The secret to a fuller, more “professional” looking Christmas tree is an interwoven ribbon throughout to fill in the empty spaces. Having attempted it for the first time this year, I thought that I would share how I achieved it!
I personally used three different ribbons: A sparkly burlap (esque) 3.5-inch ribbon, a 3.5-inch red sparkly mesh ribbon, and a gold sparkly 2.5-inch ribbon. You’ll want about 3-4 rolls of your “foundation” ribbon, 2 rolls of your secondary ribbon and 1 roll of your accent ribbon.
If you are just starting out for the first time I would recommend choosing a softer more pliable fabric with a wire to ensure that it holds its shape while being easy to work with.
To start, make sure your lights are on your tree. I found that it was easiest to work with my ribbon cut into 2-3 foot sections and work one ribbon at a time. I know other bloggers who have suggested tieing the three ribbons together, but I honestly could not figure out how to place them nicely after they were tied so I decided to work one ribbon at a time.
I choose to start off with my burlap ribbon first which was the “foundation” ribbon. Working from the top in a diagonal pattern, I began placing my ribbon into the tree. One trick I found to get the best placing possible was to drape the ribbon piece over the area I want covered and then push the ends in and then around one of the branches. Repeat until you’ve sufficiently covered your tree to your satisfaction.
Taking your secondary ribbon, repeat step one but along the opposite diagonal as your foundation ribbon. I found that I needed less ribbon due to how to spacing worked out, the purpose of the secondary ribbon is to fill in as many of the empty spaces in the tree as possible along your pattern line.
The accent ribbon is placed in between the foundation and secondary ribbons to cover a few of the remaining holes and to fill any potential breaks in the joinings between ribbons.
Every once in a while, take a step back (across the room preferably) to look at the patterns you’ve created to ensure they are even and you are happy with your positioning.
Happy WellDressedmas!
xoxo S
