Home Products Locations Free Demo Schedule Tips from the Pros Web Demos Coupons Contact Us	Objective: To make a bow Materials: 2 yards of #9 width ribbon, 20-24 gauge wire, and ribbon shears. Most ribbon will have 2 sides, the right side and the wrong side. First, start with the wrong side up at an end. Roll the end in one time so the right side is showing. This loop should be about 2 inches. This is called your noseloop. Pinch in the center. Your thumb should be in the center and your index finger should be at the bottom.
	Now for your loops. You will notice the wrong side is up. Twist your ribbon 180 degrees (just flipping it over). Now the right side is up. Make your loop by looping the ribbon about twice the size of the noseloop. Continue to make two loops on each side, pinching every time and twisting the ribbon so the right side is facing out. These loops should be about equal size.
	After you have two loops on each side, then go on to your next size of loops. These loops should be slightly larger than your first set of loops (about 2 1/2 to 3 times the size of the original noseloop). Make two of these loops on each side, again twisting and pinching when necessary.  Then, with the leftover ribbon, wrap one large loop around the bottom, as if this were an upside-down big nose loop.  Pinch it in the center. This is the tail loop.  Pass wire through the noseloop and the tail loop and tighten in back.  It is very important to tighten well!
	Open bow by putting fingers inside of loop (not by grabbing the loop, since that may result in unsightly creases in the ribbon). While opening the bow, hold from the center of the noseloop and separate loops, one at a time. With your fingers inside the loop, give a good tug in the direction you want the loop to go. This is where good wiring is important.  If your wire isn't tight, your loops will come undone. Try to alternate large loops with small loops. For the tails, you can cut the large tail loop in half or at an angle, or in V's.  You have now made a basic bow...slight variations will allow you to make bows of different lengths, widths, multiple colors, etc.  Each Keen's location offers a free hands-on bow making demonstration once a month where you make a bow along with a Keen's designer.  You even get to keep the bow that you made!  Consult our free demonstration schedule on this site to determine which Thursday this month will have a bow-making class for you! The key factor to bow making is practice, practice, practice!