- 1). Measure the width of your desired woven ribbon for your bow. The wider your woven ribbon, the larger and fuller your loops and bows will be. You must weave your ribbon prior to constructing your bow. Treat your woven ribbon panel as if you were developing a woven fabric panel. For example, if you want your ribbon to finish at a 3-inch width, weave a ribbon panel 3 inches in width by your desired length.
- 2). Select your ribbon type and width. You can interchange ribbon colors and develop a pattern within your weave. The wider your ribbon, the less ribbon you will need to complete your weave. For example, if your desired finished width is 3 inches, and your actual ribbon is 1 1/2-inches wide, you will only be able to incorporate two ribbons to complete the desired 3 inches. By selecting a narrow ribbon such as one that is 1/2 an inch, you will be able to create a color- or pattern-driven weave.
- 3). Cut your vertical ribbons in the same length. Incorporate an extended tail length if it is part of your bow design.Your desired ribbon width and length will dictate the amount of ribbon you will need.
Your horizontal ribbons will be shorter than your vertical ribbons. For instance, if you weave a ribbon panel 10-inches wide by 10-inches long, you will not be able to convert that into a bow. For a finished ribbon panel width of 3-inches as described in step two, cut your horizontal ribbons 31/2-inches long. Thicker ribbons such as brocade or velvet will slightly loose length as you weave them into a panel. - 4). Place your vertical ribbons on a flat work surface. You can opt to pin your ribbon vertically to a soft surface such as a pillow to secure it in place while you weave crosswise.
For a lattice ribbon weave pattern, insert your ribbon horizontally under the first vertical ribbon and over the second vertical ribbon. If you have more than two vertical ribbons, repeat inserting your ribbon into an under and over pattern until you have woven through all the ribbons. - 5). Start the second woven row by inserting your horizontal ribbon over the first vertical ribbon and under the second. The third woven row will begin under the vertical ribbon and then over the next ribbon, as you did in step four. Continue weaving in an alternating under and over pattern until all your ribbons are woven.
The lattice ribbon weave pattern will begin to emerge as you add more ribbons to your weave. Once the lattice pattern is complete, you can opt to add a vertical machine stitch to secure your ribbon weave in place prior to constructing the panel into a bow. - 1). Select the type of bow you want to construct such as floral, puffy, graduated loopy, tailored or picture hanger bow. Your bow selection will also influence how much ribbon you will need. For a basic floral bow, start with a small size 10 loop bow.
- 2). Make a loop, which resembles a half-bow, leaving an extended tail. The opposite side of the ribbon will be significantly longer, allowing you to continue looping. Once you have five loops, fan your loops out gently into a round shape. Make another four loops slightly smaller than the previous five. Continue to fan the loops into the round shape. Your last loop will be at the center of your basic floral bow.
It is important to loop gently in order to avoid causing your weave to unravel. The more loops you make, the fuller your bow will be. - 3). Tie the bow''s center with bow-tying wire to secure your loops in place. Open, shape and fan out your bow. You can opt to cut your bow tails.
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