How to Make a Curly Ribbon Bow

A present without a bow is like a cake without icing! Give yours some personality, pizzazz, and panache.

Morgan Noll

Updated on December 03, 2023

Silver ribbon for wrapping a gift on a plain blue background — Photo: Дарья Потапова/Adobe Stock

If your gift is missing its finishing touch, learn how to make a curly ribbon bow. All it takes is some curling ribbon, a pair of scissors, tape, and a wrapped present that could use a dose of festive flair.

The best ribbon for curling is the narrow, crimped, poly type. Flat poly and satin ribbons curly nicely, too. (You can often find it in shiny or metallic holiday colors.)

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

Scissors

Materials

Wrapped gift
Curling ribbon
Tape

Instructions

Measure and Cut the Ribbon
To measure the length you need, loosely wrap the ribbon around the box about six times. Cut the ribbon, and then gently slide it off the box, holding it looped together like a lasso.
Cut an additional short length of ribbon, about 2 to 3 inches.
Tie a Knot
Bunch and hold the lasso in the center, creating two loops, and tie it with that short length of ribbon.
Cut the Loops
Cut the loops at each end of the bundled lasso to create separate strands.
Grip and Curl
Grip the middle of the bundle with your thumb and index finger.
To curl the ribbon, start from the bundle's middle and work outward, away from you, scraping the sharp edge of the scissors rapidly along each strand. Use your thumb to hold the ribbon taut against the scissors.
If the ribbon didn't curl properly the first time or to strengthen the curl, repeat the procedure scraping the scissors blade on the same side of the ribbon.
Repeat for all strands of each bundle.
Group and Tape the Bundles
Make three or four curled bundles (or more!) for each finished bow, depending on the size of your gift box. Once you've made enough bundles, stack them on your gift box and tape them down.