How to Tie Ribbons and Lace
Ribbons and lace can add a touch of color and elegance to any decoration. You can use these items to make simple bows to embellish presents, Christmas ornaments or even wedding decorations. You can also learn how to make fancy bows to be placed on the backs of chairs during a wedding reception. No matter how you want to tie your ribbons and lace, learning how to do so is very easy and quick to accomplish.
Things You'll Need
- Section 1:
- Scissors
- Silk flowers
- Lace, 7" wide, 4-1/2' long
- Satin ribbon, 1" wide, 4-1/2' long
- Fishing line
- Section 2:
- Satin ribbon, 4" wide
- Lace, 1"-2" wide
- Lighter
- Fabric glue
- Pencil
Instructions
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Fancy bows
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1
Cut through the stems of the silk flowers below the blooms. The stems of the flowers should be about six inches to one foot long.
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2
Trim the seven-inch-wide lace so that it is 4-1/2 feet long. Lay the lace down flat and place the silk flowers in the middle of the lace.
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3
Tie the lace around the stems--just under the blooms--into a tight knot. Tie the lace into a simple bow. Adjust the bow's loops so they are even.
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4
Place the satin ribbon around the stems of the silk flowers. The ribbon should be above the lace but below the blooms. Tie the ribbon into a knot at the back of the stems.
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5
Pull the ribbon tails around to the front of the stems and tie the satin ribbon into a simple bow. The satin ribbon bow will rest on top of the larger lace bow.
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6
Slide fishing line through the back of the lace and tie into a knot. Use the fishing line to hang these fancy bows on a wreath, the back of chairs, fence posts or any other object you want to decorate. For weddings, choose a white or off-white lace for the large bow and choose an accent wedding color for the satin bow.
Simple Bow
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7
Lay your 4-inch-wide satin ribbon down on a hard and clean surface. Place the lace directly on top of the ribbon. Cut both the ribbon and lace to ensure they are the same length. Run the flame from a lighter across the ends of the ribbon to prevent fraying.
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8
Run a thin strip of fabric glue along the middle of the entire length of the ribbon. Carefully, place the lace directly on top of the glue. Press the lace down to adhere. Once dried--the glue should dry in about 1 hour--flip the ribbon over so the lace is on the bottom.
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9
Place a pencil onto the middle of the ribbon. Tie the ribbon ends around the pencil into a knot. Doing so will ensure a loop is formed in the back of the bow.
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10
Tie your ribbon into a perfect bow. When the ribbon is tied to the pencil, you'll notice that the ribbon tails will run perpendicular to the vertical pencil. Adjust these tails so that the left tail is facing up and the right tail is facing down; now the ribbon will be parallel with the pencil. Take the bottom tail and fold it into a loop. Take the top tail and pull it around this loop, from right to left. Pull the top tail through the back of the loop and out to the right side. The bow is now formed. Pull on each loop to adjust and/or tighten the bow and adjust the size.
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11
Slide the bow off of the pencil. Use the loop in the back of the bow to attach the bow onto gifts, ornaments, Christmas tree branches or anything else you desire.
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1
References
- Photo Credit Wedding 2 image by Joelyn Pullano from Fotolia.com
