{"title":"How to Make a Wrapping Paper Bow","canonicalUrl":"https://www.craftingstepbystep.com/paper-crafts/how-to-make-a-wrapping-paper-bow","category":{"slug":"paper-crafts","name":"Paper Crafts"},"creator":{"name":"Melanie Ferguson - DIY Home Decor","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsTXH_IReOg3SsWUu7Z-MQQ","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_l-I2ftGB4"},"tldr":"Out of bows? Make a star-shaped gift bow from wrapping paper scraps with a stapler and tape. Nine photo steps, sizing and fixes.","totalDurationSeconds":546,"difficulty":"easy","tools":["scissors","cutting mat or ruler","stapler"],"materials":["wrapping paper","clear tape","glue dots"],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Cut 12 x 1.5 Inch Strips From the Wrapping Paper Roll","text":"Unroll the wrapping paper on a cutting mat and cut three strips, each 12 inches long and 1.5 inches wide. On a patterned paper, line your cut up with the print so each strip shows the same run of checks. It makes the loops look tidy later. A rotary cutter and ruler are quicker if you have them, but scissors do the job."},{"number":2,"title":"Cut Three Shorter Wrapping Paper Strips for the Inner Bow Layer","text":"Cut three more strips at the same 1.5 inch width, but shorter. Melanie goes with 10 inches so the two layers look clearly different. 11 inches works if you want a subtler step. Lay all six out in two rows, long and short, so you don't mix them up halfway through."},{"number":3,"title":"Fold One End of the Wrapping Paper Strip Into a Pointed Tip","text":"Take a long strip, pattern side down. Fold one end back behind itself and pinch it into a small point, like the tip of a cone. The loop behind the point should be big enough to slip a finger into. Crease the point with a fingernail so it holds its shape."},{"number":4,"title":"Fold the Wrapping Paper Strip Into a Figure-8 Loop and Pinch the Middle","text":"Do the same fold on the other end of the strip, so you have a point at both ends. Bring the two loops together and pinch them in the middle. You now have a figure-8 with a sharp tip sticking out of each side. Check that both points are the same size before you move on."},{"number":5,"title":"Staple the Figure-8 Wrapping Paper Loops Together at the Centre","text":"Staple the first figure-8 through its middle. Make a second one, staple it, then lay it across the first at an angle and staple the two together. Melanie tried holding all three and stapling once. Stapling each loop on its own first is much easier, and the finished bow holds together better because every loop is fixed before it joins the stack."},{"number":6,"title":"Add the Third Loop to Make a Six-Point Wrapping Paper Star","text":"Fold and staple the third 12 inch strip the same way. Set it on top of the stack so its points fill the gaps between the first two. Now you have six evenly spaced points, a flowery star shape. Staple through the centre of all three. This is the outer layer of the bow, so take a second to get it even."},{"number":7,"title":"Nest the Smaller Wrapping Paper Star Inside the Larger One","text":"Repeat steps 3 to 6 with the three 10 inch strips to make a smaller star. Drop it into the centre of the big star, turning it so its points sit between the big star's points. Staple the two layers together through the middle. The shorter loops stand a little taller in the centre, which gives the bow its height."},{"number":8,"title":"Roll and Tape a Small Wrapping Paper Loop for the Bow Centre","text":"Cut a short scrap of wrapping paper, a few inches long. Roll it into a small ring with the pattern facing out and seal it with clear tape. Fold the tape end over and stick it to the bottom of the ring so it has something to grip the bow with."},{"number":9,"title":"Set the Centre Loop and Fluff the Finished Wrapping Paper Bow","text":"Press the small loop into the middle of the bow to cover the staples. Then fluff it. Pull the outer loops up a little, pinch the points sharp again, and nudge anything that got squashed. Stick it on your gift with a loop of tape or a glue dot. That's it. One bow, no trip to the store."}],"recipe":null,"lastUpdated":"2026-09-24T15:01:03.990Z","published":"2026-09-24T15:00:56.997Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit ShowMeStepByStep with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure."}