Make a gift bow from a magazine page | How About Orange

October 02, 2009

Make a gift bow from a magazine page

In gift wrap emergencies when you've got the present but need some wrapping, here's an idea for turning a magazine page into a bow. There may be better ways to stick this thing together, but I used what I had on hand: staples and adhesive glue dots. Double stick tape or brads should work, too.

Cut a magazine page lengthwise into 9 strips, 3/4" wide. Leave 3 of the strips full length. Cut one inch off 3 of the strips. Cut two inches off 2 of the strips. Cut the last strip down to 3 1/2" long.

If you're using a magazine that's 10 1/2" tall, you'll end up with:
3 strips, 10 1/2" x 3/4"
3 strips, 9 1/2" x 3/4"
2 strips, 8 1/2" x 3/4"
1 strip, 3 1/2" x 3/4"

Twist each strip to form a loop at both ends and staple it in the center. Shape the last, short strip into a circle and secure it with a glue dot.

Layer the three longest pieces on top of each other, spacing them evenly and securing each with a glue dot. Add the next two groups of pieces, doing the same. And finally, stick the loop into the center.

Use other papers, like a map of your city. Here's Chicagoland. Anybody see your street?

351 comments:

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Makoto said...

This bows you buy in big bags!!
I like them, and i would like them more made by paper I choose
thanks :D

Anonymous said...

this is brilliant! You can make it out of any paper then... scrapbook, leftover pieces. You're amazing Jess!

cindy said...

this is brilliant! You can make it out of any paper then... scrapbook, leftover pieces. You're amazing Jess!

KV said...

I did this for Christmas last year and it was a big hit.

Hortencia Butterscotch said...

Ummmm, can I say Genius? I'm never buying a bow again, and my Mom will be impressed with my wrapping skills!

Teresa @ good-grace said...

LOVE this!! And so much more eco friendly. (I could challenge my kids to this... it might keep them entertained for quite awhile!!)

Heather said...

Thank you, thank you! I had NO IDEA this tutorial would be so easy!

Morgan Jane said...

Oh my goodness, that's awesome! I'm so excited. Thank you for this, woo hoo!

Kat said...

I love making these! I poke a skewer through mine and fasten it with a small brad. Beautiful!

Unknown said...

this is fab - i work in the land of magazines - so i know i have another thing to do with the pages - thanks for sharing!

cjm said...

This. Is. Awesome.

smalltownme said...

This is such a great idea!

Grandma G said...

Oh, Jess... you are so brilliant! And now I know what my gift looks like!

Jeanee said...

Thanks for sharing! I always wanted to know ho w to make one!

Jessica Jones said...

Er, um, not sure if these will still be around at Christmas, Mom.

Kat, ah ha! I suspected brads would work well. Good to know. Couldn't find any in this apartment, though. I searched when I wanted to make this. I might need to invest in some.

*~kAy~* said...

Such a great tutorial! I've always wondered how to make those!

Andrea said...

WOW...this is cool.
Blessings, andrea

Elizabeth said...

Lovely! I very much like the map one.

B said...

Your craftiness never ceases to amaze me. Love this!

alexandra s.m. said...

Oh I absolutely LOVE this!!
Thanks Jess.!

Tami @ Lemon Tree Tales said...

What a fantastic idea! This certainly is a step up from those comic pages gift wrapping I did as a kid.

jojoebi-designs said...

my gran used to make these and always put them on her Christmas pressies, I never knew how she did it, thanks Jess.

Jennifer Ladd said...

Great idea! I'm definitely trying this during the holidays!

dawn said...

oh, i love this! i can see this weekend i'm going to transform into a bow making machine :)

Carol Anne said...

I really like this tutorial! I was looking for something to use my old magazines for!

erin said...

omg love this.

KellyH said...

Well now that's just awesome

Catherine Peart said...

I have wanted to know how to do these for ages! Thanks!

InnerMedley said...

This is sUCH a cute idea! I love reusing things that would normally go in the trash too.

Tegan | Celebrate Twelve13 said...

So fun! I love that so many of your projects I can do while vegging out and watching NCIS. :)

Anonymous said...

The map one makes me swoon. Seriously, love it!

