In this post I’m going to add to your Christmas decorating bag of tricks by showing you how to add vertical ribbon to a Christmas tree for a unique look!
If you’ve read my post on some of my most-effective Christmas tree decorating tricks and secrets, then today’s post will just be adding on to that a little bit. In that post, I mentioned some tips for adding ribbon or garlands to a Christmas tree in a way that allows your eye to move around the tree and appreciate the whole thing, rather than breaking it up into sections. This creates a more dynamic, interesting “framework” for your tree before you add the ornaments. This year, on the tree in our kitchen, I tried something a little different and I love the effect. There are definitely a few tricks though to adding vertical ribbon to a Christmas tree in a way that makes it look unique and eye-catching, rather than just weird. So I thought I’d share what I’ve learned!
Adding Vertical Ribbon to a Christmas Tree
The first thing you’re going to need to think about is how much ribbon you’ll need to buy, or take out from your ribbon stash. I used two rolls of wide, wired ribbon for my 7.5 foot kitchen tree, and each roll was about 25 feet.
If you want a more “serious” traditional look, just go with lots of the same style of ribbon, if you want your tree to look more playful, use 2-3 different widths and patterns.
I went with just one type, obviously. 🙂
When vertical ribbon is done well, it looks like it’s cascading perfectly down the tree, creating kind of a dynamic effect, rather than rigidly running down the sides of the tree in very straight lines. Creating this effect takes a few clever tricks!
Tricks to Successful Vertical Ribboning
The secret to this whole process is that while it looks like you have long lengths of ribbons, joyfully descending down your tree, each length of ribbon is, in fact, cut into several smaller lengths.
I find it easiest to work with pieces about three feet long, tuck the top end into the tree near the trunk at the top, tuck the bottom end into the middle of the tree as well, then push the middle of the ribbon in towards the centre of the tree as well, creating two “loops”.
When you move onto your next three-foot piece of ribbon, don’t have it start directly below the one above it, but instead move it a few inches to the right or left. This will create that dynamic, “cascading” effect and make it seem like the ribbon is dancing down your tree, rather than just falling straight down.
Complete these steps until you’ve worked your way all around the tree, from top to bottom.
Stand back and look to see if there are any bare spots that could use an extra length of ribbon. You’ll probably need a few more lengths of ribbon at the bottom of your tree than you will at the top. When it comes to Christmas trees, more ribbon is almost always a good thing, so don’t worry about adding too much. 🙂
And that’s all there is to it! I always thought that adding ribbon vertically would take a lot of fussing to get it just right, but now that I’ve figured out that you can do it in smaller lengths, it’s really a super easy and gratifying experience.
What’s your favourite trick for adding ribbon to a Christmas tree?
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Courtenay Hartford is the author of creeklinehouse.com, a blog based on her adventures renovating a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada. On her blog, Courtenay shares interior design tips based on her own farmhouse and her work as founder and stylist of the interior photography firm Art & Spaces. She also writes about her farmhouse garden, plant-based recipes, family travel, and homekeeping best practices. Courtenay is the author of the book The Cleaning Ninja and has been featured in numerous magazines including Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, Real Simple, and Our Homes.