How to tie a bow: gifts, hair, bow ties and shoelaces that stay tied

A bow is one of the smallest details that changes the whole picture. A gift looks like it came from a boutique, a silk blouse gets a softer line, and a hand-tied bow tie on a dress shirt shows someone knows the rules of formal dress. Yet most people learned one bow as children, for their shoes, and never quite worked out the rest.

This guide puts the common cases in one place: a ribbon bow on a gift, a hair bow, a bow on a blouse or a dress belt, a self-tie bow tie, a scarf bow and shoelaces that do not come undone halfway through the day. The key methods come with numbered diagrams that are easy to follow on a phone.

How to tie a bow: one knot for every occasion

In knot terms, the classic two-loop bow is a reef (square) knot whose second half is tied with loops. A reef knot is made of two half knots tied in opposite directions, so it lies flat and tightens when the ends are pulled sideways. Tie both halves in the same direction and you get a granny knot: the loops twist round to sit along the knot, the bow turns diagonal and it works loose much faster.

So the first tip applies to every bow: if your bow always sits crooked, change the starting knot, not the loops. If you normally cross left over right, try right over left. Keep tying the loops the way you always do.

The basic steps never change:

1. Starting knot. Cross one end over the other, tuck it under and pull tight.
2. First loop. Make a loop with one end and hold it against the knot.
3. Wrap. Wrap the other end around the base of the loop.
4. Second loop. Push a second loop through the hole you have made.
5. Even out. Pull both loops at once, then adjust the loops and tails.

How to tie a bow on a gift

A gift bow looks best when the ribbon wraps the box both ways and the knot lands in the middle of the top. If you want the bow on a corner, plan for it before you start: once the knot is tied you cannot slide it without creasing the ribbon.

1. Place the box upside down on the middle of the ribbon. Bring both ends up to the top, cross them in the middle, turn the ribbon 90 degrees and wrap it around the other way. The ends should meet on top.
2. Cross one end over the other, tuck it under and pull hard. Make sure the ribbon hugs the edges now, because it will not tighten later.
3. Make a loop with one end, wrap the other end around its base and push a second loop through.
4. Pull both loops outwards at the same time. If one is bigger, pull on the smaller loop until they match.
5. Cut the tails on a slant or in a V: fold the tail in half lengthways and cut diagonally towards the fold. The ends fray less and look finished.

Double-faced satin ribbon is forgiving: if a loop twists, you still see the shiny side. With single-faced satin, watch that the ribbon does not flip over as you wrap it.

Double bow (four loops)

A double bow looks fuller and suits large gifts and wreaths. Start with the same knot, but before wrapping, make two loops with the first end and stack them like a fan. Wrap the second end around both loops together, push two loops through the hole and tighten slowly. Wired ribbon helps all four loops keep their shape.

How to make a bow with ribbon without tying it

Florists often build a bow instead of tying one. Fold the ribbon into a figure of eight, loop after loop, pinching everything in the middle, then bind the centre with thin wire or thread and cover the wire with a short piece of ribbon. The bow never comes undone and can be attached to a wreath, a bouquet or a gift bag, with four, six or eight loops.

How much ribbon you need for a bow

The most common mistake is cutting by eye and finding yourself 10 cm (4 in) short at the bow. The maths is quick: add up every side of the box the ribbon will cross and add an allowance for the bow.

The wider and stiffer the ribbon, the more of it goes into the knot and loops. For a 1 cm ribbon, 60 cm for the bow is generous; for a 5 cm velvet ribbon, keep 80 cm.

Which ribbon to choose for a bow

The material decides whether a bow holds its shape or collapses, and how easily it unties. The common ones:

You can stop synthetic ribbon from fraying by passing a lighter flame briefly along the cut edge so it melts. Do not do this with silk, cotton or velvet: they burn rather than melt. Cut those on a slant with sharp scissors.

How to tie a hair bow that stays in place

Hair bows are back, from a thin black ribbon at the end of a braid to an oversized velvet bow on a low ponytail. Karl Lagerfeld finished Chanel runway buns with pastel bows, and Marc Jacobs once sent nearly every model in a New York show out with a bold bow tied around the head.

1. Elastic first. Secure the hair with a thin elastic. The bow is decoration, not the hold, so it will not slide off during the day.
2. Ribbon over the elastic. Put the middle of the ribbon under the ponytail, bring both ends up and tie the starting knot right over the elastic.
3. The bow. Carry on as with shoelaces. Hair bows usually have short loops and long tails: 6–⁠8 cm (2.5–⁠3 in) loops and 20–⁠35 cm (8–⁠14 in) tails look elegant.
4. Pin it. Slide one or two bobby pins through the knot so the bow does not droop.

Other ways to wear a hair bow

• Half-up. Gather the top section at the crown and hide the elastic under the bow. A thin 1–⁠2 cm ribbon works best.
• Braid end. A thin satin or velvet ribbon tied in a small bow over the elastic, with 10–⁠15 cm tails.
• Headband bow. Run the ribbon around the head under the hair and tie the bow on top, off-centre or by the ear.
• Bun. Tie the bow at the base of the bun and spread the loops so they show from the front.

Fine, slippery hair does better with grosgrain or velvet ribbon, which grips. Satin slides more, so always pin it.

How to tie a bow on a blouse, dress or belt

On clothes a bow does two jobs: it decorates and it shapes. A pussy-bow collar softens a strict work blouse, while the sash of a wrap dress defines the waist. Dolce & Gabbana have long used a bow in place of a belt, and Moschino once showed a bow at the neck as a stand-in for a tie.