Jody said...

How wonderful!!! Thanks!

CuriousDoodles said...

I love it! I think it would be a great project to use up old phone books.

Summer said...

I think I can do this! Really great idea!

Karen said...

Win! Now to see what I can rescue from the recycling bin!

LilithEvy said...

What a great tutorial! Thank you for sharing this with us!!! I'll make all my Christmas gift bow myself :o)

nole @ oh so beautiful paper said...

This is great! I'm never buying another gift bow again - and I can't wait to try this out during the holidays!

Erin said...

Okay, super cool! That is all I can say: Super cool!

Anonymous said...

I am nearly speechless! So simple and so cool.

Anonymous said...

I think this may even be better than what I did with my skinny scraps of paper. http://brooklynechaos.wordpress.com/2009/09/25/woven-paper/

I love this idea. Bookmarking for when I need a bow.

jennifer said...

love love love love it!

Robin said...

This is one of the most practical bits of recycling I've seen in a long time! Since the stapler was missing and the glue dots were missing, too (hmm - I sense a trend!), I just used double-stick tape, which seemed to work. Great job - your site totally rocks!

Deece said...

Very nice! I want to make some , but I doubt they will turn out as nice as yours.

Rely said...

I like them...lovely the one made with the maps!!!
thanks...

Leslie said...

I love this idea. Thankyou so much for sharing. I made one last night and was suprised to see how easey it was. I see alot off these being made between now and chistmas. thankyou again for sharing

LeeAnn said...

So clever! I think I'll waste my Saturday morning cutting up magazines! It'll be nice to have a few of these around. :) Thanks for sharing your amazing creativity!

She Can't Decide said...

really fun! Thanks for sharing!

xo

esther said...

super cute!

Natalie said...

Super cute - love it!

Michelle said...

Love this idea. And the inner perfectionist freak in me loves it even more that I can now create my own bows to match gifts. Cute!

melissa deakin said...

oh my goodness.
you are a genius.
this is definitely the coolest idea and one i will be using again and again.
thanks for taking the time to share and for making such a wonderful tutorial.
you rock!

Ms. Dio said...

This is wonderful - thanks for sharing! For 5 yrs now, I have not bought gift wraping paper. I use cereal boxes or any other box that comes from my kitchen pantry. This year I can embellish my eco-friendly holiday packaging with these awesome handmade bows - Yay!

Mama said said...

oh this is awesome! gotta make some for xmas!
you are a genius

3Ms +1N said...

wow- nice tutorial :) I've always wondered how to do that! Thank you- what a great alternative to buying one in the store- cheap & another way to reuse something!

Amanda Nicole said...

These are fantastic! Love the map one :)

sarah said...

I love it... bows are so expensive at the shops. The one I just made was quick and easy to construct, looks so much cooler than store-bought bows and it didn't cost me a cent :)

Unknown said...

OH my goodness! This is what I'm going to do with all those Highlights magazines that my children are done with! Thanks for the tip and full tutorial.

Wendy said...

That is gorgeous, and clever beyond anything!!!

Valerie A. Heck Esmont said...

I love the bow out of maps! I'm going to try that!

Molly said...

So cute I linked to this from my own blog: http://mollyleecards.blogspot.com/ (hope that you don't mind!)

Molly
http://mollylee.etsy.com/
http://mollyleecards.blogspot.com/

dka said...

I printed out the instructions on your website to send to my sister, then trimmed them up to mail. I made my best bow yet with the strips left over! The white with your orange header, plus little snippets of your sponsors/fabric/ etc mixed in is quite fetching! Fortunatley, "being loopy" is the key to pretty bows! :-)

Melissa said...

Brilliant thank you!

Kathy @ MerrimentDesign.com said...

Wow, I love this. Love, love, love practical crafting!

Heidi Reads... said...

That is so awesome. I now love your blog even more!

Phares said...

That is awesome! I want to go wrap something now! I tried at my first giveaway, be sure to check it out!
Http://pharescausey.blogspot.com

char said...

Fantastic! I've been visiting your terrific site for some time now and I love it. These bows are brilliantly simple and yet I had never thought of it. Thank you for generously sharing all that you do.

Bee said...

