How to Decorate a Christmas Tree Professionally with Ribbon

The Easiest Way to Decorate a Christmas Tree with Ribbon

Learning how to decorate a Christmas tree professionally with ribbon is pretty easy once you know a couple of simple tricks. Then its all about patience and practice. Let me share a professional ribbon technique that will transform your tree into the ones you see in magazines. Decorating the Christmas tree is suppose to be fun and joyful so today I am sharing the easiest way I know to add ribbon to a tree. AND if I had to choose, its my favorite because its so versatile and easy to do.  I hope you find this step by step Christmas tree ribbon tutorial helpful. 

There are all kinds of tutorials on how to decorate a Christmas tree professionally with ribbon. The one you use depends on the look you are trying to achieve. This beginners method is the one I chose for this year.  This ribbon method allows you to add volume and easily fill in any spaces you have in your tree, while preventing the tree from looking wrapped or divided into sections.

Why Use Ribbon on a Christmas Tree?

Ribbon is readily available in a wide assortment of beautiful colours, patterns and textures, so its an easy way to complement a color scheme of theme of your Christmas decorations. It adds depth, interest and texture to a tree, making the resultsvisually appearing.

Ribbon is a very quickway to customize your Christmas tree. You can choose the colour, width, texture and shine of your ribbon. This makes it an easy way to change the overall appearance of your Christmas tree without needing to purchase all new Christmas tree decorations.

With a few tips and a little practice, ribbon is easy to work with. Wired ribbon is very easy to shape and place and you can secure it to your branches to stay in place.

Common Christmas Tree Ribbon Mistakes to Avoid

I often see on ribboned Christmas trees is the ribbon stands out too much. The ribbon shouldn’t be the star of your tree, its meant to provide a cohesive backdrop that blends into your Christmas tree.

The second error I see, is when the ribbon is hanging on the outside of the tree.   The ribbon ends up precariously strung along the outside of the tree, looking like its about to fall off.   Your ribbon is not garland and can’t be added the same way.  This super simple step by step tutorial will show you how to easily avoid these two errors, so you don’t even have to think about it.

How to Decorate a Christmas Tree Professionally with Ribbon

Buying the Ribbon

Decide which ribbon you want to stand out the most, that will be the thinner ribbon (on this tree its the buffalo check), then choose a coordinating wide ribbon to accompany it. As a minimum you need to purchase two styles of ribbon like I did. The smaller needs to be at least 2 inches wide. For this tree I used a 2 inch buffalo check and a 3 inch red ribbon. If the stand out ribbon you chose is 3 inches, make the coordinating ribbon 4 inches. Make sure the ribbon is wired, its impossible to decorate a Christmas tree with unwired ribbon, it just does not hold its shape.

Your will need several spools of ribbon, a general rule is ten feet per foot of Christmas tree.  For a 7.5 foot tree you will want at least 75 feet of each kind. As an example this tree has 100 feet of each ribbon, and it could have had more on it. For a larger tree you will need more. I suggest buying extra ribbon, you can always return any thats leftover.

In addition a tree with more gaps uses more ribbon than a thick tree does and its really scary when your decorating the tree and have to make a last minute dash hoping your particular ribbons are still in stock.

When to Add the Ribbon to your Christmas Tree

The first step is always to fluff the tree, then comes the lights and then the ribbon. (then the inside ornaments, largest embellishments like tree picks, large ornaments then finally small ornaments). Although the ribbon is meant to compliment the ornaments and fade in to your tree doing the ribbon now means you can easily see the gaps in your tree. You don’t have to fret about breaking an heirloom or an expensive glass ornament you treasure. Its always better to decorate a Christmas tree with a plan and I promise the results will show the extra effort in a professional looking tree.

Cutting the Ribbon

This is the hardest part. Grab a big glass of wine or take several deep breaths and decide its okay to cut your ribbon. I understand, I too have the hardest time cutting the beautiful ribbon. I promise, once you give yourself permission to cut the ribbon, you will find its worth it. It makes decorating your Christmas tree much easier. Don’t cut all your ribbon to start, just cut three or four at a time.  That way you won’t cut ribbon you don’t end up using.

Cut ribbon strips about four feet for the top of the tree, 5 feet for the middle and bottom sections of the tree. It doesn’t need to be accurate.

Make the Ribbon Bundles

This is a secret a professional florist taught me to get me started. Lay the two strips of ribbon on top of one and other. Fold the top section of the ribbon over to make a loop  secure with wire, or a  branch of the tree. Make your first loop and place it on your tree. If it looks small move the loop towards the top of your tree. Too big move it down towards the larger branches. Then you will have a general idea of how big the loop needs to be for your particular Christmas tree.

Attaching Ribbon Bundles to the Christmas Tree

Place the loop deep inside the tree, I like to wrap one of the back branches around the loop to secure it.   Placing the loop in the back of the tree keeps the ribbon as a backdrop to the ornaments, the final results look so much better.

Then allow the rest of the ribbon to cascade down the tree. Tucking it in about half way down and allowing just the tails to stick out.

Fold the end of the ribbons in half lengthwise and cut at a 45 degree angle to get those pretty fish tail ends.

Add the ribbon in a staggered pattern.  Don’t have two adjacent ribbons starting at the same level, and don’t have on ribbon starting directly below another one.  Having a casual staggered pattern allows you to fill in any gaps, and prevents the sectioned look.

Remember to decorate the top of your Christmas tree as well, and the back. Ribbon is relatively inexpensive compared to ornaments so having ribbon in the back helps your tree look fully decorated if there are gaps.

Final Thoughts

You may notice the small angel topper on my Christmas tree. This angel was given to my from my guardian angel (long and true story). I always have her shining down on our Christmas celebrations. I also have a few gorgeous ornaments my sons surprise me with me for Christmas when we had very little, I treasure them. I really love the Christmas tree, and that’s when I know its decorated perfectly.

Other Christmas Trees Desigms to Inspire

Our home has two main living areas. The main floor with a living room, fireplace, kitchen and dining in an open space. We spend most of our days on the main floor so it has to have a Christmas tree. The upper floor has a very large more casual livingroom where we gather for large groups, and spend our evenings. Its fabulous having two Christmas trees each year.