25 Christmas Tree Ribbon Ideas for Decorating a Beautiful Tree
These gorgeous Christmas tree ribbon ideas include lots of beautiful ways to place ribbon on your Christmas tree along with beautiful ribbon inspiration in a variety of styles, colors, and combinations.
Over the last several years I’ve been working on upping my Christmas tree decorating game. (It used to be pretty terrible). And in the process I’ve really been paying attention to the truly gorgeous Christmas trees I see in magazines and online to try to figure out what it is that makes them so full and beautiful.
And one of the things I’ve noticed is how important the ribbon is to a beautiful tree.
It makes such a huge difference in how put together a Christmas tree looks. No matter how many or how few ornaments there are, if the ribbon is on point, the whole tree looks polished and gorgeous.
Unfortunately putting the ribbon on a Christmas tree is one of the hardest parts of the whole thing. From choosing the right ribbon to figuring out how to put it on to keeping it looking smooth and beautiful rather than twisted and tortured, there’s a lot of things that can go wrong.
Last year I shared a post with an easy step-by-step tutorial showing how to put ribbon on your Christmas tree (and how not to). There’s also a video tutorial and if you’ve struggled with making your Christmas tree ribbon look beautiful and flowy rather than twisted and tortured, it will definitely help.
In that post, I shared my absolute favorite way to put ribbon on a Christmas tree, woven in and out of the branches diagonally. But I’ve also seen a lot of beautiful Christmas trees with all kinds of other ribbon designs.
So I decided to collect all my favorite Christmas tree ribbon ideas together in one post. There are so many fantastic ideas and truly gorgeous Christmas trees in this post. I’ve organized all the trees by how the ribbon is arranged on the tree, but throughout each section you’ll also find a huge variety of ribbon colors, styles, and types.
If you’re looking for a bit of inspiration for your own Christmas tree ribbon, you are definitely in the right place!
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The Best Ribbon for Christmas Trees
Before I dive into all the Christmas tree ribbon inspiration, I wanted to take a quick second to talk about what type of ribbon works best for decorating a tree.
You can use pretty much any type of ribbon on your Christmas tree, but wired ribbon is by far the easiest to work with.
You can get wired Christmas ribbon in a huge range of colors, textures, and patterns at craft stores like Michaels, Hobby Lobby, and JoAnn Fabrics. (Even better, these stores almost always have a sale going and coupons available.)
You can also find a lot of options on Amazon, though they’re usually a bit more expensive.
Ribbon that is between 2 and 4 inches works best, but you can use narrower or wider ribbon if you prefer. Just keep in mind that very narrow ribbon is more likely to get lost in the tree and very wide ribbon can be more difficult to work with.
Christmas Tree Ribbon Ideas
When it comes to Christmas tree ribbon, there are two major decisions to be made – what color and type of ribbon to choose and how to place it on the tree.
The trees in this post include tons of ideas for both, but because I think placement is the trickiest part, I’ve organized the trees into sections based on ribbon placement. Within each section, you’ll also lots of fabulous ribbon color and pattern ideas.
You can find more photos and more details about all of the gorgeous trees included in this post by clicking on the links below each photo.
Now onto the Christmas tree ideas!
Weaving Christmas ribbon diagonally
Of all the ways you can add ribbon to a Christmas tree, this is my personal favorite. You weave the ribbon in and out of the tree so that curls and loops of ribbon puff out from the tree.
I love how full this makes a tree look and the ribbon poofs add a lot of dimension and character to the tree. With this ribbon style, you can weave the ribbon around the tree on a diagonal or do more a random placement.
This is my own Christmas tree from last year. I chose to use a gold mesh ribbon alongside a furry white one and I love the texture they add.
Want more tips for decorating a gorgeous tree? I have a step-by-step Christmas tree decorating tutorial that’s full of great tips and hacks.
This emerald green tree from Inspired by Charm is gorgeous and I love the combination of the green ribbon with the gold bead garland.
The neutral color scheme on this tree from Driven by Decor looks so luxurious, especially with all the different textures including that beautiful velvet ribbon.
The different plaid ribbons on this black and white tree by From House to Home make just as much a statement at those gorgeous ornaments.
This gold and burgundy tree from The Lived-In Look has a very simple color scheme but those poinsettias and the oversized loops of ribbon add a ton of visual interest.
Wrapping Christmas tree ribbon horizontally
Wrapping ribbon around your tree horizontally is probably one of the most traditional ways to add ribbon to a Christmas tree. It can be a little tricky to do well though.
