Have you started decorating for Christmas yet? As you may already know {based on my Christmas mantel} I have! One of the first things I remember struggling with when it comes to decorating for Christmas is hanging ribbon on a tree.
How the heck is one supposed to hang ribbon on a Christmas tree anyways!?
Well…there are about 539 ways you can hang it. Today I thought I’d share a little tutorial on how I hang my ribbon…for those of you struggling and wondering about this like I used to.
First things first…I like to use a wired Christmas ribbon. You can bend and shape it anyway you want, which makes it perfect to use on a Christmas tree.
It also works well to cut the ribbon in various lengths to use around the tree.
Directions:
*Note: I like to hang the Christmas tree ribbon vertically.
1. After cutting your ribbon add the first strand towards the top of the tree, and tuck the tip of the ribbon around a branch to secure.
2. Next, work your way down the tree with the ribbon. This will vary depending on the size of your tree and the length of your ribbon. For this small tree I went down about 8-10 inches – which seemed to even out the ribbon length around the entire tree.
3. Once you find your next good stopping point wrap the ribbon tightly around a branch to secure. Then push the ribbon back towards the base of the tree to hide the knot. Once secure fluff your ribbon.
Fluffing the ribbon as you go is key…no one likes matted down ribbon!
4. Continue working your way around the tree. Also add the smaller pieces of ribbon where you see some small empty spots.
As you can see I didn’t keep my ribbon in a completely straight line, because I like to angle it…so do what works best for you.
After you have used up all of the main ribbon you can fill in the empty spots with a different ribbon.
Cut this ribbon into even smaller sections. Then take a step back to see where you might need to fill in an empty spot.
When you are happy with the ribbon {after fixing it 25 times if you are anything like me} you can move on to the fun part…hanging the ornaments!
Hanging ribbon on a Christmas tree is all about trial and error…
…taking lots of steps back and moving things around until it looks just right.
And you have no idea how many times it takes to look just right when you are a perfectionist š
I guess that is why I consider hanging ribbon on a Christmas tree a marathon…and definitely NOT a sprint.
But I’ve found if you stick with it, it will always turn out beautiful in the end!
Need some help with your garland? See my tips for hanging garland on a mantel too!
Good luck with your Christmas decorating!
And have a very Happy Thanksgiving š
P.S. Check out how all of the Christmas decoration came together in my complete Christmas Home Tour!
Renee says
November 26, 2014 at 7:13 amOh this is just perfect!! I already put my tree up and it was liking a little drab this year. I think I shall try to incorporate some ribbon to dress it up. Just wish me luck since I finished the ornaments too!
theblueeyeddove says
November 26, 2014 at 7:29 amYou can just weave some ribbon in, Renee. I’m sure it will look fantastic! Good luck š
Karen says
November 26, 2014 at 8:34 amBeautiful as always…you have the creative “vision” and it is absolutely amazing. Love your color combination on your garland and tree. It’s always fun to look at all that you have done… keep ’em coming Erin!!
theblueeyeddove says
November 26, 2014 at 9:22 amThank you for your sweets comments, Karen! Stay tuned for the complete Christmas Tour next week. Have a Happy Thanksgiving š
Debby says
December 7, 2014 at 1:08 pmThank you for the help with the ribbon….Love the tree:)
theblueeyeddove says
December 7, 2014 at 1:20 pmYou’re welcome, Debby! Glad you found the tutorial helpful. Enjoy your weekend š
Colleen says
December 8, 2014 at 10:58 pmLove this website
theblueeyeddove says
December 9, 2014 at 8:07 amThank you, Colleen š
Jean says
November 9, 2015 at 5:48 pmHello, I was just wondering how you incorporate that second smaller ribbon. In the picture, it looks like a small pouf?
[email protected] says
November 9, 2015 at 6:24 pmHi Jean! Yes, the second ribbon I used is still Christmas ribbon only cut into small super small pieces. After adding the main ribbon I take a step back to see where I have some empty spots and incorporate the smaller ribbon in. Usually I tuck these pieces around a branch so they are secure, or sometimes they stay on their own if you scrunch them just right and have enough branches around them to keep it in place. Hopefully this helps! Thanks for stopping by š
Margaret says
October 30, 2016 at 7:59 amBeautiful
[email protected] says
November 14, 2016 at 5:17 pmThank you, Margaret! š