How to Make an Easy Bow for a Wreath
Last year, I made a Fall wreath without a bow. It had enough going on that it didn’t need one. I was thrilled to find buffalo check ribbon at Dollar Tree last week, and I knew that I wanted to use it for this year’s Fall wreath. So today, I’ll show you how to make an easy bow for a wreath along with a quick DIY Dollar Tree wreath.
Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one of my links and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Here’s What You’ll Need:
- grapevine wreath form (mine is 10 inches)
- 9 ft roll of wire-edge ribbon (2.5″ x 108″)
- Fall themed word – metal or wood cut out (mine is from Dollar Tree)
- white paint and paintbrush (optional) – I used Dixie Belle in Fluff
- faux sunflowers or other fall florals (I used 4 bunches from Dollar Tree)
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks
- pipe cleaner
- zip tie
How to Make an Easy Bow for a Wreath
Step 1.
Create a center loop for the bow and secure the end of the ribbon inside the circle with your fingers.
Step 2.
Create larger loops under the center loop by folding the ribbon in “figure 8’s”.
Step 3.
Continue making loops until you have four about the same size on each side. If you want a larger bow and you have a larger roll of ribbon, make more loops on each side.
Step 4.
Bring the remaining ribbon up and under to form a huge loop. Secure the end of the ribbon with your fingers in the middle.
Step 5.
Put the zip tie through the center loop and pull tightly to secure the layers of ribbon. Trim off the excess zip tie plastic.
Step 6.
To make the tails, put the huge loop ribbon sides together and fold in half. Then cut the bottom at a 45 degree angle, starting at the side with the wired edges. This will create a dovetail on the ends of the tails.
Step 7.
Fluff the bow until you get the look you want. Voila!
How to Make a Quick Dollar Tree Wreath
Step 1.
Remove the flowers from the bunches with sharp scissors, but leave about 2 inches of stem.
Step 2.
Paint the word a color to coordinate with your bow. This step is optional. You may choose to leave the word as is. I painted mine white because it makes the black and white buffalo check bow stand out. I used two coats of paint on the metal word.
Step 3.
Position the word where you want it on the wreath and hot glue it in place. I put mine on the bottom at an angle.
Step 4.
Place some hot glue on the floral stems and stick them into the wreath to cover the area that is not covered by the word.
Step 5.
Put a pipe cleaner inside the center loop of the bow.
Step 6.
Decide where you’d like to put the bow on the front of the wreath and twist it to the back of the wreath with the pipe cleaner. Done!
I had the grapevine wreath form, pipe cleaners and zip tie in my stash, so I only spent $6 at the Dollar Tree to make this wreath! I really love how it came together. And was that not the easiest bow ever?
Thanks for visiting, friend!
Rebecca
I have been making bows for a few years & knew to twist the ribbon each time I did a loop but did not know how to get the center round one so now I know how & it will make my bows even prettier. I had some strokes so now my left hand does not work like it used to but I manage & thanks so much for the bow making lesson.
Rebecca I love the bow tutorial. I took a class years ago on how to make a bow and they taught me just like this. Love the buffalo plaid bow, I need to start making them again, your tutorial was a great reminder for me.
This is a great tutorial, Rebecca! That bow really “makes” the wreath. It adds just a bit of contrast and sweet farmhouse style. Your step-by-step tutorial is fabulous!
Rebecca, thanks for the great tutorial on making a bow! It’s a new method I’m looking forward to trying out. Pinned!
Let me know how it turns out, Debbee! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Your wreath is so pretty! Up until now, my wreaths haven’t had bows since I don’t know how to make one. But now I do – thanks for this great tutorial! I had no idea that I could use a zip tie in bow making. Pinned! Happy fall!
Thanks Lauren! This is a great bow for beginners, and the zip tie really works well to hold the ribbon together. Thanks for pinning! Happy Fall to you, too 🙂
The bow is the hardest part of wreath making for me. Your tutorail is super helpful and I’m sure I’ll refer back to it the next time I need to tackle a bow.
Thanks Paula! There are some bows that are a lot more complicated to make, but this is not one of them. I’m so glad you found it helpful!
That is a great bow tutorial, Rebecca… easy to follow and easy to make! Pinned!
Thanks so much, Julie! It is super easy to make 🙂
Rebecca, this is totally different from how I tie bows, but I love the look of your bow! It is so fluffy and happy looking! Alas, I got a little carried away with black and white buffalo check this spring, so I am trying to avoid it this time of year, despite the fact that I like it! My readers and viewers are OVER it!
I hear you, Chloe! I couldn’t resist buying the buffalo check ribbon when I saw it at Dollar Tree because I’m not tired of it yet, but I’ll give it a rest after this wreath post (at least for a while lol!). Your bow compliment means a lot to me, as you’re the wreath and bow making expert! Thanks for stopping by, my friend!