Christmas ribbon is the decorating supply that most people underestimate and undersupply right up until they watch someone loop a generous velvet ribbon through a Christmas tree and feel the entire room shift. The tree looks different. More intentional. More like something from a design magazine and less like a collection of ornaments hung by a committee. The ribbon did that. It cost less than one ornament.
The right Christmas ribbon is one of the highest-return purchases in holiday decorating: it elevates a tree, transforms a wreath, finishes a gift, ties a garland to a staircase and makes a bow topper that pulls an entire display together. Understanding the full range of what ribbon can do in a holiday setting and knowing which ribbon formats suit which applications makes the whole December decorating process significantly more satisfying.
Here is everything you need to know.
What Is the Best Christmas Ribbon for Decorating?
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If you only buy one kind of Christmas ribbon, make it 2.5 inch wired velvet ribbon. The wire edge lets you shape loops and cascades that hold all season, velvet adds the depth that makes a tree look expensive and 2.5 inches reads from across the room without overwhelming the branches. Plan on two and a half to three yards of ribbon per foot of tree height, so a 7.5 foot tree needs about 18 to 22 yards.
- Christmas trees: 2.5 inch wired velvet, plaid or metallic ribbon
- Wreaths and garland: 1.5 to 2.5 inch wired ribbon in velvet, buffalo check or tartan
- Gift wrap: satin, grosgrain or curling ribbon, plus pre-made pull bows for speed
- Farmhouse and natural looks: wired burlap or cotton ribbon
- Bows and tree toppers: wide wired velvet or satin, cut longer than feels comfortable
How Christmas Ribbon Works in Holiday Decorating
Before getting into specific ribbon types it is worth understanding the four primary applications so you know which format you are shopping for.
Tree ribbon is looped, cascaded or tucked through a Christmas tree from top to bottom in generous sweeping loops: not wrapped tightly around the tree like a garland but draped in organic, flowing loops that create movement and visual depth. This is the application that most dramatically transforms a tree and the one that requires the most ribbon: typically twelve to twenty-five yards for a seven and a half foot tree depending on how generous the loops are. Wired ribbon is essential for tree applications because the wire holds the loops in shape rather than drooping. Ribbon looks best next to ornaments with some texture, which is why I love pairing velvet with felt Christmas baubles. Working with a taller tree? My 9 ft Christmas tree guide covers how to choose and decorate one from top to bottom.
Wreath ribbon is tied, looped or used to create a bow that becomes the primary decorative element of a wreath. A simple evergreen wreath with a generous velvet bow becomes a beautiful and complete wreath in under five minutes. The ribbon on a wreath also functions as the hanger in many applications: a loop of ribbon through the back of the wreath and over the door or hook creates a seamless look.
Gift wrap ribbon is used to tie packages, create bows and add the finishing element that takes a wrapped gift from functional to beautiful. Gift wrap ribbon needs to be long enough to wrap around the package with enough excess to create a bow and the material needs to hold a bow: curling ribbon, satin ribbon and grosgrain all perform differently in this application.
Garland and accent ribbon is used to tie ribbon bows onto garland sections, attach garland to banisters and railings, create ribbon loops at the ends of mantel garland displays and add festive color throughout the home in small concentrated amounts. This application uses the least ribbon per individual use but the most total ribbon because there are many small applications throughout the house. If your staircase is getting the full treatment this year, a ribbon-wrapped garland looks especially polished above one of these herringbone stair runner ideas.
Wired Christmas Ribbon
Wired ribbon is the most important format to understand in the Christmas ribbon category because it is the one that makes everything else possible. The thin wire running through each edge of the ribbon allows you to shape, bend, curl and hold the ribbon in any position: a loop stays looped, a bow stays full and a cascading tree treatment holds its shape through the entire season without drooping or collapsing.
Velvet Wired Ribbon
Velvet is the most luxurious and most popularly used Christmas ribbon format and the one that creates the most immediate visual upgrade to any holiday display. The pile texture of velvet catches light differently than a flat ribbon, holds shape beautifully due to the wire and reads as expensive and deliberately chosen in a way that other materials do not.
Deep red velvet wired ribbon is the single most widely used Christmas ribbon in home decorating and the format most associated with the traditional holiday aesthetic. A Christmas tree looped with deep red velvet ribbon in generous cascading folds looks decorated in the most complete and satisfying sense of the word: nothing else on the tree changes but the ribbon makes the whole display cohere.
