Holidays & Entertaining Christmas Christmas Gift Wrapping How to Make a Pom-Pom Bow for Pretty Gifts Every package needs a pretty topper. With our easy instructions, you'll have a professional-looking pom-pom bow in minutes. By Sarah Martens Sarah Martens Sarah Martens is the Senior Editor overseeing food at Better Homes & Gardens digital. She has been with the BHG brand for more than 10 years. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on November 13, 2023 Project Overview Working Time: 5 minutes Total Time: 5 minutes Skill Level: Beginner Estimated Cost: $5 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 bows allows you to customize them with your favorite colors and patterns. 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. The wiring will allow you to style the bow's loops, easily hiding any imperfections. Brie Goldman What You'll Need Equipment / Tools Scissors Materials Ribbon Craft wire Instructions BHG / Xiaojie Liu How to Make a Pom-Pom Bow 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. Brie Goldman 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. Brie Goldman Trim Corners When you're done wrapping the ribbon into circles, flatten the loops, and use craft scissors 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. Brie Goldman Secure the 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 around the center notches, tying the ribbon as tight as possible. Leave the strings hanging; they'll be hidden by the loops later. Brie Goldman Fluff the 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. Brie Goldman Adjust the 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, or use a double-sided adhesive, such as tape or glue dots.