Seasonal

How to Make Fabric Bows — Oversized Bow Tutorial (With Measurements)

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October 16, 2026

An oversized handmade bow is one of the most charming and versatile holiday decorations you can create. Add one to your Christmas tree, a wreath, a staircase, your gift wrapping or a cosy corner of the house, and it instantly looks like you spent far longer on it than you did.

I used mine as a tree topper and it looked full, structured and immediately festive, but it adapts to any décor idea you have in mind. The best part: this bow is beginner-friendly, needs only three simple rectangles of fabric, and looks wonderfully luxurious once assembled.

Supplies You’ll Need

Medium-weight woven fabric — gingham, cotton, linen, velvet and so on
Wadding or batting for quilting (this is what gives the bow its structure)
Matching thread
Scissors or a rotary cutter
A sewing machine
An iron
A hand needle, for closing the tails after turning

If you want the fabric to hold a crisp, full shape, don’t skip the wadding — it’s the difference between a bow that flops and a bow that stands up on the tree.

Pattern Pieces (Exact Measurements)

Here are the exact measurements I used. Everything is cut as a plain rectangle — no paper pattern needed.

Bow Loops

58 cm (W) × 40 cm (H)
Cut 1 fabric + 1 wadding

Tails

30 cm (W) × 84 cm (H)
Cut 1 fabric

Centre Knot

12 cm (W) × 20 cm (H)
Cut 1 fabric

How to Sew the Bow

Create the Bow Loops

Fold the rectangle right sides together along the long edge.
Sew the long edge with a 1 cm seam allowance.
Turn the tube right-side out and press.
Cut a piece of quilt batting the same size as the new rectangle and slide it inside.
Fold it in half and sew along the short edge, then turn it so the raw edges sit inside.

Red fabric rectangle cut for the bow loops, laid flat on a white surface

Sliding quilt wadding into the fabric tube that becomes the bow loops

The fabric tube pressed flat with the wadding inside

Folding the loop in half to sew the short edge closed

How to Sew the Tails

Take the rectangle for the tails.
Fold it in half lengthways (long edges together), right sides facing.
Fold it in half again widthways (short edges together), still right sides together.
At the folded corner where all the raw edges meet, cut a smooth curved shape — this becomes the rounded ends of the tails once it’s unfolded.
Unfold the widthways fold, keeping it folded lengthways.
Sew all the way around the raw edges following the curve you cut, leaving a small gap in the middle for turning.
Turn the piece right-side out through the gap.
Press the tails neatly so the curved ends are smooth.
Hand-stitch or machine-stitch the opening closed.

Cutting a curved shape at the folded corner to round the ends of the bow tails

Pressing the finished tail piece so the curved ends lie smooth

How to Sew the Centre Knot

Take the centre piece — this becomes the knot in the middle of the bow.
Fold it in half lengthways, right sides together, so the long edges align.
Sew along the long edge with a 1 cm seam allowance.
Turn the tube right-side out so the seam is hidden inside.
With the seam facing down, fold the piece in half widthways so the short ends meet.
Sew the short ends together to create a loop.
Turn the loop so the seam sits at the back.

Folding the centre knot strip in half lengthways, right sides together

Assemble the Bow

Take the centre knot loop you just made.
Thread the bow loops and the tails through the centre knot — tails at the back first, then slide the bow loops through the front.
Wiggle and adjust the fabric until everything sits neatly.
Use your fingers to form soft pleats in the middle until the bow looks full and even.

The finished fabric bow with loops, tails and centre knot on a white surface

And that’s it — your bow is finished!

The oversized red fabric bow used as a Christmas tree topper

The fabric bow styled on a white wall panel as a wreath-style decoration

Ways to Use Your Fabric Bow

As a tree topper — the reason I made mine
Tied onto a wreath or a front-door garland
On a staircase banister or the back of a dining chair
On wrapped gifts instead of a ready-made ribbon
As a wall or shelf decoration — it’s a seasonal piece you’ll bring back year after year

If you’re making a whole set of festive décor this year, the bow pairs beautifully with the Stella quilted tree skirt — same buffalo-check mood, same beginner-friendly level.

Want a free pattern to practise on first? Grab a free sewing pattern here — no email needed to browse, and the beginner patterns are the easiest way to test a fabric before you cut into the good stuff.