DIY Bows- Tutorial

I attempted to make a few bows for Kate not long after she was born, but it was just too hard.  I couldn't figure out how to get the little-bitty ribbons to do what I wanted, so I gave up.  It was much easier (and actually cheaper) to buy plain bows at Hobby Lobby.  They came in 2 packs for about $3.  I spent more than $3 on one roll of ribbon and mine still didn't turn out as good as the ones from Hobby Lobby.

Well, last Friday night I decided I wanted to try my hand at bow making again.  Now that Kate is bigger, I can use the larger size ribbon.  So, I tried to make her a bow to wear to the pumpkin patch.  I thought it turned out pretty good for my first real attempt...

One of my friends saw it and asked if I followed a tutorial, and if so, could I share it.  Well, I really didn't have one that I followed.  I googled and found a few different websites, but then put together what I liked from each and kind of did my own thing.  So I thought I'd share what I did...

For the below bow, I used 3 pieces of 1" ribbon, about 15 inches long.  I think the larger 1.5" ribbon is easier to use so that's what I'll probably use in the future. For the green/orange bow, I used 2 pieces of 1.5" ribbon and 1 piece of 1" ribbon. 

You'll also need a clip (found them at Hobby Lobby), needle/thread, and a hot glue gun. 

First, fold over your ribbon as shown below.

Then thread your needle through the ribbon as shown.

Pull the thread tight to cinch your bow together, and then wrap the thread around the ribbon a few times.  Stick the needle back through the bow and tie off in the back.

 Repeat the process for all three pieces of ribbon, until you have three small bows.

Next, stack all three bows on top of each other, layering them so you see the different patterns. I usually take my needle and stick it through the center of all three bows, and then wrap the thread around the stack a few times.  Stick the needle back through the stack and then tie it off.  Almost finished!

I bought a "K" pin at Hobby Lobby for this bow so I just pinned it to the middle of my bows.  Instead of a pin, you can take a small piece of ribbon and tie a knot in it.  Then hot glue the knot to the center of your bow and wrap the ends around the back.  Glue them down.

Hot glue the clip to the back of the bow, but be careful not to glue the clip together!

Lastly, burn the ends of the ribbon to prevent fraying.  I still need to do that on this latest bow.

And that's it!  I am definitely no bow expert, but it is fun making them!  I think I'll stick with the wider ribbon from here on out though!