gift bows - Ribbon Impressions

Old and New Advice for Terrific Holiday Bows

Ribbons and holiday bows make any gift better! Wrap holiday bows around any gift to add fun and unique detail. From bags and boxes to cars and puppies, choosing the right bow adds a uniqueness all its own. Here are some ways to use ribbon rolls to make holiday bows for your seasonal gifting this year.

using holiday bows and personalized ribbons for employee encentives and corporate gifting

From large to small, bows should match the gift you are giving.

For example, if you are giving that special someone a car for Christmas (or any other holiday for that matter), make sure the bow size matches the size of the present. You wouldn’t want to put a two-inch bow on a vehicle, as it would just get lost and therefore would not be visible. On the other end of the spectrum, if you put a two-foot bow on a small jewelry box, you won’t be able to see the present.

Don’t forget about the color!

Holiday bows are meant to be unique and stand out. Don’t blend a green bow with a green box. Choose a ribbon color that will pop and make that gift extra special. Reds and golds are excellent holiday color combinations. Pair blues with silvers, greens with reds and even blues with reds. And, be creative! Don’t limit yourself to traditional holiday colors. Think outside the box and pair pinks and browns or reds and purples!

use red bows with gold wrapping paper for holiday bows and corporate gifting

use blue bows with silver wrapping paper for holiday bows and corporate gifting

use green bows with red bags for holiday bows and corporate gifting

Need a creative way to wrap a present with holiday bows that just doesn’t want to fit in a bag or box?

tie personalized ribbons to a gift basket for corporate gifting

Adding fun, poofy ribbons to bottles and baskets is a great way to skimp on the wrapping; especially if you don’t want to wrap oddly shaped objects. Go for a simple, dainty bow on someone’s favorite brand of bubbly, or tie a giant, festive bow to a fruit or goody basket.

tie personalized ribbons to a bottle for easy wrapping for corporate gifting

No matter your choice for holiday bows, make sure to remember the size, color and most importantly fun! Make your gifts especially unique this year with festive ribbon rolls. Still looking for that perfect gift for someone picky? Everyone likes to see their name on something, so choose a personalized desk wedge. And don’t forget the ribbon!

Get started on your holiday bows with personalized ribbons!

Customize Your Ribbons

3 Types of Ribbon Gift Bows

Every year people share gifts for many occasions, from birthdays, weddings and baby showers to Valentines, Mother’s and Father’s day. And, of course, the year end holidays of Christmas, Hanukah and Kwanza. And, by adding ribbon gift bows, you add a personal touch that makes all of your gifts seem more luxurious or fun. We all like receiving (and giving) presents with flair and finesse.

Classic Gift Bow

different uses for ribbon rolls when making holiday and gift bows

The first bow is quite basic in that it’s the same type of bow we all know from when we learned how to tie our shoes as children. Start by sliding the ribbon under the package, bringing the ends over the top and knotting the two ends together; at this point, check that the tails are the same length. Second, make a loop with the left side of the ribbon pining it between your thumb and forefinger to hold it in place. Finally, make a second loop with the right side of the ribbon and knot the loops on the top of the package, arranging them so everything looks good. See this in action at WikiHow.

Two Colored Ribbon Gift Bows

Make this bow independently and then secure it to the present or gift box. For this bow, you will need two ribbon widths and two colors of ribbon; let your imagination go wild! Place the skinnier ribbon on top of the wider ribbon and secure it into place, either by stitching or gluing it down. Now, you should have a solid, single piece of ribbon to use for your bow. Fold the two edges into the middle of the ribbon to create a continual loop and glue the edges together. To hide these edges, take a smaller length of either color ribbon around the middle. This action will also gather the center to help create the look of a bow. Tie this off, or secure it with a small amount of glue.

Luxurious Pom Pom Bow

The third bow is a classic pom pom bow with tails. Again, make this bow and then secure it to the present or gift bow. Pom pom bows are the most lavish type of gift bow. To make this bow, you will need one very long piece of ribbon. Also, the longer the piece of ribbon, the fuller and bigger the bow will be. Start by folding the ribbon in half to find the middle of the ribbon.