Forest green velvet wired ribbon suits the more nature-inspired and organic holiday decorating direction and creates a lush, layered look when used on a green tree where the ribbon reads as a deeper, richer version of the tree’s own color. Green velvet on a green tree sounds counterintuitive until you see it: the texture and depth difference between the ribbon and the branches creates a beautiful tonal layering effect.
Burgundy and wine velvet wired ribbon in the deep jewel-tone range between red and purple is the most sophisticated and fashion-forward velvet ribbon option and the one most aligned with current holiday decorating trends. Burgundy velvet ribbon on a tree with champagne and gold ornaments creates a color story that is warm, rich and unmistakably intentional.
Navy velvet wired ribbon suits the more formal and contemporary holiday decorating aesthetic and creates a crisp, graphic ribbon treatment that suits trees with silver and white ornaments or gold and navy color schemes.
Blush and rose velvet wired ribbon is the natural velvet ribbon choice for the pink Christmas aesthetic: the soft pile of blush velvet coordinates beautifully with a blush or white flocked tree and with rose gold ornament collections.
Deep red velvet wired Christmas ribbon
Forest green velvet wired ribbon
Burgundy velvet wired Christmas ribbon
Navy velvet wired Christmas ribbon
Blush rose velvet wired ribbon
Plaid and Pattern Wired Ribbon
Buffalo check wired ribbon in red and black or red and white is the most graphically bold patterned Christmas ribbon and the one that creates the most visual energy on a tree, a wreath or a staircase garland. Buffalo check ribbon suits the farmhouse and cabin holiday aesthetic and coordinates naturally with the plaid elements used throughout that decorating direction.
Tartan plaid wired ribbon in the traditional multi-color Scottish tartan is the most specifically Christmas-traditional patterned ribbon and the one that most directly references the British and Scottish holiday decorating traditions. Tartan ribbon on a wreath with holly and red berries creates a specifically old-world Christmas wreath that is genuinely beautiful. Tartan is also my favorite way to dress a front door, and you can see it in action in my classic tartan Christmas front porch.
Houndstooth wired ribbon in black and white or red and white is the most fashion-forward patterned Christmas ribbon and the format most aligned with a contemporary or preppy holiday aesthetic. Houndstooth ribbon reads as sophisticated and deliberate on a Christmas tree: less overtly holiday than plaid or velvet but clearly in the same seasonal conversation.
Snowflake print wired ribbon with the holiday pattern printed or woven into the ribbon surface creates a specifically winter and Christmas-coded ribbon that suits more overtly seasonal decorating applications: a wreath, a bow topper on a tree or tied bows on a mantel garland.
Buffalo check Christmas wired ribbon
Tartan plaid wired Christmas ribbon
Houndstooth wired Christmas ribbon
Snowflake print wired Christmas ribbon
Metallic and Foil Wired Ribbon
Gold wired ribbon in solid metallic, glitter or lamé formats creates the most festive and celebration-signaling ribbon treatment available and suits every occasion from the most traditional to the most contemporary Christmas tree. Gold ribbon coordinates with nearly every ornament palette and adds a warm, luminous quality to a tree that catches the light from Christmas lights and from room lighting equally well.
Silver and platinum wired ribbon suits the cooler-toned holiday aesthetic: the silver and white ornament palette, cool white lights and the modern Scandinavian-influenced Christmas direction. Silver wired ribbon on a white or frosted tree with silver ornaments creates a completely cohesive and beautiful monochromatic holiday display.
Rose gold wired ribbon is the metallic ribbon choice that bridges the pink and gold aesthetics and suits both pink Christmas tree setups and traditional trees with warm-toned ornament collections. The rose gold reads as current and fashion-forward in a ribbon context and photographs beautifully in both natural and artificial light.
Iridescent and holographic wired ribbon with a surface that shifts between colors as the angle changes creates the most dramatically sparkly and light-reactive ribbon treatment and suits the maximally festive and high-energy Christmas decorating approach. Under Christmas tree lights an iridescent ribbon treatment creates a continuously changing light show that is impossible to photograph the same way twice.
