Cut the ribbon approximately 5x the width of the finished bow.

Lay out the ribbon on a flat surface and fold in a double zig zag, so there is 1 cut end and 2 folded ends both the left and right sides. Leave the right end and left end ribbon tails roughly the same width as the folded ends (unless you want a longer ribbon tail).

Carefully stack all 5 layers of ribbon and gather the ribbon in the center with one hand, all 5 layers, with one cut end at the top of the stack and the other at the bottom.

Wrap the top ribbon tail around the center of the stacked ribbon loops in one direction, and the bottom ribbon tail from the other direction. Cross (but do not tie) the ribbons and wrap them the rest of the way around so they form a loop around the center of the stacked ribbon loops.

Tie both ribbon tails together in a basic knot.

Tug to adjust the knot and bow loops to the sizes you'd like, and to move both bow tails to the same side of the bow.

Trim any excess ribbon, and cut the bow tails the the shape you like, such as a 45-degree V like we did here.

(optional) Finish the ends of the ribbon with FrayCheck or by heat sealing with a lighter (for satin ribbon).

To attach this bow to a wreath, garland, gift, etc, use a twist tie or zip tie through the tied center section.

Alternative Rustic Bow Style: Instead of using the ribbon tails to tie the center of the bow, use a short piece of jute twine or a matching wire twist tie in the center.

Cut one length of ribbon 2x the width of your desired bow, and one length of ribbon a little bit shorter.

Fold each length of ribbon into a loop, with the cut end centered in the middle of the back. (Do not crease the folded ends of the wired ribbon.)

Lay the smaller second loop on top of the larger first loop. I like to use my scissors to hold the loops in place. Alternately, you can use a twist tie or a zip tie to cinch and gather the center of the ribbon loops and hold it in place.

Cut a shorter piece of ribbon, about 2 times the width of the ribbon.

Wrap the shorter piece of ribbon around the center of the 2 loops of ribbon with the cut ends at the back (where the cut ends of the ribbon loops are). If you'd like a thinner bow center, fold the ribbon to the desired width.

Secure the center loop in place using hot glue. If you didn't use a twist tie or zip tie in Step 3, ensure that the glue will hold the gathered center of the bow securely.

Cut another piece of ribbon for the tails at the length you like. (Ours is about 2x the width of the bow.) Trim the ends as shown, and use FrayCheck or a lighter to seal the ends of the ribbon as needed.

Tuck the ribbon tail piece into the center loop or twist tie, or cut in two pieces and glue the ribbon tails to the back of the bow.

For a fancy bow with multiple layers, cut additional lengths of ribbon at slightly varied sizes, then fold and stack them largest to smallest before cinching in the middle and adding the center tie and tails.