ABRA CA DAB RAH - BOWS!

Ok, we came from here

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/752463/

the flower arrangers tool box and a touch on the discussion of bows...

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Ok, now I know bow making is something that those of us with "fat fingers" have trouble with.. especially me!

I ran across a bow making machine called the Bowdabra! Thought it would eliminate some of the not so much fun in making pretty bows!

So c'mon in join me while I fumble around learning the new machine! The machine came with several pamphlets in various languages of instruction for various styles of bows, some tying wire and a CD. You can get the machine in two sizes one for mini bows and the other larger.

Grin and bare with me now as we try this new fangled thingee!



This message was edited Feb 17, 2009 3:32 PM

Ok, "All Thumbs" here.. here is the result of try number one!

I think with a little more proper twisting it could be better, but it is a silky soft ribbon too and perhaps with shorter loops ...hmmmm I think
the machine rocks!! This bow does not (well, maybe a weee tad), but the machine, does...

I just need more practice but yes, the machine does beat the old way of handl looping and fumbling and tying!.

This was the first lesson bow in their booklet. And the first thiing you do is cut a 24 inch peice of the gold wire tie cord.


This bow method is called the FOLD AND TWIST!

Holy moly, twist and shout, you put the ribbin loops in the maker and you tie the gold wire and you pull the bow out!

Easy as....


This message was edited Feb 17, 2009 10:47 PM

You then take that gold wire cord and double it and place it in the center slot of the machine.....

The next bow I m making is called a butterfly bow. It is two tails and five loops.

The tails are 8 inches long, the first two loops are 8 inch loops with a twist so the nice side of the ribbon is to the outside of the loop and then the next two loops are 6 inches. The final loop is 3 inches fo rthe "knot"!

The gold wire is pulled and tied to the bow and you slide it out of the machine and fluff and whalah!

I could never ever get them done as nice as this doing it the old hand tie method way!

Again, the machine rocks!

I will try yet another style later! See finished bow below!

The finished butterfly bow! By George!






er, is thaaat by Blossom!

www.bowdabra.com

need you ask!

Ok, who has some eucalyptus???? I need some to do a demonstration of their idea of a swag?

D-mail me if you have any!!

How's it going bowmaker? Good effort dear! LOL!

Well, right now I am slow...I have a few requests for wreaths and arrangements and am hunting for supplies and have some on order that I am waiting. So hopefully I will get going here again.

I soo want to do the eucalypus bow! It looks like fun and so aromatic!

Ok, no eucalyptus today and on the project I am working on I could not use the bowmaker.

I needed to make bow picks. So first I cut 5 lengths of ribbon about 13 inches long. I am working with wire mesh ribbon.

Wire mesh ribbon is a joy to work with. You can pretty much bend it how you want it and it will hold most of its shape.

We still need a little mechanics here to make the pick and I am using a short wooden wire pic that will be attached to the mesh ribbon.

The wire is wound around the bow and then floral tape is used to also secure and finish the bowpick for a neat appearance.

Then I take the wire mesh thusly....

Then take the wired wooden pick and wire the ribbon firmly

Next wrap your floral tape...

And....whalah!

The project I was making needed 5 of these bow picks and to see them used go here!

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/939159/#new

I have some of those wired picks but I must be heavy handed 'cause I always break the stinkin' wire when I try to attach whatever it is(bow..silk flower) so I generaly use wooden skewers....and I don't even have fat fingers...LOL

I need to make some of these to use up all my "too short" pieces of ribbon left over on the roll after making big bows.

I have a Bowdabra but I very seldom use it.

I just got the bow makers and hope to use them more.

I like them.. with my carpal symptoms.. sometimes grabbing a pencil somedays is just downright a no can do and the bow maker solves alot of my hand coordination issues when that flares up.

I was hefty pullbow user in most of my crafts before and I like the hand ties now, because they are more personal in the craft over the commercial bows.

pull string...

I mean so simple to use are these commercial bows

But I think they are better used like on gift baskets rather than in a craft, but then that too depends on the craft.


Whalah. Instant bow in 2 seconds.

Great!

Well, hi Terri! Met bigred! one of my garden buds! Here and I go waaay back!

Do you have any bow tricks?

pullbows and curling ribbon are a big no-no with most of the gift basketeer. Hand made or the bowdabra are the acceptable method for gift basket bows.

Well, I am not meaning the really really fancy gift baskets.. was more for like kids party favor or kiddie Easter baskets for the pull bows.. those fancy gift baskets your talking there and that you make you are right..no pull bows. Much would depend on the basket of course and the maker!

A pull bow would definitely be tacky on that basket you are showing!

Hello Bigred, pleased to meet you! Is your bow thingy made with netting? Very nice!

How do you do that!?

Yup,that's netting. My neighbor was having trouble putting together her gift basket for her Aunt's birthday so she brought it to me. I didn't have any colors in silk ribbon that would work for it so I used the netting.

BB,
it's made the same way you do with the silk ribbon. I did it by hand but it can be done on the bow maker.

Cool!

Well, I have made a wreath and the great debate is does it need a bow or not... sometimes the only way I can tell is make one and hold it on it and see. IF it looks good wear it, if not.. not!

I am going to use the bowmaker and use gold wire ribbon. Infact two kinds of gold wire ribbon and see what happens. It will take the two rolls.

Here are my supplies...the machine, the two ribbons, the gold tie thread and scissors......

I am just basically doing what I did earlier on the pink bow above.. but have taken two kinds of ribbon back to back and made tails...

After inserting the gold wire tie thread, basically I took the two ribbons overlapping each other and put a tail in first twisiting it 180 at the center of the machine then made each loop twisting at the center and the last tail.

pulled my tie thread to tie off the ribbon, spread the loops, cut the tails to finish and whalah!

So simple!

After inserting the gold wire tie thread, basically I took the two ribbons overlapping each other and put a tail in first twisiting it 180 at the center of the machine then made each loop twisting at the center and the last tail, pulled my tie thread to tie off the ribbon, spread the loops, cut the tails to finish and whalah!

So simple!

Then going back to my wreath in progress...

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/953887/