How To Make A Deco Mesh Bow Photo Tutorial ~ Step-by-step instructions showing how to make a stunning large bow using deco mesh, ribbon and bead garland!
I love making all kinds of bows! It’s super easy once you know how and it really adds a nice touch to your DIY projects. This is how to make a deco mesh bow photo tutorial!
I had been eyeing this new deco mesh material and when I saw it on sale at Costco for a pretty reasonable price I decided to pick some up and see what I could make with it to add to the staircase banister I decorate for Christmas every year.
I created more interest by adding a smaller bow made from a red and gold patterned ribbon and a strand of beads. I have to admit I was more than pleased with the results. I ended up making nine bows, which I totally plan to reuse next year.
Just a bit of warning before you get started on the project. Deco mesh is a bit of a fussy material because it likes to cling and stick together.
I found it just took some practice and a lot of finger pressing to make it behave the way you want it to behave when making your bow. Here is …
How To Make A Deco Mesh Bow Photo Tutorial
Materials (per bow)
- 6.6 ft. or 2 m (20 in. or 50.8 cm wide) deco mesh
- 3 ft. or 90cm (2½ in. or 6.35 cm) wide ribbon
- 2 ft. or 60 cm string beads
- floral wire
- wire cutters
- scissors
- ruler
- meter or yardstick
Instructions
Step 1
Prepare your materials by cutting the following lengths:
- 6.6 ft. or 2 m of deco mesh
- 2 ft. or 60 cm ribbon
- 1 ft. or 30 cm ribbon
- 2 pieces of wire about 6 in. or 15 cm long
Step 2
Spread out the length of the mesh and fold in half. Finger press flat as best you can.
Step 3
Fold over one end of the folded mesh past the other edge about 20 in. or 50 cm long. Then fold the same end back the other way creating a layered middle section that is about 40 inches. It doesn’t have to super exact but you want to have about the same length on both sides. This step may take a couple of tries but no worries. The mesh is pretty forgiving and can be folded and refolded without a problem. Note that the top of your mesh bow will be the folded side.
Step 4
Pinch together or you could say bunch up the middle of the middle section with your fingers and secure tightly with one of the pre-cut wires. I wrap the wire around the ribbon and twist the wire. Tight is a key factor here because if it is too loose you won’t get the nice bow effect. Just wrap the extra length of wire around the middle or snip off. Set this part of the bow aside for now.
Step 5
Now you will use the same technique to make the smaller bow out of the ribbon. Spread out the length of the ribbon. Fold over one end of the ribbon past the other end about 12 in. or 30 cm. Then fold the same length back the other way creating a layered middle section of about 12 in. or 30 cm. Pinch together the middle with your fingers and secure with the second piece of wire. Notice again that I used the word ‘about’. It does not have to be exact, just as long as you are close.
Step 6
Place the smaller ribbon bow on top of the larger deco mesh bow and secure tightly with the extra wire from the smaller bow.
Step 7
The next step is to add the bead strand. I used the 1 ft. or 30 cm piece of ribbon to secure the beads and the two bows into one neat package while hiding any evidence of the wires. The extra ends of the smaller piece of the ribbon coming from the back of the bow can be tied to whatever you want to attach the bow to.
Step 8
You are almost done. There are still two more things to do before your bow is completed. Trim the ends of the ribbon by folding it in half and cutting out a triangle shape like the photo shows you. Do the same thing for the ends of the deco mesh. I will warn you that you won’t get a nice clean cut with the mesh. I got more of a scalloped look but that’s OK. This is also a good time to trim the ends so they are more even looking if they aren’t already. Attach a clip on each of the the ends for about 24 hours just to stop them from curling up. As I mentioned earlier, deco mesh can be a bit fussy to work with and seems to have a mind of its own. This little trick really solved the curling up problem.
The last step is the fun step! Spend some time fluffing and primping your bow!
That’s it! Now not only can you use your deco mesh bows to embellish your staircase banister but also a large wreath or a large floral arrangement. As a matter of fact, the decorative possibilities are endless!
Stop by How To Decorate A Banister For Christmas to see how fabulous these deco mesh bows look on the staircase banister and how I made the Christmas garland that you see!
Hope the instructions and photographs for how to make a deco mesh bow photo tutorial has inspired and given you the know how for you to make your own!
I use the same technique for making all of my bows. They seem to show up in a lot of my projects. You can see other examples here…
