In this post I’ll show you how to make a bow Christmas tree topper! This is an easy and elegant solution that you can easily customize to match any tree decor!
Have you ever noticed that it’s really hard to find just the right topper for your Christmas tree? I don’t think I’ve ever found one that I really love and that works for me year after year, no matter what type of tree-scheme I’m doing that year. I find that store bought ones always seem just a little too cheesy, or a little too rustic, or a little too tacky. I’ve ended up using a whole bunch of berry picks from the floral section of the craft store, along with other unusual items to try to make my own, and that usually works quite well, but I picked up an extra roll of ribbon this year that I really wanted to use somewhere, so I decided to try my hand at a big, fluffy bow Christmas tree topper. It turns out that they’re pretty easy to put whip up!
This post is part of the December edition of the Thrifty Style Team project. Be sure to scroll all the way down to the bottom of my post to see all the other thrifty projects from other talented bloggers on the team! Wired ribbon can get pretty expensive, but it also goes on sale quite a bit around this time of year, so if you still don’t have a topper for your tree, you can make one of these quite affordably! Also keep in mind to search the after Christmas sales for clearance ribbon that you might want to use for this project next year!
Supplies Needed to Make a Bow Christmas Tree Topper
I used:
- Wide wired ribbon. My roll was 25 feet long and I used basically all of it for this one bow.
- Pipe cleaners (floral wire would work too of course, I just used what I had when inspiration struck, which happened to be way too many pipe cleaners. #momlife)
- Scissors
The things that I love about this is that you can reuse all of the supplies that go into making this bow topper in a different way next year if you want a different color of ribbon for your next tree. So this is a really practical and inexpensive tree topper solution!
How to Make the Bow Tree Topper
The process for making the bow basically involves creating as many loops as you want and then securing them tightly at the bottom of your bow to hold the whole thing together.
To make your first loop, unravel about 12 inches of ribbon from your roll, and create a loop. Next, create another loop by pulling out more ribbon and creating kind of a figure 8, then pinch both loops together at their bases.
Continuing creating loops until you have the full, fluffy bow that you were hoping for. My bow has ten loops for reference. I could have gone for more, but you do want to leave a little bit of extra ribbon so that you can create matching streamers to hang down from your bow topper over the top 1/3-1/2 of your tree.
When you have all of your loops done, pinch them all tightly together at the base and wrap them tightly in floral wire or pipe cleaners.
How to Make the Streamers for Your Tree Topper
Cut three to four lengths of ribbon that are about two feet long to use as your streamers. Cut the end that will be dangling down over you tree on an angle for a nice finished look. To secure my streamers, I just wrapped the top few inches of each right around the top of my tree. Since the ribbon is wired, it holds quite well and looks tidy.
Finish the topper by resting the bow on the top few branches of your tree. Feel free to make it even more spectacular by adding in some floral picks, or by using twigs and other natural elements that you gather from outside! I gathered some phragmites from the banks of our creek and tucked it in all over our tree for something a little different. I saw phragmites used in all kinds of beautiful holiday displays when I was in Old Montreal recently so I just had to try it out for myself. 🙂
Do you create your own tree toppers or have you found a store-bought one that you absolutely love?
Grad yourself a cup of hot chocolate and spend some time checking out these other great Thrifty Style ideas as well!
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Dollar Store Duster Christmas Wreath– The How-To Home
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Vintage Drawer Pull Clipboard – Jen Rizzo