Love it!

Rachel@oneprettything.com said...

Wow, these are awesome! What a great way to spend a few fall tv nights...you'd be all ready for the holidays! Thanks so much for the directions, I'll be linking.

Nisha said...

these are sooooo much FUN! ... thank you for sharing. I am going to try these with scrapbook paper leftovers, ribbons .... the ideas keep coming LOL - thanks again!

Genevieve said...

Excellent project - One of our best tutorials! I will never purchase another bow.

Pixie said...

Oh. My. Goodness! This is amazing! I'm in love and will be making bows on top of bows out of magazines, old scrapbooking paper, everything. You rock!

Ryan said...

Too cute! Just in time for the holidays!

Emma said...

Thanks for sharing this info!

Andrea Q said...

My daughter made some of these last year. They are fabulous! Thanks for the tutorial.

emarci said...

I think this idea is amazing! What a way to use up papers and recycle! I love it

{The Perfect Palette} said...

wow. incredible.

Anonymous said...

You're the best! I just made a bow out of the funny pages for my 14-year-old nephew's birthday and he SAVED it. Whoa.

Marcy

Tracy said...

this is great!

Jen said...

When I was a kiddo, we had a bow maker that used a plastic piece with a pointy tip for the attacher thing, which sat upon a green base. The base was shaped much like a plus sign with only three arms instead of four. These worked as storage for the little plastic tacks.
We used a long piece of that plasticky ribbon and just turned the ribbon and pushed it down on the pointed part of the plastic tack thing as we went.
It worked really well and was fun to make bows with. I was so excited to see a new method for these as my mom's bow maker has been long lost.

laura marie said...

Who knew it could be so easy? This is an absolutely wonderful tutorial, THANK YOU!

Ali @ His Birdie's Nest said...

I cannot WAIT to make these for Christmas! I just recycled a BUNCH of magazines, but I'm sure I'll accumulate enough by Christmas :) Thanks for the tutorial!

Anonymous said...

I totally feel like a genius after making these bows. Super Cool! Thanks for the tutorial. :)

Ginger said...

I love this tutorial. Need to make them while watching tv. Thank you so much for sharing.
hugs

Corinne said...

I want to make one of these! Thanks for posting!

Anonymous said...

I will never buy another overpriced bow as long as I live! Take that, Hallmark!!

Marisa said...

This is fabulous. Love the map bow. I have some old maps that I've saved for wrapping paper, but I think the bow has more impact.

I can also see customizing the bow paper for the gift or the recipient. Comics? Stock pages? Crossword puzzles? Too fun.

And great for my MIL, who is pretty darn picky about bows. Thanks!

Lisa said...

Seriously, if I gave you some hydrogen and oxygen you could make water (without an explosion and it'd be cute!)

I am mentally scrounging around for the fun paper to recycle.

poppyart said...

wow! i so love text and now can use the atlas and spoiled books i have collected. christmas packaging, here we come!

Anonymous said...

http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=247280.0

Alex said...

What an excellent idea. I probably HAVE one of those old bow-makers around - maybe I'll try with that. Because I don't have glue dots around, and don't the staples get a little bulky? AND this is an Ab Fab idea. I'm going to recruit the kids. They get very enthusiastic.
Thanks!!

Jessica Jones said...

Hi Alex. The staples didn't seem to get bulky, since I stapled randomly and they all ended up in different places by accident. I don't think they were actually stacked on top of each other. You could use double-stick tape to stick the pieces together, too. But the bow-maker sounds fun! Do you have to use ribbon (or something that's one long, continuous piece) in it?

Anonymous, thanks for the link to more samples. Cool; hadn't seen those. Looks like a brad works well, too.

Anonymous said...

Very nicely done - thank you so much for sharing.

I've been working on a blog about gift wrapping (http://thegiftedblog.wordpress.com) and am always on the lookout for tutorials to try! I will link back once I get a chance to try this!

Thanks again!
Charissa

Anonymous said...

absolutely lovely idea. I can't wait to try it. I donate a lot of my magazines, but sometimes they are too beat up to pass on, but I hate just recycling all that lovely glossy paper. Problem solved!

Isa said...

