Last Updated on October 24, 2024 by lindseymahoney
Adding a beautiful bow to a gift for a loved one always elevates the look, but the cost of ribbon can get expensive. The good news is that you can create a stunning DIY paper bow using scraps of wrapping paper that look fabulous on a present.
This is a great way to use those leftover wrapping paper scraps, instead of throwing them away! In this blog post, I will share a step-by-step tutorial to create your own bows for years to come!
Table of Contents
- How to Make Paper Gift Bows
- Materials Needed
- 1 | Fold a Piece of Scrap Wrapping Paper
- 2 | Draw the Bow Template
- 3 | Cut the Bow Template
- 4 | Create the Bow Loops
- 5 | Add the Center of the Bow
- 6 | Make Bow Tails (optional)
- 7 | Attach to Your Gift
- More Content You Will Love
How to Make Paper Gift Bows
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Materials Needed
1 | Fold a Piece of Scrap Wrapping Paper
Using a piece of scrap paper, fold the paper in half. The bottom of the wrapping paper (the white side) should be on the outside of the folded paper.
Creative Paper Ideas to Use for Bows:
- Scrap wrapping paper
- Pages from old books
- Newspapers
- Comic books
- Scrapbook paper
- Card stock
2 | Draw the Bow Template
Starting at the folded edge of the paper, draw a curved line for one side of the bow loop. At the end of the curved line, create a point and mirror the same curve on the other side to make the other side of the bow loop.
Do not connect the lines on the valley fold. The gap between the two lines will be the center of the bow once it is cut.
3 | Cut the Bow Template
Using scissors, cut the template of your handmade bow and unfold the paper.
4 | Create the Bow Loops
Use scotch tape to attach one pointed end to the middle of your bow, creating a little loop. Repeat this step on the other side to create a complete bow.
5 | Add the Center of the Bow
Next, cut a strip of paper to wrap around the center to conceal the taped edges.
For my DIY paper bow, I cut a small strip of paper and folded it in half to give make it a little thicker. This is optional, of course.
Next, I wrapped the strip of paper around the center a few times and secured the end at the back of the bow.
6 | Make Bow Tails (optional)
I chose to not add tails to my handmade bows, but you can make these with the paper as well. Fold the scrap paper in half and draw a tail that is the same width as the bow and longer than the loops.
Cut the the paper tails and unfold to display both ends of the paper ribbon tail. Use double-sided tape, or a glue stick to attach the paper bow to the center of the paper ribbon tails.
7 | Attach to Your Gift
Tape the bow to your gift box or gift bag and enjoy this thoughtful addition to a Christmas present or gift for a loved one.
For my gift, I actually attached the gift tag to the present first, and then I taped the bow over it. There isn’t a wrong way to do this, just have fun with it!
What I love about this origami bow is that you can add Christmas bows to gifts without spending extra money. Not only does this simple DIY make your gift look beautiful, it also is an eco-friendly solution to using leftover gift wrap!
I hope you found these easy steps helpful and inspired you to try your own diy paper bow this year!