Gold metallic wired Christmas ribbon
Rose gold wired Christmas ribbon
Iridescent wired Christmas ribbon
Unwired Christmas Ribbon Formats
Satin and Grosgrain Ribbon
Satin ribbon in the classic smooth, lustrous format is the most versatile gift wrap and general purpose Christmas ribbon: the material that makes the most beautiful bows, ties the most elegant packages and creates the most polished finished-gift appearance. Satin ribbon does not hold shape on a tree the way wired ribbon does but for everything from gift wrapping to package tying to chair and table decoration satin is the most reliably beautiful and elegant option.
Wide satin ribbon in three-inch and wider formats creates the most generous and dramatic gift bow: the wider the ribbon, the more elaborate and full the bow. Wide satin in deep holiday colors tied in a large bow over a gift in coordinated wrapping paper is a gift presentation that communicates care before the paper is even removed.
Grosgrain ribbon with the distinctive ribbed texture is the most durable and most structure-holding non-wired ribbon format and the one most used for craft projects, hair accessories and applications where the ribbon needs to hold up to handling. Grosgrain Christmas ribbon in holiday stripes or solid holiday colors is the most practically useful ribbon in the collection.
Curling ribbon for gift wrapping in holiday colors, red, green, gold, silver, is the most widely used and most immediately festive gift finishing ribbon and the one that children most associate with the excitement of an unwrapped gift. A handful of curling ribbon loops on a wrapped gift is the most accessible and most universally enjoyed festive touch in gift presentation.
Satin Christmas ribbon gift wrap
Wide satin Christmas bow ribbon
Grosgrain Christmas ribbon holiday
Curling ribbon Christmas gift wrap
Burlap and Natural Fiber Ribbon
Burlap Christmas ribbon with the raw, natural texture of jute or burlap in natural tan or printed with holiday patterns is the most farmhouse and organic holiday ribbon format and the one that suits the nature-inspired, rustic and Scandinavian-influenced Christmas aesthetic most directly. Burlap ribbon on a wreath with pine cones, dried cranberries and fresh greenery creates a specifically natural and organic holiday display.
Linen and cotton ribbon in natural fiber formats with simple woven patterns or minimal prints suit the most understated and natural holiday decorating direction and create a Christmas ribbon treatment that reads as deliberately considered and refined rather than generically festive.
Burlap Christmas ribbon holiday
Natural fiber linen Christmas ribbon
Christmas Ribbon Sets and Multi-Roll Collections
Variety ribbon sets with six to twelve coordinating rolls in complementary patterns, textures and colors are the most practical and most complete Christmas ribbon purchase for decorators who want to use ribbon throughout the home rather than for a single specific application. A well-curated ribbon variety set contains wired and unwired formats, velvet and satin and metallic and pattern options that all work together in the same color family.
Tree ribbon sets specifically curated for Christmas tree application with three to five coordinating ribbon rolls designed to be looped through a tree together create the most cohesive and layered tree ribbon treatment with the least planning required. The rolls are already selected to work together and the instructions for looping them through the tree are typically included.
Gift wrap ribbon sets with a collection of satin, grosgrain and curling ribbon in coordinated holiday colors create the complete gift presentation toolkit in a single purchase. These sets suit the person who wraps a significant number of gifts and wants the presentation to be consistent and beautiful across all of them. A matching paper and ribbon set creates the most visually unified gift presentation. If you are still deciding what goes inside the box, my roundup of luxury gifts for women has plenty worth wrapping beautifully.
Christmas tree ribbon set coordinating
Gift wrap ribbon set Christmas
How to Make a Christmas Bow
The ability to make a genuinely good bow from wired ribbon is the most useful ribbon skill in holiday decorating and significantly easier than most people assume.
The loop method for making a full, lush bow starts with a generous tail of ribbon and then creates a series of equal loops on either side of a center point: four to six loops on each side, each approximately the same size. Pinch the center of the assembled loops, twist a short piece of wire around the pinch point and fluff the loops outward and upward to create a full, dimensional bow. The wire center allows the bow to be attached to a wreath, a tree or a gift.
The pre-made pull bow in holiday colors is the practical alternative for anyone who finds bow-making frustrating: a flat ribbon configuration that pulls out into a full bow with a single motion. Pull bows are appropriate for gift wrapping and lower-visibility applications where the slightly less organic bow shape is not a concern.
The bow topper for the tree made from a generous length of wired velvet or satin ribbon is one of the most impactful and accessible Christmas decorating projects available. Create two large loops and a generous trailing tail from a single ribbon length, wire the center and attach to the top branch of the tree as a complement or alternative to a traditional star or angel topper.
