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The Easiest Way To Tie A Perfect Bow

A step-by-step guide.
By Virginie Martocq
How to tie the perfect bow-satin green ribbon with double knot around a white box

The secret to wow-worthy holiday gift wrapping? A big bow that looks like it could have come straight from the set of your favourite holiday movie.

Below, a step-by-step guide on how to tie the perfect bow.

How to tie a bow with ribbon

Start with good quality materials—expensive ribbon falls better than its cheaper counterpart. A double-sided satin ribbon works best, as you don't have to fuss with the "good" and "bad" side of the ribbon.

You'll need about meter of ribbon to tie a good bow, plus however much ribbon you need to wrap around the gift.

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1. Knot once or twice

A white box wrapped with a wide green sating ribbon that's looped around it and tied in a knot for a post on the easiest way to tie a perfect bow

Depending on how thick your ribbon is, you might or might not be able to tie a double knot before starting your bow.

2. Tie a bow

Two hands shaping green satin ribbon that's wrapped around a white box into the beginning of a bow for a post on the easiest way to tie a perfect bow

Reach way back in your memories to when you first learned to tie your laces⁠—that's how you tie a bow. Make two loops and tie them together in a simple knot.

3. Smooth it out

A white box wrapped with wide green satin ribbon that's tied in a bow with one long end hanging to the side for a post on the easiest way to tie a perfect bow

Smooth the knot cover over and pull tight, making sure both loops are the same size. Leave a long tail on both ends.

4. Fold back the “tail”

A white box wrapped in a green satin ribbon tied in a fancy bow with two hands shaping the ends of the bow into place for a post on the easiest way to tie a perfect bow

Now here's the magic part: take the “tail” of the ribbon and fold it back in towards the centre knot. Add a dot of hot glue right where you fingers are holding it down (above).

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5. Cut the ends

Cut the ends of the tails on a bias or with a V-shaped notch. Now, that's a pro-looking bow!

A white box wrapped in white paper with a wide green satin ribbon wrapped around it tied in a fancy-looking bow for a post on the easiest way to tie a perfect bow

More gift wrapping ideas:

How To Make A Beautiful Tissue Paper Bow

7 Cute And Eco-Friendly Alternatives To Wrapping Paper

Furoshiki Gift Wrapping: A Step-By-Step Guide 

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