How to Tie a Perfect Gift Bow? With a Video

Although the contents of the package ultimately matter, the outside can still be excellent. Take your gift wrapping to the next level with this surprisingly simple bow tutorial.

No matter how many different styling tips and tools we have to offer, being able to tie a simple flat bow is unquestionably a tool that everyone should have in their toolbox. With the help of this tutorial, you will learn how to tie the ideal bow and how to apply that knowledge to your own packaging styling, regardless of the situation.

Step 1

across the top of the box, flattening the ribbon. You should display the printed side of a one-sided or printed ribbon so that it is visible.

Make sure you leave enough ribbon on the short end (the end that won’t be wrapped around the box or the cut end if you’re working with a roll of ribbon) so that you can tie the bow at a later time. Keep in mind that you should measure from the center of the box, or from the location where the bow will be tied.

Forming one-half of the bow in the manner depicted below will help you determine how much additional ribbon is required. Because you can always trim it later, it’s better to err on the side of caution.

If your boxes are all the same size, it will be easy to calculate how much ribbon is required and measure it each time.

Step 2

Wrap the roll of ribbon, or its long end, around the box’s bottom and back up to the top. Make sure the ribbon is flat against the box the entire time and not twisted in any way.

Step 3

Use a finger to secure the long end of the ribbon at the location where the bow will be by taking it and wrapping it around the box as you just did. Then fold it or bend it at a 90-degree angle to cross over the ribbon’s current path.

If you flip the ribbon over, the side that was facing the box will now be the bottom side. Having a double-sided ribbon solves this issue. The ribbon must be bent as shown (or twisted to keep the right side up) if it is one-sided, though.

Step 4

Wrap the long end of the ribbon around the box and back up to the top, where it will cross over the point of the bend. Keep your finger on the fold or bend to keep it in place.

The ribbon can now be cut to be roughly the same length as the short end if you’re still holding onto the roll or have extra on the long end. (We’ll continue calling them the “long” and “short” ends to differentiate between them.)

Step 5

Thread the ribbon’s long end back through the center point, passing it underneath the bend as well as the ribbon’s original short end.

Step 6

To tighten, tug on each end in an opposing direction. As you can see, if you’re using a one-sided ribbon, the short end is now face-down while the rest is still facing up.

Step 7

The time has come for you to tie your bow. If you’re using double-sided ribbon, it doesn’t matter which side you start with, but if you’re using one-sided ribbon, you should start with the end that is face-down (what was the long end before you trimmed it).

Fold that end back toward the center to form a loop, with the printed side on the outside.

Step 8

The remaining steps resemble tying a shoelace. Making sure the side without printing is facing out, take the other end of the ribbon and loosely wrap it around the base of the loop. On the entire package, only this center knot will show the ribbon’s reverse side.

Step 9

Pull the ribbon through the wrap you just made and back under it to form the remaining portion of the bow. Tighten the knot by pulling both loops at once. If you follow the instructions carefully, both loops and both tails will have the ribbon’s printed side facing out.

The loops or tails can then be manually moved around to achieve the desired appearance.

Step 10

Make sure the tails are the same length and have the same cut at the end by trimming them. Fold the end of the tail lengthwise, then cut the tip off at an angle toward the crease of the fold to create a beautiful forked end. (Another option is to angle your cut the other way, which will result in a pointed end.)

The end result is a lovely, symmetrical package that consistently reveals the correct side of the ribbon.