PRE-NOTCHED BOWS - ship flat w/instructions and have to be fluffed one loop at a time.
These bows do not form in a single motion like pull bows.

9" - 30 solid colors     9" - up to 6 colors in a bow    9" - solid or mixed colors with tulle

Pre-notched bow is one of the oldest bow designs commonly used by florists, crafters, bridal shops and other bow makers. Each bow consists of several yards of folded ribbon. “V” or “U” shaped small cuts are made in the center. That is where the ribbon is then tied with florist's wire, chenille or narrow curling strings.

To transform such folded ribbon into a nicely shaped bow, loops have to be pulled one at the time, twisted and then pulled again towards you. All loops must clear a middle notch or they will slide back under neighboring loop.  Don’t be discouraged if the bow does not look right after you’ve done all this. It only means that more adjustments is needed so keep twisting and pulling loops until you get your bow into a desired shape. Our pre-notched bows are made with plain or flora satin finish polypropylene  ribbon. Polypropylene is the most  durable ribbon material  on the market. It  won’t easily tear or wrinkle as opposed to satin acetate. Detailed fluffing instructions are included in the package.

While we use machine to produce neat, professionally die-cut ribbons, pre-notched bows can also be made using few yards of ribbon and a pair of sharp scissors. Many web sites offer free instructions of how to make them.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PRE-NOTCHED BOWS AND PULL BOWS

Don’t confuse pre-notched bows with pull bows, also sold in our store. While they both ship flat, look similar and can be made with variety of ribbon materials, they form in a different way.  Pre-notched bows ship as pre-bows and have to be fluffed. Evenly arranging loops will be your task.

Pull Bows, also called Perfect or Magic, form in seconds.  Loops automatically arrange themselves in front of your eyes when you pull two inner strings.

Most colors and color combinations sold in our store are available both in pre-notched and pull bows format.

ABOUT RIBBON MATERIALS

We use excellent quality US made polypropylene, manufactured by Berwick and Hollywood Ribbon, the industry leaders for over 50 years. The most commonly used bow materials  are polypropylene in plain satin,  embossed flora satin, iridescent, metallic, lacquer and holographic  finish, and satin acetate (wood pulp + acetic acid).  Due to solvents and manufacturing processes, both polypropylene and satin acetate are essentially thermoplastics, and fall into the same category of the most popular and affordable ribbon materials.