Great tutorial!! Thanks!
I was thinking about making one with ribbon. I've seen some attatched to hair bows that where so cute.

Sally Townsend said...

Great blog with lovely ideas !!

elena said...

I love this!

Marcy Tate said...

Awesome instructions, thanx!

Valeria said...

great idea!!! love it!!!

IF Stjernen said...

I love theese bows. I'm going to make tons of them. Thanks for a good tutorial.

curegirl0421 said...

Oddly, I *do* see my street... that's Skokie, Illinois (a Chicago suburb) and I totally lived there for most of my life. AWESOME.

What a great project! :)

Kim said...

This is genius!! Thanks for sharing!

Larissa Holland said...

this. is. true. genius. Giddyup!
Oh I'm doin THIS. thanks!

mskaz said...

Love this!

Enri said...

beautiful! thanks for sharing :-)

Anonymous said...

wonderful idea!!!
thank you for sharing the idea.
i definitely use this technique for my friends birthday gifts.

patricia zapata said...

This is awesome!! Love it.

Kaitlin Erin said...

love this creative way to recycle and repurpose!

Brooke Medlin said...

So, so awesome! I'm going to have my (k-12) students do these as part of an art project. What a fun way to teach about recycling and how to plan a project that uses multiple parts. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

These are fantastic - I have spent a large part of the day creating them from everything from scrapbook paper to our local telephone book! I fastened them with staples and a brad through the middle - looks excellent especially with a blingy brad.

Court@BeautyFullyUsed said...

Love this and totally making these for Christmas!

Jenn Ski said...

wow I never realized how easy they are to make!

j. wilson said...

i like making my own bows from scrap parers but never knew how easy it was to make an official bow! thank you!

SarahShaw said...

Those present bows are so creative!! Love'em!

Unknown said...

Hey thanks for sharing this how to! What a cleaver and creative recycle! I love it and plan to use my own recycled bows on upcoming holiday gifts!

tamdoll said...

Love this, thanks for the how-to! Maybe this is how I can get my kids to help me wrap....

sarah. said...

this is brilliant! love this :D

Nancy Ward said...

Hi Jessica!

Wanted you to know I posted a link to this tutorial on my blog.

Thanks for all the great tuts you have...I love telling my readers about them.

Nancy Ward
http://paperfriendly.blogspot.com

Rustic Path Gardens said...

How wonderful! This is a great way to reuse items and create custom bows. Thanks so much for showing us!

Amanda said...

Thank you! I used this tutorial to make a map bow of my own for a baby shower gift. I can't wait to make more. :)

jenny said...

Thank you for sharing! and what great timing since the holidays are coming up :D

Victoria said...

Wow this is pretty good! Only one problem...
When you cut it, you have to cut it lengthwise. I tried to cut it landscape, only it wasn't long enough. >.<

Jessica Jones said...

Victoria, thanks for adding that! I forgot! I updated the post.

resalikescolors said...

Thanks for the great step by step photos! I've been making bows like this but have been having a hard time keeping the size and shape uniform, this is going to help me tremendously!

mechiz said...

I love this post! Thanks!

mechiz said...

I love this post! Thanks!

Tette said...

Love this,TFS!
Thanks and have a nice day.

teresa fsw said...

Fantastic idea! Thank YOU! ^_^

Megan said...

Just tried this out the other night. Brilliant!

Megan said...

Just tried this out the other night. Brilliant!

RyanSarahN said...

thanks! this is great - green, frugal and easy!

Lynne said...

I love this tutorial! Just made my first one and it worked perfectly :-)

Linda said...

love it! I had this bookmarked and came back to make one today with my 3 year old. Great activity while muffins are baking! Thanks!

Prajakta Thanekar said...

your tutorial made it look so easy.. i am going to try one soon as i get home from work.

Michaela said...

WOW! Thank you so much for sharing this! This is such a money saver and fun maker project.

Thank you and so many greetings from Germany!

Michaela

michelle@somedaycrafts said...

I like this. I featured it at somedaycrafts.blogspot.com

Moore Minutes said...

This is TOO COOL!!!!

glor said...

This is terrific! I certainly will be trying this, thank you for sharing this idea. I would like to post this to my blog.

