No matter what season or holiday, creating a festive bow makes for the perfect subtle décor, and this is no different for Halloween. This holiday allows you to be more creative with your style because this day is all about dressing up and having fun. Create the ultimate décor for your house this spooky season by crafting unique and eye-catching bows.

1. Gather Your Supplies

Nothing causes a headache more than needing to get up from your workstation because you forgot supplies. Before you begin your bow-making project, you should gather your crafting items near the table you plan to work at so everything is easily accessible. The specific things you need could vary based on the different styles of bows you want to create, but there are some supplies you’ll want to have handy.

The basic supplies you will need to create bows are as follows:

• Scissors
• Wire cutter
• Ribbon/Wired ribbon in various patterns
• Zip ties or wire
• Embellishments
• Hot glue

2. Give Yourself Options for Colors, Patterns, and Textures

Do you plan to make an abundance of bows for this Halloween season? Don’t leave yourself with only one or two options of fabric to choose from. Pick out fall-wired ribbons in multiple colors, patterns, and textures so you can mix and match designs to create a unique bow.

This holiday is about embracing the crazy colors, festivities, and being yourself. If you have a slew of patterns, don’t forget to include a few solid-colored ribbons to help balance the design of your bows.

3. Decide What Bows You Want To Make

There is a plethora of different bows you can create. Are you making a hair bow for your costume? Are you making door decorations or creating a wreath? Do you plan to sew the bows to a costume or outfit? Are you making one to put on a gift for someone special?

Don’t make just one bow; experiment with others so you can sharpen your skills. Any bows you make can be saved and reused the following year.

4. Add Embellishments To Enhance the Bow

Plain bows are elegant and simple, but when it comes to Halloween, you’re allowed to be more festive and abstract with your creations. Embrace the quirkiness that is this holiday and explore what different kinds of embellishments you can add to your craft.

Consider the following embellishments to enhance the aesthetic of your bows:

• Pipe cleaners
• Charms
• Glitter
• Beads
• Sequins

5. Learn How To Tie a Simple Bow

As a beginner, you might not be familiar with the type of bows you can create with ribbon. Your first few designs might not turn out the way you want, but with a bit of practice, you will achieve outstanding results. Let us explain a simple bow that takes minimal time and will look great as part of your Halloween décor.

Determine Your Bow Size

First, you must decide how large you want the bow to be. If you’re using this as décor, then the bow can be slightly larger—if you’re tying it in your hair, it needs to be smaller.

Loop/Fold the Ribbon Around Itself

Now that you understand how big your craft will be, you can begin making your loops and the foundation for the bow. Make a circle with the material and flatten it against the surface, so it folds nicely. Determine how many loops you want your bow to have and wrap additional material around the folded circle to create those loops.

Pro tip: The number of times you wrap the ribbon around the first loop will create the number of loops you’ll have on each side of the bow.

Cut the Ribbon

Once you have your desired length and loops, you can cut the ribbon and place this section to the side. When cutting off the material, do so about an inch past the center where you started to ensure you have enough material.

Create Ribbon Tails

A bow is not complete without the tails dangling from the center. To create these, fold the ribbon in half and measure so it’s slightly longer than the actual bow itself. Leave each of these pieces folded and separated.

Attach the Two Sections

We’re almost done—only a few more steps, and you’ll have a luxurious Halloween bow! Take the looped section of your bow and pinch the material in the center to bunch up the ribbon. Now, find the middle of your tail and place this against the pinch you just made in the center of the bow. Use a zip tie or wire to secure these two pieces together.

Cut Off a Small Piece of Extra Ribbon

A high-quality bow will not expose the wire holding the craft together. Therefore, we need to cover it with more ribbon. We recommend choosing a different pattern or color fabric for this step to give your bow more dimension. Cut a small piece of this ribbon to wrap around the center of the other material. You can tie off this ribbon in the back, or you could use a hot glue gun to secure the fabric in place.

Fluff the Bow

Now that our craft is officially together, you can begin fluffing out the loops in the bow to make it more presentable. Remember, there should be the same number of loops on each side of the bow that you wrapped in the beginning steps. So, if you had three wraps, the bow should have three loops.

Decorate With Your New Craft

Your first bow is now finished and ready to be hung or worn. These bows are likely too large for your hair, but they will work great to decorate pumpkins, doors, costumes, etc. Do not hesitate to try these steps multiple times; tying a bow is tricky and takes a bit of finessing to manipulate the material into an arrangement you want.

The above tutorial on bow-making is only one of many, don’t be afraid to try more intricate designs—the worst that can happen is you need to start over if your craft doesn’t turn out. Be fun, silly, and unique when making Halloween bows; it’s what the holiday is about. Feel more festive and be more in tune with your creative side this fall season.