How to Tie a Ribbon Bow with These Simple Steps

After you’ve bought Christmas gifts for friends, family, and co-workers, wrapping all of them nicely may seem like too high of a hurdle. We’ve all just stuck a present in a gift bag from the dollar store and called it a day—but it’s surprisingly to tie a ribbon bow and take your gift wrapping to the next level.

Whether it's chocolate for your boss or an electronic gadget your teenager has been begging for, good gift presentation is worth going the extra mile. Here’s how to tie a ribbon bow in a few quick steps.

Materials for Tying a Ribbon Bow

All you need to tie festive bows is ribbon and a pair of scissors. For these steps, choose wire-free ribbon, which will create a neater and more traditional presentation. You should also wrap your gifts ahead of time so they’re ready to go.

How to Tie a Classic Ribbon Bow

Unroll the ribbon onto a flat surface and cut a length equal to six times the length of the gift box. Place the gift in the center of the ribbon. Pick up both ends of the ribbon and bring them to the center of the box.

This next part take a little finesse: Twist the ribbon ends around each other once in the center of the box, bringing the ends to the un-ribboned sides. Then flip the box over so that the twisted ribbon is on the bottom. Bring the loose ends of the ribbon to what is now the center-top of the box and tie a knot close to the box surface. At this point, all four sides of the box should have ribbon tied around them.

With the two loose ribbon ends, make a “bunny ear” loop in each one (this action is similar to tying your shoelaces). With one loop in each hand, cross the left loop over the top of the right loop. Bend the left loop around the right loop and pull it all the way through the hole between the loops. Pull tightly to finish the ribbon bow and fluff the loops and ends evenly.

Customize Your Classic Ribbon Bow

These steps will achieve a classic ribbon bow, but you can personalize it by tying the bow with multiple ribbons or attaching a gift tag with the ribbon. This video from crafter Lia Griffith shows you how to master a Tiffany-style bow. Here are some more tips for wrapping gifts like a pro and disposing of the paper on Christmas morning.