Keely Livings said...

Fabulous! Thanks so much for sharing.

Scoops said...

This rules. Thanks for sharing with us!

MaryLM said...

Wow! Who knew making bows was so easy?

You can spice it up a little by using fancy-edge scissors to cut out the strips.

Anonymous said...

Brilliant!!

LittleSnowflakes said...

Amazing! I cannot wait to give this a try. This week is "no television week" at my daughters school. I think we will have one night of family bow making! Thanks so much for making this project look so simple :-)

Anonymous said...

I see Skokie and Evanston in the last bow! haha

Anonymous said...

Very nice. Instead of a dot of glue, double sided tape works great.

Anonymous said...

nice howto. very useful especially this coming christmas.

Ed Phelps said...

Made one out of aluminum foil, looks AWESOME!

MimiRob said...

Brilliant -- thanks for sharing! I think I might try printing off some favorite pics and using them...

Dee said...

Great idea! Thanks!

DebbieD said...

AWESOME! I can't wait to try this and to think I was throwing magazines out.

Unknown said...

This was just a brilliant post. I sat in front of the TV last night making these to top my Christmas gifts. It was very easy, even for a not-too-crafty girl.

Thank you!

Gifts Philippines said...

Interesting! I wanna try to make like that also. Thanks for guiding me through this. Rarely do I find good entries that would walk me through. Great post.


-fern-

alice said...

This is one of the best tutorials I've seen in a long time. Great job, thanks!

Ayesha said...

This is such a brilliant way of adding a personal feel to anotherwise off the shelf decoration.

Unknown said...

Brilliant - simple, clear and absolutely brilliant!

sara said...

I am SO in love with this! Is it pathetic that I can't wait for my kids to go to bed tonight so that I can start working on them to use on Christmas gifts? ;)

Courtney said...

How FRIGGIN CUTE!!!!

LOVE IT!

Anonymous said...

che dire????

FANTASTICO! ^__^
lo userò subito per questo Natale!

featherbed said...

this is amazing!!

manishfusion said...

This is my first comment but I feel like I should have been making loads of comments now because I always like your stuff. Maybe comments are for more hit and miss blogs than your own. When you maintain a consistent level of high quality output I reckon people are less inclined to comment because they have come to expect it from you. Just a theory.
christmas gifts

Mrs. Scrimp said...

I LOVE this project, especially the version made from the map. I'll be featuring it with a link back to your site on my blog, http://scrimpalicious.blogspot.com

BuddhaLizzy said...

Terrific idea!
I use blueprint paper for wrapping presents because we have so much of it at work...i hate just sending it out for recycling. anyway, i shall make several bows this year with it! it will be perfect to go with wrapping instead of buying ribbon...i'll forward a pic if you wish!

Kelli said...

Instead of staples, or glue, or tape, I used a needle and thread to secure my bows!

Thanks for the great tutorial! :)

www.kellicanady.com

concretenprimroses said...

Wonderful! Thanks!
Kathy

murano glass pendants said...

brilliant suggestion great:)

Wenona said...

This is fabulous! Can I repost it, credited to you, at Crafting a Green World?

Jessica Jones said...

You can link to it with a photo and description, but I'd ask that you don't lift the entire post and republish it. Thanks!

sandyh50 said...

Wow, I just came from the Fiskateer blog and this bow is amazing! Thanks for sharing!

Sandy Fiskateer #4165

Anonymous said...

I love the bows that you made.Youre bows are great.They look so easy to make.

Joan Fiskateer #808

Viji Siddharth said...

always wondered how did make these!!Thank you for doing the tutorial! It was so nice of you to share it with us fiskateers!!
viji5858

Tona said...

What a great idea. Thanks for sharing this on the Fiskateers blog. I can see how making custom bows to fit that persons interests or personality would be a big hit.

java diva said...

I've been reading your blog off and on, being partial to orange myself (Fiskateer). I had tried these bows once, and I flopped. But your tutorial is excellent, I should be able to successfully make one.
TFS with the Fiskateers this weekend!
kimberlee #2494
PS--do not let anyone borrow your nice scissors!! :P LOL

Karen Sue said...

this is so cute, thanks for sharing, I've often wondered if there was some way I could make these bows by myself.

