Design Team Member Brenna here with a project that is equal parts classic Christmas and summer fun because; yes, we are absolutely celebrating Christmas in July! I am not sorry about it. This DIY paper Christmas bow with greenery and jingle bells is a showstopper. We're talking about a gorgeous, dimensional bow that comes in at about 10" wide. You can scale it up or down to fit whatever you're decorating. It looks amazing on a wreath, perched on top of a gift, or nestled right in your Christmas tree.
The color palette I chose feels warm, rich, and festively traditional, and as always I reached for my favorite 12x12 Cardstock Shop papers because the quality is just unbeatable!
Supplies:
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Cardstock: For this bow I used six beautiful Encore Paper colors:
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Glue: Bearly Art Precision Craft Glue (or hot glue if you like to work quick)
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An Electronic Die Cutter
Let's Build This Christmas Bow!
Step 1: Lay out all your pieces.
Before you start gluing anything, take a moment to lay everything out so you can see what you're working with. You'll have your greenery leaves in two shades of green, your jingle bell circles and detail pieces, and your bow strips (six long bow pieces and two tail pieces).
Step 2: Add highlights to the greenery.
Take your lighter Forest Moss pieces and glue them on top of the larger Forest Green leaves to create a natural-looking highlight. This two-tone effect is what makes the greenery look so lush and dimensional.
Step 3: Assemble the jingle bells.
Glue the bell detail pieces onto the bell circles so you can tell they are supposed to be jingle bells. The Hazelnut base paired with the Desert Sand detail gives them that classic golden bell look.
Step 4: Give the greenery stems a 3D lift.
Gently fold up the longer stems on your greenery pieces to give them a beautiful 3D effect. This little fold is what takes your bow from flat to dimensional. It makes the whole arrangement feel full and real.
Step 5: Start building the bow loops.
Now for the fun part! Take one long bow strip and bring the two ends together, then give it a little twist before pressing them down. This adds so much visual interest to each loop. Make a second loop the same way, but twist it in the opposite direction from the first, then glue those two pieces together to create your first double loop.
Step 6: Make the top bow loops.
Take another strip and glue it so it swoops back (refer to the photo for guidance), then glue it centered at the top of your double loop. Repeat this for the other side of the bow so you have loops going in all directions.
Step 7: Attach the bow tails.
Glue your two tail pieces to the bottom of the bow. I angled mine diagonally in the back to add extra visual interest. It gives the whole bow that classic, flowy look like it was tied with real ribbon.
Step 8: Stack and arrange the center decorations.
Now you get to play! Stack your greenery and jingle bells in the center of the bow just like in the photo, layering them until everything looks full and beautiful. You can copy mine exactly, or use your own creativity to switch the elements around!
Ways to Use Your Christmas Bow
Tuck it right into your Christmas tree for a stunning focal point, use it to top a gift instead of a store-bought ribbon, wire it onto a wreath for an instant holiday upgrade, or prop it on your mantle as a standalone decoration. However you use it, it is going to look absolutely fabulous.
I hope you love making this bow as much as I loved designing it! If you make one, please tag 12x12 Cardstock Shop on Instagram! I would absolutely love to see your color combinations. Pink Christmas would be cute as well as making some in a dark blue for a moody Christmas design!
And remember, you can totally make that!
-Brenna
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