Someone asked me to make a paper bow tutorial, and honestly, it turned into one of my favorite craft rabbit holes. A paper bow costs almost nothing, takes a few minutes, and looks like something you bought from a boutique gift shop. Below are sixteen genuinely useful paper bow tutorials and resources, starting with the exact one that answers Ashleighhik’s comment, then branching out into every style of paper bow a beginner or seasoned crafter could want.
Table of Contents(Click to Toggle)
- Why Paper Bows Are the Easiest Craft Win
- 16 Paper Bow Tutorials and Resources
- 1. WikiHow Paper Bow Tutorial
- 2. Paper Kawaii
- 3. Origami.me
- 4. Craftsy / Bluprint Blog
- 5. The Spruce Crafts
- 6. Lia Griffith
- 7. Design Bundles Blog
- 8. Jennifer Maker
- 9. Cricut Design Space
- 10. Dream a Little Bigger
- 11. Papercraft Inspirations
- 12. Country Hill Cottage
- 13. Craftaholics Anonymous
- 14. Pinterest
- 15. YouTube
- 16. Creativebug
- Bonus Mentions
- The Internet’s Best-Kept Paper Craft Secrets
Why Paper Bows Are the Easiest Craft Win
Paper bows solve a very specific problem: you have a gift, a wreath, a journal, or a plain gift bag that needs one small finishing touch, and you do not want to drive to a store or spend money on a pre-made decoration. A sheet of cardstock, a pair of scissors, and five minutes will get you a bow that looks deliberate and pretty. Pink cardstock in particular photographs beautifully, which is why the pink bow paper tutorial trend keeps resurfacing every holiday season.
The tutorials below range from true beginner (fold, cut, pinch, tape) to intermediate (layered loops and quilled accents). Bookmark this page and work through them in order, or jump straight to the style that matches the paper you already have at home.
16 Paper Bow Tutorials and Resources
1. WikiHow Paper Bow Tutorial : The exact step-by-step answer to the pink bow request
What it is: A free, illustrated, step-by-step walkthrough for folding a classic looped paper bow from a single rectangular strip of paper.
Category: Written tutorial with photos
Why it stands out: It is the most direct answer to “can you make a tutorial on how to make a paper bow?” because every step has a clear photo and a plain-language instruction. You fold the strip into a loop, pinch the center, and secure it with tape or a stapled twist tie. It also covers variations for wider or narrower bows.
Best for: Total beginners who want one reliable method they can repeat in under five minutes.
2. Paper Kawaii : Cute origami bows with clean video instruction
What it is: A long-running origami blog with video tutorials and printable diagrams, including several bow and ribbon designs.
Category: Video plus diagram tutorials
Why it stands out: The bow tutorials here are genuinely cute rather than generic, with rounded loops and tidy proportions. Videos are filmed from directly overhead with slow, repeatable folds, so you can follow along even if you have never folded origami before.
Best for: Crafters who learn better by watching than by reading.
3. Origami.me : Diagram-first bow folding for visual learners
What it is: A large free diagram library covering hundreds of origami models, with a dedicated section on bows and decorative folds.
Category: Diagram library
Why it stands out: Every model uses standard origami symbols, so once you learn the notation you can fold any design on the site without a video. The bow diagrams are short, usually under fifteen steps, and work well with both plain copy paper and thin origami paper.
Best for: People who prefer quiet, screen-free folding from printed instructions.
4. Craftsy / Bluprint Blog : Project-style bow tutorials with material notes
What it is: A craft education site with written project guides, including gift-wrap and paper decoration tutorials.
Category: Written project guides
Why it stands out: The tutorials explain why certain paper weights work better, which matters more than most people expect. Cardstock holds a crisp bow shape, while tissue paper gives a soft, floppy bow that suits gift bags. That material guidance saves a lot of trial and error.
Best for: Crafters who want to understand the reasoning, not just the steps.
5. The Spruce Crafts : A huge free library of paper bow variations
What it is: A general craft site with a deep archive of paper craft tutorials, including multiple bow styles.
Category: Written tutorial library
Why it stands out: Because the archive is so large, you can compare several bow styles side by side in one sitting and pick the one that matches your paper. Tutorials are consistently formatted with a supply list at the top, so you know before you start whether you need glue, tape, or a stapler.
Best for: Anyone who wants options rather than a single method.
6. Lia Griffith : Designer paper bows with printable templates
What it is: A paper flower and paper craft studio offering downloadable templates and SVG cut files, including bow designs.
Category: Templates and cut files
Why it stands out: The designs are genuinely polished, with layered petals and loops that look store-bought. Many templates come in both printable PDF and SVG formats, so you can cut by hand or send the file to a cutting machine. The site also shows finished projects in real settings, which helps you judge scale.
Best for: Crafters who want a boutique look without freehand cutting.
7. Design Bundles Blog : Free bow SVGs plus beginner walkthroughs
What it is: A digital design marketplace whose blog publishes free SVG files and step-by-step cutting tutorials.
Category: Free cut files with tutorials
Why it stands out: The blog posts pair each free file with a real tutorial, so you are not left guessing how the pieces assemble. Bow files are usually grouped by occasion, which makes it fast to find a Valentine’s or birthday-appropriate design.
Best for: Cutting machine owners hunting for free, ready-to-cut bow files.
8. Jennifer Maker : Deep, patient tutorials for paper bow beginners
What it is: A craft blog known for extremely thorough tutorials covering paper, vinyl, and cutting machine projects.
