My Fabric Flower Bow Tutorial

I usually use my big shot for all my bows but decided to try my idea out and was glad I did.  This one was all by hand and not with my machine that cuts out all my flowers for me.  This bow ended up being approx 3 1/2” dia. finished. 

First cut 4 strips of 1” x 7” of fabric (bottom). Then cut 4 strips of 1” x 5” (middle)and last 4 strips of 1” x 3 1/2” (top) .  I then took my pinking shears and cut the edges (only vertical edges) of the ribbon so they ended up being about 3/4” instead of the 1”.  I also have a 2” felt circle, a button I made to match (did not end up using it though see below) and a covered hair clip.  If you want the bow larger than the 3 1/2 inched then add an inch or more to it. 

I turned the strips of ribbon over so the pattern was facing down and pulled the ends up to the middle and with my glue gun put a dot in the center and glued them down.  Now the backside of the fabric is all in the middle and only the pattern is on the outsides top and bottom.  I left my seam in the middle (you will not see it there).

They are all about 1/2 the size of the original length now.

I took all 4 strips of each pattern and laid them on top of each other  like shown below and glued them together in the middle.  (not to scale in photos below).

After they are all glued I then took them and set them on top of each other and glued them together. 

This is what it looked like with the button I made but I did not like it. 

So I got my buttons and scrapbook brads (I get most of mine at Hobby Lobby in the scrapbook section).  I glued the brad to the center of the button and glued it to my bow.  I bent the prongs off the brad it it would lay flat on the button (all of them have the prongs on the back that will need to be cut off or bend them off. 

Much better with the button and brad. 

Lastly I glued the felt on the back and the covered hair clip.  I did have to take my glue gun and go back in and glue different placed in the bow so it would hold together better.