Holiday Gift Wrap Ideas

Bows are a cinch to make once you
get the basics down.

• Trim for center of bow, such as a small toy, jingle bells, or plastic fruit
• Scissors
• Paper
• Paper punch
• Cording, if desired
• Two 4-inch pieces of 1/4-inch dowel
• Floral oasis
• Ribbon
• Hot-glue gun and hot-glue sticks, or fine-gauge wire

Step 1

1. Push dowel pieces into floral oasis about 5 inches apart. Holding the ribbon end on top of the oasis, wrap dowels at least three times. For larger bows, wrap four to six times.

Step 2

2. Cut the ribbon, leaving about an 8-inch tail. Slip tail of ribbon underneath loops, continuing to hold the starting end of the ribbon.

Step 3

3. Secure the loops by tying the ribbon ends firmly into a knot in the center of the loops. Carefully slide the bow loops off the dowels.

Step 4.

4. Tie the bow atop intersecting ribbons that wrap around the package. Separate and fluff the loops. Fold ribbon ends in half and trim on the diagonal. If desired, glue or wire a trim to the center of the bow.

5. For tag, cut a small paper piece to fit on a section of ribbon. Glue the paper tag atop the ribbon. Insert the tag under the bow or punch a hole and add cording to tie it onto the package.

• For extra-special center trims, use coins or wrapped candies.
• Make several bows to trim a tree or to tuck among greenery on a banister or mantel.