How to tie a pussy-bow blouse

1. Button the blouse to the top and even out the two ties.
2. Tie the starting knot without cinching it at the throat: two fingers should fit between the knot and your neck.
3. Tie a shoelace bow with short loops and long, loose tails.
4. Flatten the loops so they lie on the chest rather than standing up.

For the office you can tie just one loop, or a single half knot with the tails falling free. It reads calmer and less sweet.

Dress and coat belts

Tie a wrap dress sash at the side of the waist, not dead centre: a side bow is more flattering and keeps the eye off the stomach. A coat or trench belt looks more relaxed if you tie a half knot and form a loop on one side only. With thick fabric, stick to one loop, because two wool loops look bulky.

How to tie a bow tie step by step

The self-tie bow tie is part of classic black tie for men: a black silk bow tie with a dinner jacket, tied by the wearer. It takes practice, but the knot is the same as a shoelace bow, except that one end is folded into the bow shape first. For when the occasion calls for one, see our black tie dress code guide.

1. Length. Drape the bow tie around your neck under the raised collar, with the left end A about 4 cm (1.5 in) longer than the right end B. If it is adjustable, set it to your collar size first.
2. Cross. Cross A over B right at the neck.
3. First knot. Bring A up under and through the neck loop and let it hang. Pull snug without squeezing your neck.
4. Bow shape. Fold B at its widest point and hold it horizontally against the collar. This is the front of the bow.
5. A down the middle. Drop A straight down over the middle of the folded B.
6. Push through. Fold A at its widest point and push the fold through the loop behind B. Then gently pull on both folded ends in opposite directions to tighten, and straighten it out.

Tips for your first bow tie

• Practise around your knee or the back of a chair before tying it on yourself, so you can see where each end goes. Then repeat in front of a mirror.
• If the bow comes out huge and heavy, the difference between A and B is too big. Lengthen the shorter end.
• If the knot is loose, tighten it by pulling the unfolded back parts of the bow, not the loops.
• A pre-tied bow tie with a clasp is acceptable, but black tie traditionally means self-tie. A bow tie untied and left hanging at the end of the night is a well-known sign that the formal part is over.

Women do not need a bow tie for black tie, but a bow still fits: a silk bow at the waist or collar works well with an evening dress. More in our guide to black tie for women.

How to tie shoelaces so they don't come undone

Shoelaces are the same bow, so they have the same problem: if the starting knot and the loops go the same way, you get a granny knot. It is easy to spot. Instead of lying across the shoe, the bow sits lengthways, with one loop pointing to the toe and the other to the heel, and it unties far more quickly.

In 2017, engineers at the University of California, Berkeley filmed a runner on a treadmill in slow motion to find out why laces come undone. Each footstrike hits the knot with about 7 g of acceleration and loosens it a little, while the swinging free ends and loops pull it apart. Once the knot starts to slip, it fails within a couple of seconds. The balanced (reef) version lasted longer than the granny knot, though it too gave way eventually.

How to make shoelaces stay tied all day

1. Check the direction. After tying, see whether the loops lie across the shoe. If not, reverse the starting knot next time.
2. Double wrap. At step 3, wrap the lace around the loop twice and push the second loop through both wraps. The knot is stronger but still unties with a pull on one end.
3. Double knot. Tie the two loops together in one more half knot. It holds best, but is harder to undo, especially when wet.
4. Shorter tails. Long loops and ends swing more and tug the knot harder. Keep the loops short or switch to shorter laces.
5. Lace material. Round, slick waxed laces slip sooner than flat cotton ones. For trainers, choose flat or textured laces.

For which laces and lacing suit which shoes, see our guide to types of shoes and the sneakers entry.

How to tie a scarf in a bow

A silk scarf tied in a bow works at the neck, on a handbag handle and in the hair. The method is the same, but the scarf has to be folded into a band first.

1. Lay a square scarf flat and fold it in half diagonally into a triangle.
2. Fold it from the long edge in bands 3–⁠4 cm (about 1.5 in) wide until you have a narrow strip.
3. Wrap the strip around your neck, the bag handle or a ponytail, tie the starting knot and then the bow.
4. Keep the loops small and the tails longer, so the print shows.

Common bow-tying mistakes

FAQ about tying bows

How do I tie a bow that sits straight?

Tie the starting knot and the loops in opposite directions. If the bow sits crooked, reverse the starting knot: right over left instead of left over right. Pull both loops together and even them out by pulling the smaller one.

How do you tie a bow on a gift?

Wrap the ribbon around the box both ways so the ends meet in the middle of the top. Tie a starting knot, make a loop with one end, wrap the other end around it, push a second loop through and even it out. Cut the tails on a slant or in a V.

How much ribbon do I need to wrap a gift?

For a gift wrapped both ways: 2 × length + 2 × width + 4 × height, plus about 60 cm (24 in) for the bow. A 30 × 20 × 10 cm box needs about 2 metres (just over 2 yards).

How do you tie a bow tie?

Start with one end about 4 cm (1.5 in) longer. Cross the long end over the short one and bring it up through the neck loop. Fold the short end into the bow shape, drop the long end over its middle, fold it and push it through the loop behind the front of the bow. Tighten and straighten.

Why do my shoelaces keep coming undone?

Usually because of a granny knot: the starting knot and the loops are tied in the same direction, so the bow points along the shoe. Reverse the starting knot, wrap the lace twice, or tie the loops together in a double knot.

How do I keep a hair bow from slipping?

Secure the hair with an elastic first and tie the ribbon over it. Slide a bobby pin through the knot. Velvet and grosgrain ribbons grip slippery hair better than satin.