Holidays & Entertaining Holidays How to Make a Curly Ribbon Bow in 5 Simple Steps A present without a bow is like a cake without icing! Give yours some personality, pizzazz, and panache. By Morgan Noll Morgan Noll Morgan Noll is a digital home editor for Real Simple covering home, real estate, and holidays. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 05, 2024 Close 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.) For a monochromatic look, make a curly ribbon bow using just one color ribbon. For a multicolor effect, stack curled ribbon bundles in several hues. 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. Be careful not to wrap the ribbon too tightly around your gift; you don't want to rip the wrapping paper when you slide it off. Tie a Knot Bunch and hold the lasso in the center, creating two loops, and tie it with that short length of ribbon. Tie the knot tight enough that it won't come loose, but not too tight that it'll ruin your ribbon. Cut the Loops Cut the loops at each end of the bundled lasso. This will 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 by 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. Frequently Asked Questions Can you make a curly ribbon bow with my fingernail? You can curl a ribbon with your fingernail instead of scissors if you don't have any. Using your pointer finger and thumb, grip the ribbon at the top of the strand. Then, slide the sharp edge of your thumbnail down the ribbon, curling it like you would with the sharp edge of the scissors. Can you curl fabric ribbon? You can curl most types of polypropylene ribbon (which is often labeled as "curling ribbon"). This ribbon is made of plastic, has a slightly rough texture, and is lightweight. To curl a fabric ribbon, use a curling iron or apply a fabric starch spray to stiffen the ribbon and then curl it around a pencil or another cylindrical object. Can you straighten ribbon after curling it? You may be able to straighten a ribbon after curling it. If you curled a fabric ribbon with a heating tool, you can use another heating tool, like a hair straightener or iron, to flatten the ribbon again. You can also try to straighten polypropylene ribbon by gently pulling it taut and applying some heat, but be cautious with the temperature to avoid melting it. 4 Ways to Wrap an Oddly Shaped Gift So You Can Disguise or Decorate the Present