Barb - Fiskateer #2975 said...

Thanks for sharing your tutorial! We fiskateers love orange too! Off to browse more of your site!

Debbie C said...

You make the bows looks so easy to make. I love the one made out of city maps. Sure glad Angela sent me over to check them out.
thanks Debbie Fiskateer #4668

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing this with the Fiskateers - I am going to make one now :) TracyM

Anonymous said...

I followed a link to your page on the Fiskateers board. This bow idea is amazing. I love it!

Kimc
Fiskateer 5612

Anonymous said...

oooops - was so keen to get out and make one that I forgot to mention that it is especially nice because it is orange - and your site is so orange - just what a Fiskateer needs :) TracyM 6773

lavendarrose29 said...

Thanks for letting the Fiskateers share your work. This bow is way too cute and the possibilities for it are endless. Off to make bows. Thanks for sharing.

Unknown said...

i love making these bows! so fun!

Unknown said...

Also, I wanted to share my bow! I'm a fiskateer by the way! #6394

http://www.fiskateers.com/community/photo/51389/

Brenmarie said...

Love your bows! They are so sweet. And orange is such a great color.

Fisk-a-teer colors are so nice!

Lesa said...

Wonderful tutorial! Thanks so much for being on the Fiskateer blog. I love your bow!
Lesa, Fiskateer #5200

maryannehoekman5271 said...

Thanks for sharing this on the fiskateer blog!!What a creative way to make a bow! love the oranginess!!

Groovy Deborah said...

WOWeeeeeeeeeeee! You made that look easy but I most especially love that you are using something that has been used before! Seeing the words show through makes it really fun and exciting! Amazing work :)

Kelly Sas said...

This is such a wonderful idea and green too! I can't wait to give it a try this holiday season. Thanks for sharing.

Kelly #6558

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the tutorial, I tried it and though mine didn't turn out as professional looking as yours I'll keep trying.

Fiskateer #1485

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful and easy way to recycle... thanks for sharing this awesome idea :)
-Sylvia #5019

Tina Mayo said...

love this ///printed off and put in my idea bank..Thanks!!

Jessica Jones said...

Hello, everyone. Greetings, Fiskateers. There seem to be a bunch of you popping in lately! Howdy, and thanks for stopping by.

Marianne B in AZ said...

Yep, and here is another Fisk-a-teer who loved you bow turorial! My husband asked if I plan to make all of our Christmas bows. At first I didn't think so, but I am thinking that since we draw names and don't do a whole lot of gifts in our family, I just might try it! Thanks so much!

Oh, while I was here I thought I would become a follower of your great blog!

Anonymous said...

love this, ever so! had to post it to my blog... xx!

http://innerbeautyla.wordpress.com/2009/12/04/top-five/

Anonymous said...

this is so addictive!! now I'm just making them for no reason at all other then making them!

Stephina said...

Stumbled apon this post a few weeks ago....GENIUS! I have been so inspired by your blog (and others) that I decided to start by own craft blog and linked to this post in my latest entry. Thank you!

http://fabricpaperbeadsohmy.blogspot.com/2009/12/green-christmas.html

Dilasari said...

Thank you very much for the tutorial. it's very useful for me who have long been looking for an inexpensive gift wrapping idea.

Joyeful said...

LOVE your site!!! I am definitely making this!! Thanks!

MBD @ 973 Third said...

As a long standing admirer of your blog, I am always excited about your projects. I hope you don't mind if I share this brilliant idea at 973 Third.
Many thanks for sharing your genius!

Ms. Jackie said...

OK, this age me. I remember making those when I was a kid. I got a "job" wrapping the neighbors gifts one year. And I was really good at making bows. Great job, nice bow. And you recycled on top of it.....
Ms. Jackie #3017

Jaimie said...

This is amazing! I will do this!! Thanks!

LiliAime said...

Wahoo !! It is fabulous !! I like this idea and will try to use it for my Christmas gifts..
Thanks a lot
xxx
Lili

April in Autumn said...

This is brilliant! Along with recycled gift tags and scrap fabric bags, my Christmas is going to be really green this year.

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