The Quickest and Easiest Way to Decorate Your Christmas Tree with Ribbon

After much experimentation, I've found a method that makes wrapping a Christmas tree in ribbon simple, straightforward, and guaranteed to yield stunning results.

The most challenging aspect of Christmas tree decoration is tying the ribbon around the tree's trunk.

The ribbon is what sets the beautiful Christmas trees apart from the rest, in my opinion.

The success of your project hinges on how well you tie the ribbon.

Why you shouldn't use ribbon to decorate your Christmas tree

I really didn't know what I was doing when I attempted to decorate my first Christmas tree with ribbon.

Here's how our Christmas tree looked like when I first started decorating it with ribbon:

Taking a roll of ribbon, I coiled it around the tree several times before calling it a day.

This style of wrapping a tree is what I like to call "mummy style." It almost looks like someone is strangling the tree.

Needless to say, I'm not a fan of this style.

I wanted my Christmas tree to look as good as the ones in the magazines and online, so I began trying out various decorating methods.

The more I fiddled with the ribbon in an attempt to make it do what I wanted, the more tortured and unattractive the end result looked.

Over time, however, I learned a few shortcuts and tricks that made decorating my Christmas tree a breeze. What's more, it appeared incredibly lovely

In my post, "Adding the Ribbon," I shared some details about Here are some of my favorite tips for adorning a stunning holiday tree. , however, I felt compelled to provide a little more information about the ribbon because it is the trickiest part.

This post includes a video tutorial and detailed instructions for decorating your Christmas tree with ribbon.

If you make a purchase after clicking on one of my links in this post, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. See my full statement of disclosure by clicking here.

When decorating a Christmas tree, what ribbon should one use?

Though any ribbon will do, wired ribbon is the most convenient for decorating a Christmas tree.

Stores like Michaels, Hobby Lobby, and JoAnn Fabrics carry a wide variety of wired Christmas ribbon in a rainbow of colors and prints. (Better still, these shops almost always have sales going on and coupons available.) )

Plenty of alternatives are also available. on Amazon , but the price will be higher

Best results are achieved with ribbon that is between 2 and 4 inches wide, but you can use whatever width you like. You should know that narrow ribbon can easily 'get lost' in the tree, while wide ribbon can be awkward to work with.

When decorating my Christmas tree, I like to use two different ribbons. It's more fun and colorful if you use two ribbons.

Using ribbons of varying widths, textures, and hues is a tried and true method. They don't have to be identical, but they should complement one another.

Please tell me how much ribbon you need.

Cutting down on ribbon waste is a major benefit of this approach to decorating the Christmas tree.

You don't need a ton of ribbon because we won't be wasting it on places no one will look.

For the average 7 In order to decorate a 5 foot tree, I typically purchase two 25-foot rolls of each ribbon style I plan to use.

Depending on how ribboned out you want your tree to be, you may need three rolls of a single type of ribbon.

Decorating a Christmas Tree with Ribbon

What occurs before a ribbon is cut

Make sure to give your artificial Christmas tree a good fluffing before you start decorating it.

Branches from a Christmas tree are easily crushed and displaced during shipping. In terms of aesthetics, fluffing out your branches is crucial. I have a new tree you can have (if you're in the market) Amazon's flocked, pre-lit flocked tree and I find it utterly delightful. )

Simply work your way through the tree, spreading out the branches' tips to fill in any gaps.

Then, if necessary, you can decorate your tree with lights.

The tree topper is often the first ornament some people place on the tree. It's something I usually save for the end, but feel free to include it whenever you like.

Separate the ribbon into thin pieces.

This is the one piece of advice you should take away from this entire post.

When decorating the Christmas tree, it is much more convenient if the ribbon is cut into strips first. With a shorter ribbon in hand, things can be done much more easily than if you had to deal with the drag of a 25-foot tail.

As an added bonus, using ribbon in thin strips helps you avoid that mummy tree look.

It's a fiscal boon as well. You'll need fewer yards of ribbon to decorate the same sized tree if you use narrow strips. Also, you can save time by only wrapping the tree's trunk with ribbon instead of the entire back of the structure.

Your ribbon should be cut into 18–24-inch long strips, as suggested.

Start with a small number of strips and adjust the length and width as needed.

Trim the tree and tie the bow.

You can begin by tucking one end of your ribbon strip into the tree; if you're using wired ribbon, it will stay put without any additional support.

The ribbon can then be manipulated into desired form. In general, I work with two basic shapes that are both simple and attractive.

The Double Tuck, No. 1

Let the ribbon hang after you've tucked one end into the tree. Next, tuck the ribbon's middle into the branches, then let the ends hang loose and puff back out.

Curve No. 2

The ribbon can be hung from the tree by first tucking one end into the branches. Make a loop by curling the ribbon around itself.

The remaining ribbon end can then be neatly tucked away.

Wrap the ribbon around the tree, tucking in the ends after you've formed the curl if necessary.

Some ribbons are easier to curl than others, in my experience. I found that the gold mesh was much stiffer and worked better when tucked under the white fluffy ribbon I had used.

It's important to keep adding ribbon.

One of the secrets to avoiding crumpled and tortured-looking ribbon as you decorate the tree is to simply let the ribbon do what it wants.

Don't try to manipulate it; instead, allow it to fall where it may and then tuck it into the tree.

In most cases, the less effort you put into making something look good, the better it will look.

Including a diagonal ribbon

Instead of draping the ribbon horizontally or vertically, a tree looks best when the ribbon is draped diagonally across the entire tree.

That way, it will wind its way uniformly throughout your entire Christmas tree, and the resulting web of diagonal lines will look stunning when it's all done.

It's aesthetically pleasing to weave the ribbon through the tree in such a way that, from a distance, it appears to be one long, continuous piece of ribbon.

A lot of people would be put off by how simple this is. Assemble the ribbon by affixing each new piece of ribbon to a location that looks like it could be linked to the end of the previous piece.

Even if you don't pay close attention to this, your ribbon should still turn out well.

Two ribbons of different colors can be added in the same manner.

Transforming the horizontal with a ribbon

I like to tie mine on at a 45-degree angle, but I know others who like theirs to run vertically down the tree. This is useful in many situations, but especially when shooting a bow and using a tree topper.

You can use the same strips and double-tuck or curl technique to attach your ribbon vertically.

The only real difference is that instead of draping the ribbon strips diagonally across the tree, you will be running them straight down the tree in rows.

Be sure to keep it loose and let your ribbons zig zag to one side or the other a bit as you work, even though you will be arranging them in a more structured way.

Ribbon should appear natural and undisciplined, not all straight lines.

How to tie bows on miniature Christmas trees.

Miniature Christmas trees are decorated in much the same way, with a few key exceptions.

It may be more practical to use narrower ribbon strips, depending on the size of your tree. In the case of a much more diminutive tree, you could even go as low as 12 inches.

Use the same 2–4-inch ribbon most of the time; if your tree is particularly small, however, you could get away with using a thinner ribbon.

Finally, because there isn't as much space on the tree, you might need to go less diagonally when adding the ribbon.

Please use these suggestions as you see fit. They've completely changed the way I decorate the Christmas tree.

Video Guide

If you want to see the entire demonstration, click the play button. It's a comprehensive guide to decorating a Christmas tree with ribbon.

Web Exclusive: Google's Recommendation for Decorating Your Christmas Tree with Ribbon