Nothing completes a wrapped present like a pretty tulle bow – they are one of the most classic things in the world, but they really elevate a wrapped gift to something special. Of course, while it would always be much easier to purchase a tulle bow, that’s not always an option.
If you aren’t able to purchase a tulle bow for your wrapped gifts, you’re in luck! We’ve got a handy tutorial on how to make your own that will only take you five minutes. Read on for the full tutorial to get you started with your tulle bows in no time!
What You’ll Need
You’re going to need a couple of materials before you’re able to start making your tulle bows. Here they are:
- Scissors
- A wrapped gift
- A spool of tulle in the color of your choice
The Steps on How to Make Tulle Bows for Gifts
Now we can get onto the part you’re actually here for – actually making the bow!
Step 1
If you want to have the tulle in a criss-cross pattern over your wrapped gift, you are going to need to cut a piece of tulle that is long enough to wrap around both sides of your gift, with some spare tulle on the ends.
If you would rather dress the gift up your own way and tape your DIY tulle bow after you’ve finished wrapping the gift, you will want to cut a tulle piece that is around 10 inches long.
Step 2
Next, you’ll want to take the spool of tulle and wrap it around your hand about 20 times. You’ll get a bow of about 4 to 6 inches using your hand. If you are looking for a bigger bow, you can splay your fingers while you wrap the tulle around them, or you could also wrap the tulle around the bow.
You are going to want to wrap the tulle around another 5 to 10 more times to ensure that it stays consistent and fluffy. This is most effective if you just leave the rest of the spool of tulle on the ground and tug on it while you’re wrapping rather than trying to hold the spool in your hand.
Step 3
Now it’s time to pull the ball of tulle off of your hand – or the book – gently so that it maintains its shape. Then, grab the long piece of tulle that you cut in the first step, and tie this long piece in a tight knot around the middle of the bunch. At this point, it should look a bit like a tied bow.
Step 4
Stick the scissors in the loop on one of the ends and cut. The same should be done for the other side.
Step 5
Fluff the bow up and trim away any pieces that look out of place or just generally crazy.
Step 6
If you are taping the bow onto the top of the wrapped give, you can stop here and get to taping. If you want to wrap it around instead, place your DIY tulle bow on the top of your gift and bring the long ends of the tulle to the underside of the gift.
Cross them there and wrap them back up to the top on opposite sides. Tie a small knot, trim the ends, then push the knot beneath the tulle bow to hide.
Other Ways to Use Your Tulle Bows
You don’t just have to limit yourself to using tulle bows for your family and friends’ gifts. Now that you’re a professional at making these fun and festive embellishments, you can use them for all sorts of occasions – add a tulle bow to any of the following items.
- A collar for your puppy
- A beautiful addition to your hair
- Place settings for baby showers and weddings
- Party favors for birthdays
- Adding jewel tones to door wreaths
- String a series of them on some wide satin ribbon and run them across your mantle for Easter
Other Gift Decorating Ideas
If you need some more inspiration for your gift, we’ve got a few other wrapping ideas for you to add to your gift wrapping arsenal. From simple ribbon techniques to wrapping masterpieces, there’s something for everyone.
Recycled Bags
Try your hand at designing your own festive gift wrap from materials that you already have inside your house – paper shopping bags! You can make the project easier by picking bags from stores that have some kind of pattern on them, preferably holiday patterns. Simply add a colorful string or ribbon to give some more personality to your gift.
The Tea Towel Wrap
This gift wrapping idea can also double as a second gift – a tea towel. Bundle any bottled gift, like olive oil, a bottle of wine, balsamic vinegar, or some sauce for a present that will go straight to the kitchen. The tea towel is both considerate and practical.
Holiday Lights
You don’t just have to hang those Christmas lights around your house – cut open some brown paper bags to create our wrapping material. Then paint or draw a string of holiday lights on the paper for a festive, jolly feel! This is a great option for the holiday season.
Paper Bows
If you’ve got the time, you can cut bow shapes out of colorful cardboard construction paper. You can make this process easier if you use a printable from the internet as a cutting guide, or you can create your own stencil. If you want to add a tasty twist, you can stick some jelly candies to the center of the bow!
Wrapping Up
Pun intended! Do you see what we did there? We hope that you enjoyed this tutorial and that we were able to help you add some decorative pizzaz to your wrapped gifts with the addition of beautiful tulle bows. Be sure to put those tulle bows to good use – we know your friends and family will enjoy them every time that you add them on top of your gifts for their birthdays, anniversaries, and Christmas.
