Holidays & Entertaining Christmas Christmas Gift Wrapping How to Make a Pom-Pom Bow in Less Than 5 Minutes Every package needs a pretty topper. With our easy instructions, you'll have a professional-looking bow in minutes! By Sarah Martens Sarah Martens Instagram Sarah Martens is the Senior Editor overseeing food at Better Homes & Gardens digital. She has been with the BHG brand for over 8 years. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on October 13, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Wrapping a beautiful gift doesn't have to be hard. We'll show you how to create your own lovely, full bows to help you get the department store look in just a few minutes. A classic pom-pom ribbon bow adds a special touch, whether you make your own wrapping paper or wrap your gifts with fabric. Making your own allows you to customize your bow with your favorite colors and patterns. BHG / Xiaojie Liu You don't have to be a regular at Santa's workshop to master this bow. Our technique is easy enough for beginners and works for all kinds of ribbons. If this is your first time making an intricate bow, we recommend starting with a wire-edged ribbon, such as this plaid wired ribbon ($9, Walmart) we used. The wiring will allow you to style the bow's loops, easily hiding any imperfections. How to Make a Bow Out of Ribbon in 4 Easy Steps How to Make a Pom-Pom Bow Supplies Needed RibbonScissorsCraft wire Step-by-Step Directions Follow these instructions to make a pom-pom ribbon bow that looks just as good as store-bought. You can use any ribbon for this, but a ribbon with wire edges will be the easiest to style. Step 1: Form a Ribbon Circle Form a ribbon circle approximately the width of the bow you'd like to make; ours measures about six inches across. Continue winding the ribbon around, forming at least eight circles. The more times you wrap the ribbon around, the more loops you'll have in the center, so your bow will be fuller. Step 2: Trim Corners When you're done wrapping the ribbon into circles, flatten the loops, and use craft scissors ($14, Amazon) to make a diagonal cut at each corner. Be careful not to cut too much off, or the center of your finished bow will look a little flat. Step 3: Secure Center After cutting the four corners: Refold the flattened loops so that the cut notches meet in the center. Firmly tie a thin piece of string or craft wire ($6, Amazon) around the center notches, tying the ribbon as tight as possible. Leave the strings hanging; they'll be hidden by the loops later. Step 4: Fluff Loops Working on one side of the bow, pull out the innermost loop, and twist it to the right. Pull out the next innermost loop, and twist it to the left. Continue in this way until all loops on one side have been twisted. Repeat for the other side of the bow. Matthew Clark Step 5: Adjust Loops Arrange the loops as needed to finish the bow. If you used a wire-rimmed ribbon, the loops should stay in place as you style them. Use the thin ribbon or wire ends to attach the bow to the top of your wrapped gift. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit