of the bow, glue them to each other instead. This will allow you to slide the clip under them.
The left and right sides of the base both have 3 holes each, but you only need to insert rods into 2 of them. Place the side rods next to each other to make a small bow, or further apart to make a big bow.
Cut the string about 6 to 8 in (15 to 20 cm) long so that it’s long enough to wrap and tie around the ribbon. Baker’s twine words great for this, but you can also use yarn or thin ribbon. If you choose to use ribbon, pick something that’s no more than 1⁄8 in (0. 32 cm) wide.
The front of the ribbon is shiny, the back of the ribbon is not shiny. Keep in mind that grosgrain ribbon is the same on both sides. The ribbon in your kit should already be cut to the right length. If you lost the ribbon, cut a 40 to 36 in (102 to 91 cm) long piece of 2 1⁄4 in (5. 7 cm) wide ribbon.
Use a hair clip, bobby pin, or a clothespin to clip the ribbons together. If the end of the ribbon is too short, pull on it to make it longer. Don’t worry, you’ll still have plenty of ribbon to work with.
Make the ribbon run horizontally through the middle of the square, between the top and bottom set of rods.
Don’t pull the ribbon off the rods. Just thread it under the bottom layer of ribbon. Make sure that the ribbon is between the top-right and bottom-right rods on the edge of the board.
Don’t thread this ribbon under the already-wrapped ribbon. Pull it across the top of the already-wrapped ribbon.
Be sure to remove the clips before you pull the bow off the rods! When you’re done, flip the bow over, wrap the string to the back, and tie it into another double knot.
If the cut ribbon is fraying, ask an adult to singe it with a flame, or seal it yourself with some super glue or fray check.
Be careful not to actually glue the ribbons to the back of the bow. Gluing them together instead creates a tight loop for you to slide the clip into.
