Bow Maker Tools- The Great Bow Debate

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There’s a lot of debate over which bow maker tools are the best when learning how to make a bow with a ribbon. I’m spilling the beans! Find out which bow maker I prefer.

Remember when the greatest debate in the world was which way the toilet paper was supposed to unroll? However…in the wreath world, one of the most common debates centers around all the different bow maker tools out there.

Questions like “which bow maker tool is the best to use?” and “how to make a bow with ribbon?” swirl around consistently.

So, how do you choose the bow maker that’s right for you? Let’s figure it out together!

How To Make A Bow With Ribbon: Top Bow Maker Tools

Our community seems to be able to turn every action someone makes into a great debate.

The latest? Bow makers…

So let’s review them with a fun little twist. Instead of reviewing them in order of favorites, let’s do it according to the year they were invented!

Bow Maker #1: Hands

Wikipedia states these are 2.5 million years old…hands.

Now, I will say upfront that learning how to make a ribbon bow with your hands does have a learning curve that can trip some people up at first. However, it’s really not as hard as some people make it out to be, and once you learn, you have a lot of versatility in your bow-making skills.

Pros of using your hands as your bow maker:

• It’s quick, easy, and doesn’t cost you any extra money.
• Perfect for whipping out that random bow that you need to make.
• There are tons of Youtube videos showing you how to make a bow by hand.
• You can make really interesting and beautiful bows with just your hands.

Cons of how to make a bow with your hands:

With everything, there’s a yin and yang. Bow making with your hands can wear them down and cause some aches and pains when your business starts to pick up.

Bow Maker #2: The EZ Bow Maker

I haven’t been able to find a clear answer, but it looks like the EZ Bow Maker has been around since 1993.

And I have to say, when it was invented, it made a huge difference for people making bows and what kinds of rivvon bows people could make.

Pros when using the EZ Bow Maker include:

• You can walk into Hobby Lobby or Michael’s and grab one with your 50% off coupon for about $5.00.
• The EZ Bow Maker is lightweight and small.
• It’s easy to move around your workspace and pull your work out.
• The 4 pegs stay fixed in place so you never have to worry about losing them.
• This bow maker tool makes beautiful bows. Check out my EZ Bow Maker tutorial showing you how to use it!
• You can get designer quality bows in just minutes…they’re even fluffy!
• I personally like that you can watch the bow being made exactly as it’ll look on your wreath.

Cons of the EZ Bow Maker:

• They’re hard to find online. However, if you’re interested in purchasing one, they are usually available on DecoExchange.
• The company doesn’t have a functioning website and they’re way overpriced on Amazon.
• You have to constantly change out the spool of ribbon, so it can take a little more time while making the bow, but really it’s not a lot.

Bow Maker #3: The Bowdabra

The web isn’t clear, but it looks like the Bowdabra has been around since the 1990s.

Pros of this bow maker:

• The company has an over-the-top (in a good way!) website with tons of information waiting for you. She’s built a brand and company around the Bowdabra.
• She goes live every Monday on her Facebook page showing you how to use the product.
• You can get designer quality bows in just minutes.

Cons of the Bowdabra:

• I personally think a big downfall for the Bowdabra is the amount of tension that is placed on the ribbon when making the loops.
• There’s no measurement tool attached for making sure your loops/tails are the same length. (You can buy one separately, though.)

Bow Maker #4: The Pro Bow The Hand

I couldn’t find the origin date for the Pro Bow, but the patent is 2011, so I’m going to assume it was prior to that.

Pros for using the Pro Bow include:

• It’s a favorite of many wreath makers, so there are tons of tutorials online, like our Pro Bow Tutorial.
• This bow maker tool creates bows that are clean, tight, and beautiful.
• It does take a second to learn, but once you have it down, you’ll be making amazing bows every time.

Cons of the Pro Bow:

• The board can be intimidating when you first see it.
• The Pro Bow needs additional items purchased separately to get the most use out of the product. (Extra spool holders & Fluff box).
• It takes a little more imagination and creativity to see the bow being built as you create. As demonstrated in the picture above, you don’t have a great concept of how your ribbons will look once completed. (This is overcome with experience)

Bow Making Tool #5: The Bow Genius

Honestly, I don’t really know anything about the Bow Genius. It just reminds me of the thing that used to make hair rollers hot.

The Bow Genius does have a benefit… it comes in a cool carrying case so all of your pegs stay together.

As far as cons go, according to other bow makers, a downfall for this bow maker tool is this one is intimidating and takes some practice to learn how to use.

A quick patent search tells me that there are 21 other bow makers that I’ve never used or heard of… Time to go shopping, y’all!

So, Which Bow Maker Is The Best?

After seeing my comparison of all these different bow-making tools, we come back to the question central to the great debate: which one is the best?

As you can see, there are definitely pros and cons to each bow-making tool. At the end of the day, the best bow maker for YOU is the one that takes how to make a bow with ribbon and makes it the easiest for you.

Don’t be bullied into purchasing a product that doesn’t meet your needs!

Just pin this image on bow maker tools below to find the instructions later!

We would love to hear which bow maker tools you love/prefer and why. Just comment below to let us know!

Share which bow maker tool is your favorite with us over at the How To Make Wreaths Facebook Group. We’d also love to see videos of you using it for your own beautiful creations!

If you are interested in more info on learning how to make wreaths, where to buy supplies, and being in a community of like-minded crafters, check out our Creative Coaching Subscription Group.

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