Once you have the center, twist the ribbon and create a loop on one side, do the same on the other side. Repeat until you have an equal number of loops on each side with some ribbon remaining for the tails. Once you reach this step, take a smaller length of the same ribbon and tie it around the center of the bow (where you were twisting the loops) to secure the whole thing. Once it is secure, ensure the tails are the same length and gently pull the loops apart to make the pom pom. Watch a short Better Homes and Gardens video to see this in action.

Personalized Ribbons

Make your gifts look more festive and fun to unwrap with ribbon gift bows. Start shopping now at www.personalized-ribbons.com.

Lace and Ribbons

While it may seem an especially effeminate topic, ribbons and lace go hand-in-hand quite often.

From ribbon pieces, leftover lace, scrapbook supplies, and other items that we think we’ll use eventually, most craft rooms aren’t complete without a collection of odds and ends. Instead of collecting piles and mounds of these leftovers, throw them into your next project! From hair ribbons to party invitations to jewelry, ribbons and lace are great for any project.

In an attempt to follow the trend of last week’s post, here are some ideas to use up that scrap lace and ribbon rolls.

ribbon rolls and lace for party or shower invitations

ribbons and lace for hair bows, head bands and jewelry items like necklaces and bracelets

ribbons and lace on wedding cakes also use for baby showers and other events

ribbons and lace pew decorations wedding and party decorations

Use them as clothing embellishments

Have an old t-shirt that you can’t seem to get rid of because, “I’ll wear this again someday.”? Try updating the look with ribbon, lace and whatever other embellishments you have on hand. Form a collar using lace pieces and weave a colorful ribbon through the ends. Or, take that ribbon roll and form a fun and flattering pattern over the front, or back, of the shirt. Don’t stop at shirts, update pants, skirts and any other clothing item you might want to experiment on.

Use them as jewelry or hair accessories

Chalk it up to traditional or basic, but ribbons and lace look fabulous in your hair or worn around your neck. Braid a small ribbon into your hair, wrap either one around a head band for a quick and cute look for your evening out. Or, find some beads and create a one-of-a-kind statement jewelry piece to match that shirt you just updated!

Use them for gift wrap or cards and invitations

What a classy way to dress up any party invitation or wrapping paper. Whether for a bridal shower or just a friendly gift, tie it up with a piece of lace and some brightly colored ribbon. Need it to be extra special? Order custom ribbon rolls with names, dates or other wording to really hit home how personalized this gift really is. The receiver will be ecstatic about the gift or invitation!

Use them in decorating

Here’s an idea that is as traditional as they get. Ribbon rolls are great for decorating windows or using for wall hangings. They are perfect to wrap around candles or other items for centerpieces for weddings, parties or other fun festivities. Or, wrap that ribbon delicately around the base of each tier on a cake. And make it even more special by adding pieces of lace throughout all the decorations!

Whatever your idea, simple or complex, ribbons and lace is a classic look that is always welcome!

The 7 Types of Ribbon Rolls

Ribbon rolls are used in so many projects these days.

So today, we unravel our stockpile of ribbon rolls and explain the different types and how they might be used. Whether it is for tying gift bows or adding the finishing touch to an outfit or costume, ribbon rolls come in handy at every turn. And, with so many ribbon types to choose from, it may be difficult to decide which is best for the project at hand. Here is a simple guide to each type of ribbon roll we offer.

SINGLE FACED SATIN AND DOUBLE FACED SATIN RIBBON ROLLS

This ribbon roll type is one of our most popular choices for ribbons. And, believe it or not, our faced satin ribbons are actually 100% polyester. They are available in practically any color and four widths.

Single Faced Satin Ribbons are relatively inexpensive and is great for gift wrapping. They are smooth on one side and have a matte finish on the other.

Double Faced Satin Ribbons are smooth with a satin sheen and soft on both sides of the ribbon. Any printing of graphics and/or text will be printed only on one side of the ribbon roll. These ribbon rolls are great for use as decorations at parties and other functions.

