I used Cricut foiling tips to make these Santa bows. They make great decorations or package toppers! Both types are included in the download files. Don’t just put any old bow on that special gift, put a gorgeous homemade foiled bow on it and make it extra special! Or hang it on the wall as a decoration. I put mine on the corners of picture frames.
If you want to make the bows larger or smaller, you can within limits. I went as small as four inches wide on bow 1 (2 inches wide finished size) and as big as 22 inches wide (11 inches wide finished size) but I had to use a 12 X 24 inch mat. Make a single loop or double loop bow.
What you will need:
- cardstock
- Glue Gun
- Cricut Foil Set
- Foil
- Download File
Paper Selection for the Santa Bows
Cutting the Santa Bows
This is the most important section of this tutorial. Other people may make it work other ways, but this is what works for me. The Foil Tools works with the Maker and the Air machines. I would only do one bow at a time and I moved the parts around the mat to minimize the paper used. This saves the foil used too.
If you want to make the single bow use the bow part with two ends and hide the one with four. Visa versa for the double bow. They both use the same tails. You can even make a triple bow by using all the parts but the tail attachment is tricky and you need two centers (the smallest pieces).
If you need to know how to move things around the mat, wathc this video.
I made one bow with gold foil and one with silver If you don’t have the foil tips you can still do this project. Just change the drawings from foil to pen and they will be drawn instead. If you need help using the foil tips see the tutorial here.
Assembling the Santa Bows
Liquid glue works to make these but you have to hold them together for a little while. The single Santa bow folds over into a loop with the joint in the center back. The double Santa bow has a second loop. Then there is a piece that goes around the center perpendicular to the center to hold it all together. Finally. the bows both have tails that are attached at the center back with the glue or glue gun.
And your Sant Bows made with the foil tool are done!
Fun Facts about Ribbons and Bows
- The use of ribbons to embellish packaging dates back to as early as the Neolithic period, when people wove narrow strips of cloth on small portable looms.
- Ribbons and bows rose to popularity and eventually became a versatile fashion accessory for men and women in the Victorian era.
- Depending on your packaging, ribbons or bows can be used to bind parts of it together, or to simply embellish it for an added flair.
- Ribbons can be made from lace, satin, grosgrain, velvet, or taffeta, as well as in tartan, gingham patterns.