Paper bows turn up on every nice handmade card and every well-dressed scrapbook page, and almost every tutorial for them starts with the same sentence: run this die through your cutting machine.
You do not need one. Sandy at Septeria's Room works these out from a plain strip of paper, three score lines and a few snips with scissors. The finished bows are indistinguishable from die-cut ones and they cost effectively nothing.
The numbers, in one place
Every bow starts from a strip six inches long. Only the width changes:
| Bow | Cut | Score on the 6 inch side |
|---|
| Wider | 3/4 in x 6 in | 1 1/4 in, 3 in, 4 3/4 in |
| Slimmer | 1/2 in x 6 in | 1 1/4 in, 3 in, 4 3/4 in |
| Centre wrap | 1/4 in x 3 in | none |
The score points never change, which is why this is worth learning once. Cut whatever width you like and score at the same three marks, and you get a proportional bow every time.
Why a 6x6 paper pad is the right buy
A six inch square pad means every sheet is already the correct length. Slice strips off one edge and a single sheet gives you eight wide bows or twelve slim ones. A pad of forty-eight sheets is several hundred bows.
Double-sided paper is worth the small extra cost here. The reverse shows on the inside of the loops, so a coordinating back adds depth for no extra work.
Choosing the paper weight
This is the thing that decides whether it works.
Standard patterned scrapbook paper, somewhere around 65 to 80 lb, is the sweet spot. It scores cleanly, curves over a pen without cracking and holds a loop once glued.
Heavy cardstock at 110 lb fights the curve and cracks along the fold. Thin printer paper goes limp and will not hold the shape at all. If your only option is thin paper, glue two strips back to back and treat them as one.
Where to put them
Card fronts, gift tags, envelope closures, library pockets, journal pages, the corner of a wrapped parcel. They are flat enough to post without extra postage, which makes a pack of twenty a good small gift for anyone who makes cards.
Working in paper? We also have paper flowers, a paper star and paper snowflakes. For the fabric version of a bow, see how to make a bow with ribbon.