It sounds easy enough – just wrap the ribbon around and around the tree. But if you wrap your ribbon too snuggly, your Christmas tree can start to look like it’s being strangled.
To keep everything looking beautiful, be sure to drape the ribbon loosely and either weave it in and out of the branches or twist it a bit as you wrap it.
The bright yellow and green on this tree from Heathered Nest are definitely unconventional, but I love that fun pop of color and the beautiful ribbon makes a huge statement.
This cute little black and white pencil tree from Lemon Thistle looks perfect with a drape of black ribbon and festive sayings.
This was my Christmas tree a few years ago. I used a combination of neutral black and white plaid and burlap ribbon to make all the red ornaments really pop.
This farmhouse Christmas tree from Homemade Heather is packed with ornaments, but the combination or plaid ribbon and red burlap wrap really help bring everything together.
The vintage glass ornaments are the star of this tree by Postcards from the Ridge, but I also love how she incorporated a unique woven ribbon.
Draping Christmas tree ribbon vertically
This is another more classic Christmas tree ribbon look. Starting at the top of your tree, let the ribbon cascade freely down the sides of the tree.
You can tuck it in throughout the tree or you can simply let the entire length of ribbon drape down to the bottom. Either way, this is a beautiful way to add structure to your Christmas tree.
This soft pastel Christmas tree from Fynes Designs is absolutely beautiful. I love how the ribbon drapes so gracefully and how she’s finished the ends by cutting them into a beautiful shape.
The plaid ribbon is beautifully woven into this tree by The Creek Line House and makes a beautiful backdrop for those gorgeous gold ornaments.
The peacock ribbon on this tree from B4 and Afters adds the perfect touch to really bring this untraditional color scheme together.
The black, white, and blue color scheme of this tree from Our Crafty Mom is simply beautiful. I especially love the black and white plaid ribbon.
The beautiful neutral ribbon on this tree from 2 Bees in a Pod really helps unify the assortment of ornaments. I love a tree full of ornaments that have been collected over the years and this is a great example of how a simple ribbon can help make them look beautiful together.
I love the casual elegance of this gorgeous blue and white Christmas tree from DIY Beautify. The unexpected addition of blue and white china and the casual drape of the ribbon are especially beautiful.
Making Christmas tree ribbon into bows
Another option is to add ribbon to your Christmas tree in the form of bows. Whether you use one special ribbon or gather a selection of complementary ribbons, adding bows to your tree can make a big statement.
This colorful tree from Pretty DIY Home includes several different types of ribbon, but my favorite is the striped ribbon tied into bows with long trailing tails.
This tree from Intelligent Domestications shows another fun way to create bows from a group of pretty ribbons.
This traditional Christmas tree from The How to Home doesn’t technically include bows, but the ribbons are gathered together in a similar way to make a big impact.
Adding A Bow Christmas Tree Topper
Another popular way to include ribbon on your Christmas tree is to make a bow Christmas tree topper. You can use the same ribbon as the rest of your tree to really tie everything together.
This traditional red and gold Christmas tree from Southern Home and Hospitality includes two types of ribbon as well as a pretty bow tree topper.
This cozy neutral Christmas Tree from Simply Beautiful by Angela is full of sweet details including that lace ribbon and wood bead garland. I love how she also incorporated a nontraditional bow on the top of her tree alongside her star.
Need more Christmas tree topper ideas? Check out these 25 unique DIY Christmas tree toppers next.
Other unique Christmas tree ribbon ideas
These last few ribbon ideas are a bit more out of the box. From using special types of ribbon to placing it on the tree in a totally unique way, these ideas are perfect when you want to try something different.
How fun and happy is this rainbow Christmas tree from Heathered Nest! I love how she used super simple ornaments and ribbon in a variety of colors to create this beautiful rainbow.
The sweet Merry Christmas banners on this tree by DIY Beautify are actually made from paper, but you could get a very similar effect by cutting up a Merry Christmas ribbon into smaller sections.
The loops and spirals of ribbon on this rustic Christmas tree from Repurpose and Upcycle give it a totally unique look and are perfect if you don’t have a ton of ribbon to use.
The crisscross ribbon on this Christmas tree from Where the Smiles Have Been reminds me of a classic argyle pattern. It’s perfect if you want a really unique look for your tree.
Wow, those were some beautiful trees! I love how they were all so different, from bright and funky to traditional and classy. I hope you’re feeling inspired to start decorating your own tree now!
Christmas trees are my favorite. Check out these posts for more gorgeous Christmas tree decorating ideas:
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