How To Make

Assembly: Lace FSL bow

Freestanding Lace (FSL) Bow Tutorial

This tutorial explains how to assemble a delicate FSL bow from multiple stitched pieces. It can be easily assembled with hot glue or by hand-stitching, making it perfect for adding a charming touch to any project.

A finished, beautifully assembled freestanding lace bow.

Quick Assembly Instructions

Fold and secure the main bow piece in half. Layer the folded bow on top of the tails piece and secure them together. Wrap the center strip around the bow—from back to front, then to the back again—and secure it in place.

Step-by-Step Assembly

The separate freestanding lace pieces required for the bow, laid out flat.

Take one piece at a time to begin. Start with the top piece, which looks like a pair of glasses or two connected ovals. In the picture below, it’s the piece in my right hand.

Add a small drop of hot glue to the center on the wrong side. If you do not have a glue gun, you can hand-stitch the pieces together instead.

Applying a small drop of hot glue to the center of the main bow piece.

Fold the piece in half so the two ends meet, as shown below.

The main bow piece folded in half with its ends secured in the center.

Now that you’ve finished the first half, take the next piece—the one shaped like a "T" with a long center strip. Place the folded bow piece on top of it, with the wrong side facing down.

Placing the folded main bow piece onto the T-shaped tails piece.

Add a small drop of glue in the middle to hold the two layers together, as shown in the image below.

Applying hot glue to the center of the tails piece to attach the bow.

The folded bow piece secured onto the tails piece.

It's time to finish your bow! You will see the small strip extending from the center of the tails piece.

The center strip of the tails piece ready to be wrapped.

Take that strip and start by folding it from the top to the back. Then, bring it around from the bottom to the front, wrapping it tightly around the center of the bow like a ribbon.

Wrapping the center strip around the bow from the back to the front.

The center strip fully wrapped around the bow, creating a neat center knot.

Add a little glue to the back of the bow to secure the end of the center strip. As mentioned, you can also stitch this part instead if you prefer.

And that’s it—your beautiful lace FSL bow is complete! Whether you used glue or stitched it by hand, you now have a lovely, handmade piece ready to embellish your projects. Great job!

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