How to Tie a Perfect Bow

When I discovered Martha Stewart during my high school years, I was addicted to her show and would watch it as often as I could.  My favorite segment? Good things.  She'd teach you one really cool trick to a problem that you never new was a problem. In addition to learning how to fold a fitted sheet (what? You're saying folding it in half and rolling it up isn't right?), I learned how to tie a perfect bow.  I remember, after that episode, sitting there practicing and practicing until I figured out how to tie a perfect bow. I can't remember if my bow is the same as Martha's, but it works so here's what to do.

First, tie a knot. I go left over right. I like to try to keep the ribbon flat.

Make a loop with the ribbon end that is lower, in this case, it's the right side. You'll notice from here on out, I use my ring finger to hold the knot down and tight.

Now, take the ribbon end that is higher, in this case, the left, and put it over the loop you made. 

Put the left ribbon end around the right loop and pull it through. Notice that all the ribbon lays as flat as possible.

Last, but not least, pull tight. You'll have your loops on top and the end on the bottom!  I used grosgrain here, but if you use a softer ribbon, the middle of the bow tends to look nicer than a firmer ribbon.

Oh and don't forget to trim the ends to slant. I usually cut my ribbon at a slant hoping that it'll just come out right, but as you can see, that didn't happen here. 

Have any "good things" you learned along the way?