Making a Bow & Gift Wrapping Ideas

Do you struggle with Making a Bow & Gift Wrapping Ideas? Well check out my easy list of perfect packaging ideas.

As if it is not hard enough to find the perfect gift, now you need some pretty presentation ideas on how to make the gift look pretty to make the giving experience complete. This is why I wanted to share my easy Making a Bow & Gift Wrapping Ideas, with these simple techniques you can hand off a present that looks professionally wrapped with a custom flair designed for the recipient.

First off lets go over how to make a bow. This is my step by step Youtube Video that shows how to make a bow. The steps are the same for any size bow you will just alter the amount of ribbon you need with my handy chart below. So no matter if you are making wreath bows, mailbox bows or package bows this video is the perfect companion.

Basic Bow Ribbon Guidelines:

• • • • Small Bow with Tails  6-8″ Bow 8 feet
      • Medium Bow with Tails 10-12″ bow 12 feet
      • Mailbox Box or Large Wreath 25 feet
      • Large Christmas Tree Topper Bow 50 feet

When making a bow you can also get creative and layer your ribbons to create more custom looks. Like this red and silver bow which was made by using two ribbons at the same time while creating the bows. This is a little harder to to, so I would recommend starting off with a nice wired ribbon in a single layer for your bow making experience, and then working your way up to satins and layers. If you have already bought satin ribbon then you most likely have realized the difficulties of bow making with this slipper fabric. Don’t fret, maybe you can try your hand at a nice weave technique instead. This is created by taping the ribbon in place on the back of your package and layering the ribbon into a woven pattern. Which is a nice chic look and packs nicely into the car for travel without crushing the bows. Add in a little sprig of greenery and it is adorable. If you decided that you like the idea of a simple knot bow try adding multiple layers or textures and patterns of ribbons to add simple interest to the center, as seen with this raffia. This bow is literally two knots, so if you can tie your shoes you can make this bow. The color patterns and texture is what adds all the interest. 

You can also do a  simple shoe string bow as well, they are always pretty with a nice classic velveteen ribbon or satin ribbon. You can add more visual interest by adding a floral pick of greenery to the center or maybe just some holiday ornaments clustered together like below. If you just decided bows are not for you at all try giving this easy accent a try. This is an elastic twine with ornaments that have been strung into to the twine. The twine was taped to the package and the ornaments lined up down the center for a snowman vibe. I also created a similar look using peppermint candies to look like buttons. These were pinned on with pearl head pins but you could easily use a dab of hot glue or craft glue to secure the candies for kids, to avoid any choking hazards. Speaking of gifts for kids I like to add a fun favor to the outside of the gift that goes along with what might be inside, because let’s face it, there’s nothing worse than waiting to open your presents. So if there is a little something on the outside, it keeps them busy while the rest of the gifts are passed out or if your family takes turns opening gifts.For example, this gift below has a journal inside and a fun hand carved kitty pencil made out of stick on the outside. Yes it could have easily gone inside the gift or been wrapped separately but it really makes a cute package charm. Also, another great gift wrapping idea for those hard to wrap gifts are canvas gift bags, or Santa Bags for the kids. These are really life savers for cute gift wrapping in a time pinch and are really a fantastic eco green options, as seen in Go Green for the Holidays post. If you are crafty, maybe you can add a handmade tag that could double as an ornament to the outside of your gift. This adds an element of personalization to your gifts, as does the embroidered bag above.If you are not crafty, you can pick a few up like these cute handmade Fabric Tag Ornaments from my friend Becky at Southern Spangled. They are absolutely adorable and make the perfect little add on gift to any gift package.   If you are a baker you can always search for some fun vintage food tins to place your homemade baked goods into to for gifting. My personal advice on this  inspiration is to pre-package the baked items so they are sealed up prior to placing inside of the tins, especially if they are rustic or vintage. While old tins are fun, they are not exactly hygienic and can not be cleaned easily, so stick to a gladware or plastic sealed or wrapped goody to go inside.Finally I know this is not a new idea to create reinbeer, but my spin on this was to be creative with the labeling as well. So I re-branded a very well known brand to read “Jingling” and then added the funny little reindeer toppers. Details are what make the difference to me. For example, you may notice I also picked a nice Black and Tan, just like a reindeer. Sure you can put this idea on a Bud, but to me it just does not have the same effect. Those would need to be Buddy the Elf… little green hats stuck on with chewed gum with a flask of syrup….see it is all in the details.

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