Bow Tail Techniques & Tips

Transcription

1 Bow Tail Techniques & Tips Choosing whether or not to have Tails on your bow how many and how long will depend on the type of ribbon and style you are trying to achieve. As with your choice of Bow Tie, Bow Tails can also transform a lovely bow into a FABULOUS bow. On the next 7 pages you will find a selection of choices, tips and ideas. There are many different materials available to tie your bows. At times you may use a material to suit the bow and at others to suit your purpose. Tail Trimming Sealing Ribbon Tails Curling Ribbon Tails Perfect Bows - Page 15

2 Tail Trimming Finishing the tails of your bows can make all the difference to the end result. Below are some of the most popular tail styles. Instructions Use sharp scissors & cut the ends of the tails to shape. Curls & Swirls Slant Straight V-Point Point If you are using wired ribbon you can create Curls & Spirals. They can add a dash of opulence and occasion to your bows. For Spirals & Curls you will need to allow extra ribbon for long tails. To create a Curl wrap the tail around a pencil and roll. Remove the pencil. To create a Spiral make a curl and then pull the middle downwards. To ensure that your tails are neat and have a truly professional finish follow the instructions for cutting and sealing outlined in the next 2 pages. Perfect Bows - Page 16

3 Sealing Ribbon Tails Sometimes the cut ends of ribbon frays. There are several methods to stop this and make the edges neat. This page contains 2 simple methods using general household items. Liquid Sealing This involves applying a fine, neat line of either nail varnish or craft glue to the edge of the tails of your bow. This must be allowed to dry thoroughly. There is also a specially formulated sealant designed for use with fabric called Fray Check that is widely available online and at craft stores. This method is probably a bit time consuming if you have made lots of bows! Heat Sealing Heat sealing is a method were you melt your bow tail ends to keep them from fraying. First neatly trim your ribbon ends and then either: 1. Lightly take a lighter back and forth across the end or 2. Lightly pass the end of the ribbon across a candle flame. Keep your flame about ½" away from the ribbon and don't over do this as it will burn or leave smoky marks. Should this occur re trim the ribbon and try again. Test with a scrap of ribbon before sealing your finished bows as different ribbons will seal at different rates. Be careful using lighters and candles as some ribbon can be highly flammable Perfect Bows - Page 17

4 Heat Sealing & Cutting Tails If you are making lots of bows using either of the tools below will speed up the process. They cut and seal the ribbon at the same time and give a crisp, clean and professional looking edge to your bow tail ends. Wood Burning Tool Widely available online and in most DIY stores this is a useful and relatively inexpensive tool (circa 10). It will come with several different tips you will use the chiseled edge tip. 1. Plug in and turn on your wood burning tool. 2. Lay your ribbon out and on a heat friendly surface (I cut mine on a piece of table glass, or you can use a cutting board. It just needs to be on a surface that you wouldn't mind getting some burn marks on. 3. Measure out where you want to cut/seal the ribbon, start at the top and apply pressure in a downward motion--just like what you would do if you were using a craft knife. I-magicut Relatively new to the market this handy tool claims to cut and heat-seal the ends of ribbon up to 3 wide. You can cut straight edges, on the diagonal, and even the popular Chevron cut. It takes 4AA batteries and heats in under 5 seconds. I found it on sale in the UK at & It is widely available in the USA at a lower price. Perfect Bows - Page 18

5 Curling Ribbons Curling ribbons (or Korkers) are easy to make and can add interesting detail to your bows and other projects. They are best made with narrow ribbons and are very popular for hair clips etc. Materials 1 x Dowel Rod 6-9mm/¼-½ Diameter You may need to be cut it so it fits into your oven approx 36cm/14. The thinner (or smaller diameter) the dowel the tighter the curl. Dowel rods are available online eg craftybugs.co.uk sell a pack of cm long and 6mm wide for You will also find them in most craft or DIY stores. Foil/Foil tray or Baking Tray 2 x Wood Clothes Pegs Spray Starch or Hairspray Ribbon - You will need approximately 1 metre per 9mmx 36cm dowel depending on the width of the ribbon. Grosgrain works best for making curling ribbons. You can use any polyester fabric ribbon such as woven, organza or satin but they will need to be liberally sprayed with Starch or Hairspray before baking to hold their shape. Perfect Bows - Page 19

6 Curling Ribbons-Instructions Long Curls 1. Preheat the oven to 135C/275F. 2. Secure the ribbon at one end with a clothes peg 3. Start wrapping your ribbon around the dowel rod. Be careful not to overlap the ribbon or get it twisted. Vary how tightly you wrap the ribbon for looser or tighter curls. 4. Trim the ribbon and secure with a clothes peg. 5. Spray the ribbon liberally with Spray Starch or Hair Spray. 6. Place the ribbon-covered dowel in the oven and bake for 15 to 25 minutes. Remove one end of the ribbon from the dowel to test wether it retains its crled shape. If not, bake for another 5 minutes. 7. Leave to cool for 10 minutes. 8. Remove pegs and unravel the ribbon from the dowel. Short Curls For some projects you may need shorter lengths of curls. Follow the instructions above but use shorter lengths of ribbon and wind more than one to the same dowel. Perfect Bows - Page 20