A couple of weeks ago, I showed readers how to repurpose old Jewish Journal covers into gift bags. People had so much fun with that project, I decided to do a sequel and turn the covers into bows. Bows that you buy in stores can be really expensive, but you can make your own for practically nothing; all you have to buy is a glue stick. Of course, this bow technique also works with any paper you have, so get creative with whatever you have at home.
What you’ll need:
Jewish Journal cover
Glue stick
1. Turn the cover sideways to a landscape orientation, and cut seven strips that are 1 inch wide. Make three strips 10 1/2 inches long (the width of the cover), three strips 9 1/2 inches long and one strip 4 1/2 inches long.
2. Fold one of the long strips in half to locate the center point. Then loop one end of the strip to create a point, and secure the end to the middle with a glue stick.
3. Do the same with the opposite end, and you’ll have one bow section with two pointed loops.
4. Continue folding the other strips until you have three large and three small loop sections. Don’t fold the 4 1/2-inch long strip.
5. Stack the three large loops together, attaching each layer with a glue stick. Notice that it looks like a Star of David.
6. Then stack the three smaller loops on top of the larger loops, securing them with a glue stick.
7. Roll the 4 1/2-inch strip into a cylindrical loop.
8. Attach it to the middle of the bow with a glue stick.
Jonathan Fong is the author of “Flowers That Wow” and “Parties That Wow,” and host of “Style With a Smile” on YouTube. You can see more of his do-it-yourself projects online.