Outdoor Christmas Bows: How to Create a Festive Holiday Display

When it comes to outdoor Christmas bows, the main question isn't whether to buy them, but what size to choose and how many to use. Most people put them on a wreath, a door or post, and a fence or rail. The most common mistake is picking a bow that's too small. A bow that looks big indoors can seem much smaller from the street, so larger outdoor Christmas bows usually look better. The size of the bow has a bigger impact on your display than the color or how many you use.

Where Christmas Bows Go Outdoors and What Reads from the Street

Place Christmas bows outdoors on the mailbox or gate, fence line, porch posts and rails, front door wreath, garland ends, and window boxes.

A bow looks different from the curb than it does up close. Using several bows and spacing them well makes a bigger impact than just one. Odd numbers work best—three bows along a fence create a sense of rhythm, while four look more like a grid.

Choosing Size and Finish: Loops, Bow Width, Edge

The loop count is shown on the product page, but the width of the bow is what really matters. Match the bow size to the surface, not to how it looks in your hand. For example, a 6-loop bow is 9 inches wide and fits a 12-inch wreath, covering about three-quarters of it. If you are deciding between two sizes, choose the larger one.

Independence Bunting makes every size by hand in the United States using 2.5-inch red velvet ribbon. The gold purl-edge versions have a wired edge, so if wind or rain flattens a loop, you can reshape it. The gold outline also helps each loop stand out at dusk, when deep red bows can look more brown.

What Winter Weather Actually Does to a Bow

Winter usually doesn't fade a Christmas bow, but it can soak and crush it. Sunlight fades outdoor fabric mostly in summer, and Christmas bows are usually up from late November to early January, when UV levels are low. The main issues are water weight and crushed loops.

Velvet holds rain and wet snow, heavy tails can pull the bow out of shape, and loops that collapse while wet will stay that way as they dry. The manufacturer says this ribbon is weather resistant, but reshaping the bow after the first wet weather does more good than any amount of pre-season preparation.

Hanging Bows So They Hold Their Shape

Tie the bow instead of pinning it, using the extra-long gold braid that comes with it. Whether you are attaching it to a wreath, post, gate, or fence, the steps are the same.

• Find one solid point behind the surface to tie to.

• Tie through the bow knot, not around a loop.

• Pull the tails straight down before you finish the knot.

• Set the loops by hand once the tie is holding.

After the first rain or wet snow, check the bows and reshape the loops while the ribbon is still damp, because wet velvet will hold its new shape. When you take the bows down, untie them instead of cutting, dry each one completely, and store them with the loops facing up.

Pairing Bows with Christmas Bunting on a House Front

Bows highlight certain spots, while bunting creates lines. If you use only bows, your display can look like a group of separate points. Try running bunting along a porch rail or fence top and placing bows at the posts or stretch bunting across a storefront or gate header with a bow at each end. Christmas bunting flags help tie the whole look together.

Conclusion

Before ordering, measure the wreath, post, or fence where you plan to put the bow. Match the loop count to your measurement instead of relying on how a bow looks in a photo. Use the bow-width chart above as a guide, and if your measurement is between two sizes, pick the larger one. Count your posts and fence sections, aiming for an odd number along each run. Then check out Independence Bunting's selection of hand-tied red velvet bows.

FAQs

What size outdoor Christmas bow do I need for my wreath?

Pick a bow that covers about three-quarters of your wreath. For example, a 6-loop bow is 9 inches wide and fits a 12-inch wreath. If you are deciding between two sizes, choose the larger one.

Are velvet Christmas bows weather resistant enough for outdoor use?

The manufacturer says that these red velvet bows are weather-resistant. The gold purl versions have a wired edge, so you can reshape any loop that gets flattened by wind or rain.

How do you attach a Christmas bow to a wreath, mailbox, or fence?

Use the gold braid that comes with the bow to tie it through the knot, not around a loop, and attach it to a solid point behind the surface. Pull the tails straight down and arrange the loops.

Will a red outdoor Christmas bow fade?

Fading is usually not a big issue. Sunlight can fade fabric, but Christmas displays are up from late November to early January, when UV levels are low. Water and crushed loops cause more noticeable damage.

How many bows do I need for the front of a house?

Count bows based on where you put them, not the size of your house. Use one bow on the door wreath, one on the mailbox, one for each porch post, and an odd number along the fence. How you space them is more important than the total number.

Can you reuse Christmas bows outdoors next year?

Whether you can reuse bows depends on how you store them. Untie the bows instead of cutting them, dry each one completely, store them with the loops facing up and nothing pressing on them, and reshape the wired loops before using them again.