5 Tips for Beautiful Christmas Tree Ribbon

We all know that it’s a challenge for adding ribbon to a Christmas tree. However, there are lots of different techniques and tips out there on how to add ribbon to a Christmas tree, and they really depend on the look you are trying to achieve. 

Tip 1: Find the style and pattern that you love and this will be your jumping off point to coordinate other ribbons. There are so many types of ribbons out there (ex. wired, not wired, burlap, twill, grosgrain…). I know this sounds like common sense, and I don’t know if I am just picky or if we have don’t have much to choose from here, but I find it hard to find ribbon that I love. I usually look for the style and pattern that I like first, and then worry about usability later (twill, for instance is harder to use than wired).

Tip 2: Consider scale when you are picking a size of ribbon to use. My tree was 9 feet when I picked out this 2 inch ribbon, which is normally too small. It would have looked pretty dinky and overwhelmed if I hadn’t paired it with the other 5 inch thick wrapping paper ribbon, and the 3 inch satin cream ribbon. You can use big ribbon on small trees, but it is a little trickier to use small ribbon on big trees.

Tip 3: If you are going to get trendy with your tree, make it with the ribbon. My recommendation is to begin a collection of ornaments that you love, that are relatively neutral, and that will last you a long time. Mercury glass is mine. I LOVE my mercury glass. I am so in love with it that  I will most likely always love it. I think it is nice to always have this base to work with, and if you want to get trendy, you can always do it with a few ornaments and the ribbon. Ribbon is a pretty easy  change if you end up wanting to go in a different direction in the future.

Tip 4: Be creative! I put garlands, buntings, flags, crystal ropes, sparkly wrap things, tulle, feather boas, etc. all in the ribbon category as well. If there is something that really catches your eye or that you really love, build your other choices around that one. One year I used fabric that I had on hand that I ripped into strips because we didn’t really have it in the budget to buy a bunch of Christmas decor, and I loved the way it looked.

Tip 5: Don’t be afraid to cut your ribbon! I promise it will be ok! I used to be that person who would try to keep the whole entire roll in tact when I was decorating my tree so I wouldn’t have to cut it up…… you know, in case I needed it for something else someday. Heaven forbid I ruing it. I am telling you, CUT IT! It will make your life so much easier to have smaller, more manageable lengths to work with. In the end, you will be able to play with it so much easier and manipulate it to look the way you want it to. I actually love to cut mine into 5- 6 foot lengths and weave them in and out of the tree. You can always tuck the end into the tree and start a new piece if it ends up being too short. Trust me on this one.