Tuesday, June 9, 2009

A Tie Game

Now that you know how to iron an old ribbon, I thought it might be helpful to show you the best way to tie that lovely ribbon around a gift box. You may be thinking that you already know how (and what kind of idiot do I think you are?), but there's a better way than the way you know. Which doesn't make you an idiot, just sort of sadly misinformed. I learned this method during my tenure at Martha Stewart Weddings magazine, where exceptional ribbon-tying skills were a prerequisite for hire. How I snuck through the doors only knowing the lame way you know is still a mystery to me.


{click on the image to enlarge}

Here Goes:
1. Wrap your box with pretty paper (or try one of these alternative wraps).
2. Run the ribbon around the length of your box in one direction, ending with both ends on top. Pull until one of the ends is the exact length it should be in order to form the size of bow and tail that you will want on your finish product (we'll call this end "A", and the longer end, which is still attached to the spool in the picture, end "B")
3. Leaving end "A" on top of the box, wrap end "B" around end "A" twisting at the center of the top of the box. Run end "B" around the bottom of the width of the box, ending with end "B" at the top of the box again.
4. Tie the two ends together into a pretty bow. (That may be a lesson for another day).

The reason this method it better is that it leaves the "twist" in the ribbon at the top, hidden under the bow, instead of on the bottom of the box, where it looks sloppy and leaves the bottom uneven. In this method the ribbon rests flat against the bottom of the box, which is particularly important when you are wrapping little packages (like wedding favors) or stacking presents. It's one of those things that makes you wonder why everyone doesn't just learn this way to begin with (like peeling a banana from the tip instead of the stem- which takes off the weird stringy things, and leaves you the stem to hold onto like a handle. So much better!)

At any rate- that's a wrap.

photo credit: The Container Store

1 comment:

Jane said...

Holy cats! I worked at the Paper Source for a year and two Christmas seasons, during which time I wrapped gifts professionally and knew nothing of this ribbon tying technique. It's awesome, I am forwarding a link to your site to my former manager post haste!