How to make the best patriotic all scrap ribbon lantern swag

Sandy Sandler, the creator of the Bowdabra, is here to show you how easy it is to make a patriotic all scrap ribbon lantern swag in minutes.  So, let’s get started.

Materials:

Lantern

Bowdabra

Bowdabra Bow Wire

2.5” wide Red/White/Blue Tribute ribbon

2.5” wide Navy Blue Nantucket ribbon

1.5” wide Red/White/Blue Flag Salute ribbon

2.5” wide Red/White/Blue Wave the Flag ribbon

Berry pick

Frosted Flocked evergreen branch, cut into 2 pieces

Bowdabra patriotic ribbons

Instructions:

First, cut a piece of Bowdabra bow wire.  Then, fold it in half and insert it into the Bowdabra.  You will have a loop on one side and two loose wires on the other side.  This will serve as your slipknot. Tuck the ends under to stay out of the way while you are making your bow.

Next, lay the evergreen branches in the Bowdabra. Then lay in ribbon scraps that have already been dovetailed. To dovetail, fold the ribbon in half and cut at an angle away from the fold. Keep laying in and alternating the ribbon scraps of the various patriotic prints.

Now, lay the berry pick into the Bowdabra. Next, take the last piece of ribbon and insert it into the Bowdabra scrunching down from the top like an accordion. (Scrunchy bow) When you reach the end, fold it over to hide any fraying.

Now scrunch everything down with the Bowdabra wand.  Then, insert the loose wires through the loop and pull tight while the bow is still in the Bowdabra. Then, remove the bow from the Bowdabra, separate the ends, turn to the back, and tie a knot.  Tie a double knot for extra security.

To finish, shape out the bow by opening, pulling out all the ribbon, and arranging the picks. Tie the swag onto the lantern, and you have a gorgeous scrap ribbon lantern swag!!

Be sure to visit the Bowdabra blog for hundreds of tutorials and videos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Don’t forget to like us on Facebook.  Each Monday at 4:00 p.m. PST, 5:00 p.m. MST, 6:00 p.m. CST, and 7:00 p.m. EST, we host a live demonstration of several projects.  Every week, one lucky viewer will win a free roll of ribbon. See you there!