It's December 7, 2020, and I finally put up my Christmas tree! Not sure why I feel the need to share this unimportant news with you, but there you have it!

I love decorating for Christmas. I turn on classic Christmas movies and just decorate away. (You may debate me on what you consider to be a "classic" Christmas movie...but that's another topic for another day!)

I do, though, typically dread one decorating task each year. I get so frustrated when I attempt to decorate my Christmas tree with ribbon. I see all of those beautifully decorated trees floating around on Pinterest, but I always "fail" when it comes to matching their detailed ribbon work.

Last year (long after I had decorated my Christmas tree with a mediocre ribbon design), I remember seeing a quick video on social media where a lady shared her Christmas tree ribbon trick. I was blown away and made a mental note that I had to try it! I have looked all over the internet trying to find her video again, but I've had no luck. I sure wish I could share the video with you and give her lots of credit for the great idea!

So...I tried the ribbon trick today...and...it worked! It was easy, saved so much time, and turned out much better than I imagined!

 

 

Want to know the secret? It's so simple that it's almost embarrassing. :-) The secret is to use wired ribbon and to cut your ribbon in smaller sections! When I decorated the tree today, I...

  • Cut my ribbon in 2 ft. sections. (Note: There is nothing magical about 2 ft. sections. On your tree, you may need shorter or longer pieces. Experiment with a few lengths before cutting all of your ribbon pieces!)




  • Tucked one end of the ribbon into desired tree branch. I was able to tuck most of my ribbons loosely, but, since the ribbon is wired, you could wrap the ribbon around a branch if you'd like.




  • Tucked the other end of the ribbon into a neighboring tree branch section. 




  • Often, I would "go with the flow" and allow the ribbon to ripple/wave as it pleased. Other times, I would manipulate the ribbon a little to get a more consistent look.

 

Want to see the finished product? Don't judge too harshly. I'm not a Christmas tree decorating professional!


Do you see how the ribbon looks like it is weaving in and out of the branches? It's such a cool effect!

So, I'm pretty sure you've already decorated your tree this year but just tuck this idea away and plan to try it next year! I'll do my best to re-post this article *early* next year as a reminder!  {inserting a shameless plug to follow Cottonwood Limited on Facebook and Instagram}  :-)