How to tie a bow ribbon for the perfect gift

How-to
By published

Here’s how to tie a bow ribbon for your festive gifts.

Woman tying bow ribbon on gift
Woman tying bow ribbon on gift (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Once you’ve mastered how to wrap a gift the right way, you’ll need to add those finishing touches. Knowing how to tie a bow ribbon for the perfect gift will instantly upgrade your boring box, making it stand out under the tree.

In addition, tying a bow ribbon will make your gift more festive, and impress your loved ones this season. It will also save you money on buying pre-made gift boxes!

But while learning how to tie a bow ribbon can seem time consuming, don’t despair! With a little patience, it’s not that hard to do with these four simple steps. So if you want to present the best gift this season, here’s how to tie a bow ribbon in style. 

How to tie a bow ribbon for the perfect gift

1. Measure your ribbon

Preparing ribbon

Preparing ribbon for gifts (Image credit: Shutterstock)

First, measure the ribbon horizontally across the box. Drape it from edge to edge and leave about 4 to 8 inches of ribbon hanging off the sides for the tail. Do not cut the ribbon yet. 

2. Wrap ribbon underneath the gift box

Preparing ribbon

Preparing ribbon (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Next, pull the rest of the ribbon under the box and back to the front. Measure the ribbon against the first piece and cut it. Then pull one end of the ribbon under and over the other, so you have a "T" shape. 

3. Cross the ribbons across the box

Tying ribbon in a t-shape

Tying ribbon in a t-shape (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Take the ribbon towards the middle of the box, then bring the shorter end to meet it. Twist the ribbons around each other so that they are aligned vertically. Then, wrap the ribbon around the back of the box and back to the front. It’s best to place your thumb against the ‘twist’ to keep it secure as you wrap the ribbon around the back. 

4. Tie the ribbon into a bow 

Tying a bow ribbon

Tying a bow ribbon (Image credit: Shutterstock)

To make the bow shape, fold both ends of the ribbon into loops to resemble bunny ears. Cross the left loop over the right one to make a smaller loop in the middle, pull the left loop through that smaller loop, then tighten. 

5. Trim the excess ribbon off tails

Cutting off excess ribbon

Cutting off excess ribbon (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Finally, trim off the ends of excess ribbon for a more tidy finish. If you want to get creative, you can even give the tails an angled cut to impress your guests.

Next: You might also want to check out how to avoid these 7 common gift wrapping mistakes while wrapping presents this holiday season.

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Cynthia Lawrence
Cynthia Lawrence
Content Editor, Homes

As the Homes Content Editor, Cynthia Lawrence covers all things homes, interior decorating, and garden-related. She has a wealth of editorial experience testing the latest, ‘must-have’ home appliances, writing buying guides and the handy ‘how to’ features. 

Her work has been published in various titles including, T3, Top Ten Reviews, Ideal Home, Real Homes, Livingetc. and House Beautiful, amongst many.

With a rather unhealthy obsession for all things homes and interiors, she also has an interior design blog for style inspiration and savvy storage solutions (get rid of that clutter!). When she’s not testing cool products, she’ll be searching online for more decor ideas to spruce up her family home or looking for a great bargain!