Gift Bows (from recycled paper)

It's inevitable. You are almost finished wrapping gifts and you run out of bows!

Now there's no need to run back to the store, or leave out the bow altogether when you can make your own bows with recycled paper. Use left over gift wrap, a magazine page, newspaper, craft paper, scrapbook paper, sheet music, comic pages, children's story book pages or just plain old white paper!

They are easy to make and only require a few basic tools.

Let's get started!

Step 1 Materials

Paper: 

Use gift wrap, a magazine page, newspaper, craft paper, scrapbook paper, sheet music, comic pages, children's story book pages or just plain old white paper.

Pencil
Ruler
Scissors
Adhesive: Fast drying glue, glue stick or double sided tape
Small clothes pins or paper clips (To temporarily hold paper until glue dries.)
Small Stapler with staples (This is optional. Glue is sufficient if stapler is not available.)

Comments

[canucksgirl]

Thank you! I'll see if I can make time to write an 'ible for other styles of bows. For now, this traditional style can be adjusted to make even bigger bows or make mini bows!

For example, to make really BIG bows cut wider strips (about 1 inch or more) and make the lengths longer, like 16 inches. Then just adjust the other lengths accordingly.

The same principles apply to making mini bows. You'll want to make the widths about 3/8" or 1/4" wide and the longest lengths only 6 inches. Again, you'll adjust the other lengths accordingly. If the bow you want is really small, you can omit 2 strips and use only the 2 longest lengths, 2 of the next size, 2 of the shortest and the single (for the center) for a total of 7 strips vs the 9 in the 'ible.

Thanks for your comments and interest.

[canucksgirl]

I hope there were many homemade bows under the Christmas Tree this year. :D

Happy New Year Everyone! :)

[idontremebermyname]

They look way better in person ;)

[canucksgirl]

Thank you my son... :)

[sunshiine]

Thanks! That is what I love about instructables! If I need something I know I can find it here! I don't have to buy books and patterns!

[sunshiine]

Awesome! Do you have more to share? I really need to learn how to make pretty bows for all my girly stuff. I love this. Thanks for sharing.
Sunshiine

[susanrm]

So pretty. I almost included these in my magazine wrapping paper instructable, but I thought the bow instructable had already been made. Yours is great.

[canucksgirl]

Thanks. There are a couple gift bow ibles, but none are made the way I make them. Plus it seemed like the right time since I ran out of bows while gift wrapping. lol... murphy's law.

[fjordcarver]

Beauty eh.

[canucksgirl]

thanks canuckdude

[Penolopy Bulnick]

I love this! I've never known how to make these bows! Thanks for sharing this!

[canucksgirl]

You are so welcome! - They look store bought, that's the nice part.