Tying the Perfect Bow

Have you ever sewn something super sweet and girly and thought to yourself "what this really needs is a cute little bow!"... but then tried to tie a simple bow out of ribbon and ended up just making a mess? I have (obviously, or why on earth would I bring it up?). The reason I'm asking the question though is because I found the answer! A while back, I stumbled upon a method for tying tiny bows that completely changed everything; now, I actually look for reasons to make pretty little bows! "What is this magical secret?", you ask... well, go get a fork and I will explain...

Yes, you heard that right... you need a fork. From the kitchen. Four tines please... no pickle forks. In fact, get the biggest one you have.

A fork is a perfect bow tying tool. Here, let me show you how it works!

With me so far? Good... keep going.

Now just slide it off the fork and Ta-Da! You have a bow!
(Oh, right, snip off the ends nice and neat... now it's done).

 If you're still not quite sure if you get it... there are a lot of videos available showing this technique... just search for the obvious, something like "tie a bow with fork".

Now here's the first question I had when I mastered the fork bow tying technique:
"What if I want a BIGGER bow?"

It's true, the size of the fork determines the size of the bow. So, lacking a very large fork, figuring out how to tie this type of bow in ANY size means you need to break down the steps but with the absence of the fork. Can that be done?... of course it can!

Because this IS a little bit trickier, I've put together a video of my own to show you how I go through the exact same technique, but freehand.
(Video is also available on YouTube)

And here it is again, but in illustrations.

It does take a little bit of practice to get the hang of how to hold the ends so you can tighten the knot, but once you've mastered the technique you can make different sized bows using any size of ribbon to embellish your creations!

If you really prefer the idea of using a tool though, there are a few other options...

A hair pick works great, and it gives you the option of making bows in different sizes with a single tool depending on how many prongs you use to make the bow.

There are also official bow making tools. You can find them in scrapbooking and craft stores, or online.

And if all your forks are in the dishwasher and the kids or grandkids have taken off with your hair pick or bow maker... you can also use your fingers as the two prongs! (This may take some practice too since one of your hands will be occupied... but you'll feel like a bow-making-rock-star when you manage it!

So, there you have it... the answer to how to make those perfect little decorative bows to embellish your creation. Be careful, they may be addictive!