Jumbo Holiday Bows DIY

Make your holidays jolly with these jumbo DIY paper bow ideas. Eye-catching bows are simple to make in a snap! Add panache to any present, dress up doorways and displays, bring attention to donation boxes and giveaways, and enhance seasonal decorations.

Supplies

• Terrific Trimmers® (your color choice)
• Bolder Borders® (your color choice)
• A ruler, pencil, tape, a stapler and staples, and scissors

Directions

Long, Ruffle Bow

• First, choose the color or pattern trim you'll use to make your bow.
• If you have extra trim, you can layer two or more strips before completing the bow for many unique looks.
  
• Cut one trimmer strip into three different lengths: 17 inches, 15 inches, and 7 inches.
• Measure and mark the centers of the 17-inch and 15-inch strips with a pencil.
• Start with the 17-inch strip. Lay it on a table with the colored side facing down and the scalloped edge facing you. Bring one end into the center (lining it up to your pencil mark) and tape it into place. Repeat on the other side and tape at the line (be sure to tape right at or short of the center).  
• Repeat these steps with the 15-inch strip.
• Then, lightly fold the 15-inch piece along the centerline (between where the two loops meet). Crease slightly to create a “v” in the middle.
•  Nest the “v” into the center of the 17-inch piece so both have the scallops facing the same way. Tape into place to hold the two pieces together.
• Create the top, center part of the bow using the 7-inch strip. Line up the ends (color facing out) and tape together where they meet.
• Place the pointed side into the center of the 15-inch strip at the top of the bow. Tape it into place.
• Wow! Have fun with many variations of this long, ruffled bow. Make a super-long one to run the length of a gift or a table, stick trimmers around the sides of the present to continue the "ribbon" around the box, and layer colors for creative flair. 

Large Traditional Bow

• Choose your favorite straight-edge border to create this big, beautiful paper bow.
• You’ll need 7 border strips total, in the following lengths: three full borders (39 inches each), three borders cut to 35 inches, and one border cut to 18 inches. Measure and cut borders to start.
• Repeat these steps for all three 39-inch border strips:
• Lay one full border (39-inch strip) with the white side up on the table in front of you.
• Mark the center of the strip on back lightly with a pencil.
• Gently bring the right end toward the center mark and then flip just the end (this will twist the strip a bit) so the white (back) of that end is laying crooked across (or near) the white center.
• Hold the border and adjust the angle so the corners don’t overhang the edges of the bottom piece and staple into place. The other side will meet up with this strip.
• Repeat with the left end but flip it the opposite way when you lay it white-on-white. (For example, if you flipped the end on the right side from the bottom upward, on the left end, you’ll flip the top edge down to the center before stapling.) The end will meet at the end of the other side. 
• When assembled correctly, the strip will resemble a figure eight or infinity symbol.
• Repeat the steps above with all three 39-inch strips.
• Lay two of the assembled "figure eights" across each other to make an “X” (white centers facing up on both). Use double-sided tape or a loop of regular tape to stick these together in the center.
• Lay the third 39-inch strip on top of the “X” in the same way and arrange so all loops are evenly spaced in a circle. Stick together with double-sided or looped tape. Your first layer is complete!
• Repeat all of these "figure eight" assembly steps with the three 35-inch strips.
• Lay the smaller assembled layer on top of the larger layer (rotate as necessary to fill) and tape or staple them together.
• To make the center of the bow, overlap the ends of the 18-inch strip (color facing out) and staple them together. Place it in the center of the bow, and secure it with double-sided or looped tape.
• Want an even bigger bow? Go for it! Simply tape additional border strips together to make the pieces extra-wide or extra-long (or both!). It's fun to overlap different patterns to create edging and other creative looks.
• Use similar assembly steps to create your super-big bow. Reconfigure how long to make each strip based on your longest strip (use our measurements as a guide).
• Trimmers and borders are great for creating a variety of bows and gift wrap accents. Use these bow ideas to spark your imagination for creating gift wrap bows to delight all ages. What fun!

Add sensational style to the gift-giving season with paper DIY bows! Stick them near donation drop-off boxes, on gift baskets, and use them to decorate in place of wreaths. For year-round style, simply choose non-seasonal colors to bring special attention to gifts for birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, and teacher appreciation. 

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