DYNA FLORAL SATIN RIBBON ROLLS

This ribbon roll type has a slight sheen and a supple, satin feel. This ribbon is easy to tie and knots well. As such, they are great for bows for weddings, wrapping gift boxes and using as floral ribbons. They are made from 100% polyester and are available in 48 colors and a variety of widths.

GROSGRAIN RIBBON ROLLS

This ribbon roll type is heavily corded (ribbed texture) and sturdy. This cording shows through any imprinting that is done. Again, made from 100% polyester, these ribbons are woven with thick lengthwise fibers, and provide a bit of elasticity, making them the perfect material for trimming and edging. These are fantastic for both gift wrapping and decorations and add character to most any project. These are available in 79 ribbon colors and four ribbon widths.

FLORAL SATIN ACETATE RIBBON ROLLS

This ribbon roll type is made of a satin acetate and are quite stiff. These ribbons are woven from acetate thread into a satin weave making this ribbon choice a stiffer ribbon. They are commonly and traditionally used in floral arrangements, pew bows and packaging. They are available in over 60 colors and four ribbon widths.

ORGANZA-CHIFFON RIBBON ROLLS

This ribbon roll type is lightweight and translucent ribbons. These are 100% nylon and are a unique choice for ribbons. As this ribbon is lightweight, it is easy to work with and provides an elegant, iridescent finish. Best use for these ribbons is wrapping gifts. Use bright, off setting colors of wrapping paper to really set off these ribbon rolls.

MULTICOLOR (SATIN ACETATE) RIBBON ROLLS

This ribbon roll type can be customized with all-over color for a truly personalized ribbon. Multicolored ribbons, also referred to as full color ribbons, are ideal for awards, advertising, gift wrapping, brand awareness and campaigning. They can be used as the entire ribbon roll or can be cut down to individual ribbons.

101 Ways To Use Personalized Ribbon Rolls

Ribbons can be used in a wide variety of ways. Many people have made lists of what one can do with a personalized ribbon, so here is our version. And, while this list doesn’t actually reach 101, it is sure to provide inspiration to reach that mark!

Getting Creative

Create personalized ribbon with names or dates for an event, such as a birthday or wedding, and wrap an invitation. You can also wrap this personalized ribbon around wedding or other programs.

Create small tags with a single letter forming a title and use narrow ribbons to attach to a scrapbook page.

Use ribbon to tie tags onto presents or party favors, or wrap presents.

Make a flower with loops or scraps of ribbon and attach a button in the middle.

Use to decorate a yard for a party; tie onto a tree or branch, a porch railing, etc.

Tie up a group of skeleton keys for decoration for a scrapbook or to simply hang on a wall.

Personalized Ribbon Decorations

Glue or tie personalized ribbon to a candle or a vase for centerpieces at a wedding.

Use it to tie silverware together for a table setting; even add the napkin underneath the silverware.

Use for embellishments for scrapbooks, smash books or other hand made items.

Use personalized ribbons to hang a locket holding something special or a charm/pendent that has a special meaning. This can be worn as a necklace or hung on a wall for decoration.

Use personalized ribbons with names or a date, and fold around the corner of a photograph to personalize it; secure the ribbon with a paperclip or double sided tape.

Ribbon Wands

Make ribbon wands using a dowel and tying ribbon strips to the top. These are great for a little girl’s birthday party; simple and so cute!

Make a ribbon wreath from leftover ribbon scraps. All you need is a wreath form and simply start tying pieces of ribbon all the way around the form. Slide the ribbons together or spread them apart slightly, but make sure that there isn’t any of the wreath form that is visible. Use as many ribbons as you like to create your own look.

Make a ribbon chain for holiday or party decorations. String these on mantles, doors and even a Christmas tree.

Tie personalized ribbon around cinnamon sticks or bags of potpourri for party favors. These can then be placed anywhere that someone would like to smell nice, such as a sock drawer or on a mantle.

Simply put, use personalized ribbons as shoelaces.