Category: In-depth written tutorials
Why it stands out: Tutorials include troubleshooting sections that address the exact things that go wrong, like paper tearing at the fold or loops that will not hold their shape. There are also printable cheat sheets, which are handy to keep next to your craft table.
Best for: Beginners who would rather read one complete guide than piece together five short ones.
9. Cricut Design Space : Cut a paper bow in minutes with a machine
What it is: The free design software for Cricut cutting machines, with an image library that includes bow shapes.
Category: Design software
Why it stands out: If you already own a Cricut, this removes the scissors entirely. You can search the built-in library for bow images, resize them to any dimension, and cut multiple identical bows from one sheet of pink cardstock. It is the fastest route to a batch of matching bows for party favors.
Best for: Anyone making ten or more identical bows for an event.
10. Dream a Little Bigger : Charming hand-cut bow projects
What it is: A craft and DIY blog with approachable paper projects, gift wrap ideas, and decoration tutorials.
Category: Project blog
Why it stands out: The projects are styled for real homes, so you can see how a paper bow actually looks on a wrapped box or a gift bag rather than floating on a white background. Supply lists use inexpensive, widely available materials like scrapbook paper and hot glue.
Best for: Gift wrappers who want the bow to match a specific wrapping paper.
11. Papercraft Inspirations : Magazine-quality bow projects
What it is: The papercraft section of a UK craft magazine site, featuring card making, paper folding, and decoration projects.
Category: Magazine-style tutorials
Why it stands out: Projects are professionally photographed and edited, and many include free printable templates. The writing assumes you are a hobbyist rather than a professional, so terminology is explained the first time it appears.
Best for: Card makers who want a small bow to top a handmade greeting card.
12. Country Hill Cottage : Free printable templates for paper bows
What it is: A lifestyle and craft blog offering free printables, including bow templates and gift decoration projects.
Category: Free printable templates
Why it stands out: The printable templates remove the hardest part of paper bow making, which is getting the proportions right. You print, cut, fold, and assemble. The site also publishes seasonal variations, so the same template can be reused for different holidays with a paper swap.
Best for: Crafters who want a template rather than measuring by eye.
13. Craftaholics Anonymous : Quick five-minute bow projects
What it is: A long-running craft blog focused on fast, achievable projects for busy people.
Category: Quick project blog
Why it stands out: The projects are deliberately short, which suits paper bows perfectly. Many posts are built around supplies you already own, so there is no special shopping trip required. The comment sections are active, which means you can often find answers to a specific problem from other readers.
Best for: Crafters who want a finished bow in one sitting.
14. Pinterest : Visual inspiration and endless bow variations
What it is: A visual discovery platform where crafters save and organize tutorial images and video pins.
Category: Visual inspiration board
Why it stands out: Searching for paper bow tutorials returns dozens of styles in a single scroll, which is ideal for deciding what you want before committing to a method. Saved boards also act as a personal library, so you can return to a specific pin months later.
Best for: Browsing before you decide which style to make.
15. YouTube : Real-time video walkthroughs you can pause
What it is: The largest video platform, with an enormous library of paper bow tutorials filmed in real time.
Category: Video tutorials
Why it stands out: Video removes ambiguity. You can watch exactly how tightly to pinch the center and how much tape to use, then rewind the tricky part. Playback speed controls let you slow a fast crafter down to half speed, which is genuinely useful for folded designs.
Best for: Anyone stuck on a specific step in a written tutorial.
16. Creativebug : Structured paper craft classes
What it is: A subscription-based craft class platform with professionally produced video courses on paper crafting.
Category: Online craft classes
Why it stands out: Classes are taught by working designers and follow a logical progression, so you build skills rather than just copying one project. If paper bows are your entry point into paper crafting, a structured class is a natural next step. Many public libraries offer free access, so it is worth checking before subscribing.
Best for: Crafters ready to move beyond single tutorials into a full skill set.
Bonus Mentions
Martha Stewart : Classic gift wrap and bow tutorials
A reliable source for traditional gift-wrapping techniques, including folded paper bows and ribbon alternatives. The instructions are concise and the photography is clear.
Etsy : Premade and printable bow templates
If you would rather buy than build, Etsy sellers offer printable bow templates and cut files for a few dollars, often in dozens of styles.
Reddit r/crafts : Real feedback on what actually works
A friendly community where crafters post finished projects and ask for troubleshooting help. Useful when a tutorial’s results do not match your paper.
Michaels : Cardstock and craft paper supplies
A practical stop for the materials themselves, especially if you want a specific shade of pink cardstock that holds a crisp fold.
Hobby Lobby : Seasonal paper and embellishments
Worth checking for seasonal paper pads and small embellishments like pearls or glitter dots to finish the center of a paper bow.
The Internet’s Best-Kept Paper Craft Secrets
The best thing about paper bows is how much they deliver for almost nothing. A single sheet of cardstock, one pair of scissors, and a few minutes of folding produce something that makes a gift look considered. Start with the WikiHow walkthrough if you have never made one before, then experiment with the printable templates and video tutorials once you are comfortable with the basic fold.
Pink cardstock is a great place to begin because it photographs well and suits almost every occasion, from birthday gifts to journal covers to party favor bags. Once you have the technique down, you can batch out a dozen matching bows in an afternoon and keep them in a small box for whenever you need one.
Which paper bow tutorial did you try first, and what paper worked best for you? Share your own find in the comments.
