The Bow de Fourchette Tutorial 2

Okay...let's make some pretty satin bows!   Here is my other bow making tool! LOL!!  I found this at my local Dollar store and thought...hmmmm....amazing how you start to look a ordinary things differently when you're a paper crafter!  So I brought home this plastic spatula...I know it's not really called a spatula..but I can never think of the right name for it...so spatula it will be! 

I cut the top of the spatula edge off with our Craft and Rubber Scissors and then snipped off each side of the tines, if you click on the picture it will come up bigger for you.  I did this so it wouldn't have sharp edges, to snag the ribbon or cut my fingers!

The spatula has 6 tines, so for a perfect bow de fourchette with our satin ribbon you will just want to use the middle four tines.  To start your bow, insert your ribbon behind the middle four tines.

Just as the pink bow, bring your ribbon around the left hand side (matching the way your hand is curved) like a U shape.  Bring the back piece of ribbon over the front piece.

 

Now, thread the ribbon that you've brought forward from the back, through the middle space.  You will have 2 tines on either side.  Make sure your ribbon is straight.

Once again, you will pull the front ribbon tail down forming your bow, your back tail should be straight down too, in line with the handle.

Pull your front piece up and through the middle tines, making sure it's straight and looks symetrical.

When it's looking good, sometimes you have to adjust with your fingers, flip the spatula over.

Tie a single tight knot.

Slip off the spatula, you might need to squeeze the tines at the top just a bit, to ease the bow off. 

Now just trim your ends and you're done!

Once again....a beautiful, perfect bow!!  Using the bigger size ribbon and the spatula makes it very easy for beginners to learn how to make this bow. 

Here's the finished bow...I love it!!  If you don't have one of the lovely fancy bow makers, a spatula, a picnic fork, even one of those hair combs work great.  I've even made a little bow maker out of one of our wooden blocks, drilled little holes in it, spacing them evenly and inserted bamboo skewers, cut down of course, so you don't poke your eyes out with the point! 

So the picnic fork is great for smaller ribbons, like the tafetta, seam binding, etc. and the spatula is great for larger sized ribbons like our Satin Ribbon or the 5/8" Grosgrain ribbon....hope you have fun trying these out! 

One more tip:  I originally bought 2 spatulas...the one in the tutorial above and a much wider one...well... let me tell you that the wider spatula makes perfect bows for our wide 1 1/4" striped grosgrain!  Just remember to use your Craft and Rubber scissors for an easy cut and trim of the sharp edges! And just use the middle four tines....my husband has stopped asking what I'm doing when I'm in "create mode"!  LOL!!

Thanks for stopping by and sharing your time with me!
Hugs ~ Judy