Large velvet Christmas bow topper
Bow making Christmas ribbon kit
Shop This Post
- Christmas ribbon collection
- Deep red velvet wired ribbon
- Forest green velvet wired ribbon
- Burgundy velvet wired ribbon
- Navy velvet wired ribbon
- Blush rose velvet ribbon
- Buffalo check wired ribbon
- Tartan plaid wired ribbon
- Houndstooth wired ribbon
- Snowflake print wired ribbon
- Gold metallic wired ribbon
- Silver wired Christmas ribbon
- Rose gold wired ribbon
- Iridescent wired ribbon
- Satin Christmas gift ribbon
- Wide satin bow ribbon
- Grosgrain Christmas ribbon
- Curling ribbon Christmas set
- Burlap Christmas ribbon
- Natural linen Christmas ribbon
- Christmas ribbon variety set
- Christmas tree ribbon set
- Gift wrap ribbon set Christmas
- Pre-made pull bows Christmas
- Large velvet bow topper
- Bow making Christmas ribbon kit
Christmas Ribbon FAQ
The most common guideline is two and a half to three yards of ribbon per foot of tree height. A seven and a half foot tree therefore needs approximately eighteen to twenty-two yards of ribbon for a generous, full ribbon treatment. If you are using multiple ribbon rolls together, which creates the most layered and dimensional look, divide the total yardage needed between the rolls. Using fifteen yards of a primary velvet ribbon and ten yards of a coordinating metallic or pattern ribbon on the same tree creates significantly more visual interest than twenty-five yards of a single ribbon.
Two and a half inch wide ribbon is the most widely used tree ribbon width and the one that creates visible, substantial loops without becoming so wide that the ribbon overwhelms the tree. For larger trees, nine feet and above, four-inch ribbon creates proportionally appropriate loops that read at the correct scale. For smaller tabletop trees one and a half inch ribbon creates loops that are proportional to the smaller scale of the tree. The width of the ribbon should feel in proportion to the size of the tree when the loops are formed.
The most natural-looking method is to tuck the ribbon into the tree branches rather than wiring or taping it in place. Start at the top of the tree with the beginning of the ribbon roll and tuck the end into the upper branches near the trunk. Create a large loop and tuck the ribbon into the branches again twelve to eighteen inches lower and further out toward the branch tips. Continue in this diagonal pattern, looping outward toward the tips and then back toward the trunk in alternating directions, working your way around the tree as you descend. The branches hold the ribbon in place and the loops drape naturally without any additional attachment.
Wired ribbon has a thin metal wire running along both edges that allows the ribbon to be bent, shaped and held in any position. Loops stay looped, bows stay full and shaped arrangements hold their form through the season without drooping. Wired ribbon is essential for tree applications and for making bows that need to hold their shape. Unwired ribbon is more flexible and drapes more naturally but cannot hold a shaped bow without additional support. Unwired satin ribbon is the best choice for tying around packages where the bow is tied fresh rather than pre-made and displayed.
Wired velvet and wired satin ribbon stores and reuses well when handled carefully. After the season roll each ribbon roll loosely back onto its original roll or a cardboard tube: tight rolling can leave permanent creases in velvet and in structured metallic ribbons. Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight which can fade ribbon colors over time. Velvet ribbon can be gently steamed to restore the pile if it becomes flattened during storage. Most quality wired ribbon will last five to eight seasons with proper storage, which makes the investment in better ribbon very good value over time.
The most important variable in a good bow is generous ribbon use: most people use too little ribbon and produce a small, flat bow that looks apologetic rather than celebratory. A proper full bow for a Christmas tree, a wreath or a large gift requires at least three feet of ribbon for the loops and tails combined, more for a truly dramatic result. Make the loops larger than feels comfortable: they will compress when the bow is wired at the center and the final result will be smaller than the loops appear during construction. Fluff each loop outward individually after wiring the center and pull the loops to different angles to create dimension. The wire at the center should be tight enough to hold but not so tight that it cuts into and damages the ribbon.
More Christmas Decorating Ideas
- The most charming felt Christmas baubles
- 9 ft Christmas tree: how to choose, decorate and display
- A classic tartan twist for your Christmas front porch
- The printable Christmas planner that keeps December on track
- How to throw a Grinchmas party
Love this guide? Save it to your Christmas decorating board on Pinterest so the yardage math and bow tips are right there when it is time to trim the tree.
