Whether you are decorating for holidays or want to add a little character to your home decor, consider ribbons and bows. In this blog post, I am sharing decorating with ribbon ideas for every holiday and decorating with bows. This post will be your go-to holiday ribbon decor ideas. Let's get started.
Ribbons and bows are super popular this year, and as my interior design skills evolved, I learned that ribbons are like flowers when it comes to home decor. They add a softness and finishing touch that gives a room so much character.
Decorating with Ribbon Ideas and Bows
When it comes to holidays, pulling out the ribbon and making bows comes naturally, but have you ever considered incorporating them into your everyday decor? It is a fun, inexpensive, and simple way to change your decorations and give your space a new life. Different ribbons can change the whole feeling of a room.
So, let's wrap this post with creative ribbon decor ideas that will make your home feel extra unique and cozy. Enjoy my favorite ways to decorate with ribbon.
Spring Ribbon Decor Ideas
Spring is an easy time to pull out the ribbon and add it to your decor. Here are a few ideas, but keep in mind that ideas from other seasons and holidays can easily work for any time of year. So put on your creative hat as we look at many ideas and think outside the box.
Using Ribbon in Bowls
My first example is using decorative ribbon in your table centerpiece dough bowl. This DIY is easy to re-create. Place a dough bowl in the center of your table and add a bundle of flowers like in this lavender bouquet and tie the florals with a ribbon.
You can use any ribbon to tie your bundle of flowers, but for this table, I used a high-contrast white grosgrain ribbon. For more details, check out my French country table setting idea blog post.
I have more ideas for using ribbons in bowls in other seasons, so stay tuned.
Hanging Wreaths on Wall with Ribbon
Using ribbon when hanging anything on the wall is a great way to give it more style and charm. Consider hanging wreaths such as this small boxwood wreath hung with a blue and white gingham ribbon.
The blue matches our spring decor, and the gingham gives this simple boxwood wreath a new look with a pop of color. See how easily a ribbon can change the design of a wreath? If you change the ribbon to Christmas colors, then this wreath would be Christmas themed. You can give your wreath different looks for each season with beautiful ribbons. You can also change the lengths of ribbon to achieve different bow appearances.
Here is a step-by-step tutorial on how to hang wreaths on walls to give you more ideas and how we hung this boxwood wreath on the wall using ribbon.
Now let's look at another idea for decorating with ribbon for spring.
Hanging Art with Ribbon
A classic way to use ribbon in your decor is art hangings. In our kitchen is a sitting room with a board and batten wall full of hooks. I love to change out the decor each season and holiday.
I love to add art to this wall, but the frames needed a hanger of sorts, so I came up with a pastel 1/2″ velvet ribbon and used a staple gun to attach it to the back of the art. Now, I have a hanging art piece using a ribbon.
How Do You Use Ribbon For Decorations?
When selecting your ribbon for your decor, consider the fabric and color and how they complement your design. For example, a cotton ribbon can be used for an informal cottage country design because it is less formal and has a matte finish. A simple ribbon for a rustic design. Use a satin ribbon for a fancier look if your table or home decor is more formal.
The main thing when you use ribbon for decorations is to look at your design style and color scheme then select a ribbon that matches.
Isn't it amazing how having ribbon around can be a useful tool for decorating? Let's time-travel to autumn and look at more ideas.
Fall Ribbon Decor Ideas
As the season changes and the colors outside become more autumnish I love to use ribbon to reflect change along with other decorations. Here are some of my favorite ideas for using ribbon for fall decor.
Add Ribbon to Figurines
In our house, we have this bunny we call Hamilton. When he came to live here, he came with an off-white ribbon and a piece of twine as a tie. To dress him for fall, I added a warm pumpkin-colored silk ribbon.
This ribbon came in a set from Amazon that is four shades of the same color. It was the perfect set to add ribbon to our decor. Here is another place I used the ribbon.
This post has more ideas for fall at DIY fall decorating ideas.
Adding Ribbon to Silhouettes
Since Hamilton got a new fashion, I thought Carrie, our silhouette, should get one, too. This silhouette came from a plantation gift shop in Nashville, and I named her after the owner of the home. To dress her up for the season, she got a silk ribbon bow for her hair.
This ribbon came from the same Amazon set. Click this Amazon link to see the colors in the set. They have other color combinations that work perfectly for other seasons and holidays.
This is a great example of thinking out of the box. Look around your home for creative places to add ribbon.
I have so many more ideas in my decorating with fall colors post if you want to venture over there to see more.
Keeping with that same ribbon set from Amazon, here is another easy idea.
Add a Ribbon To A Basket
Whether you have a hanging basket or a basket sitting on a table, add a ribbon to it. I simply tied this ribbon into a long droopy bow, tucked it into the side of the hanging basket, and then added it to my bench.
Here is another idea: I used a small white ribbon and tied a bow to a tiny hanging basket. This small piece of ribbon gave this basket the sweetest look. You don't have to have a lot of ribbon to dress up your decor.
These are not my only ribbon basket ideas; keep reading because we have more in other seasons and holidays.
Speaking of ribbon ideas elsewhere, here is another idea using a dough bowl. I moved the dough bowl to our hutch and added the same white grosgrain ribbon to a bundle of dried wheat.
Moving your decor around gives your decorations a new look without spending money, and adding ribbon to existing things is the icing on the cake.
Winter Ribbon Decor Ideas
Winter is one of those seasons when I don't feel like decorating as much, so I don't have many ideas to share. But don't get me wrong — when we get to the holiday season, Christmas is loaded with ideas.
Add A Ribbon Bow To A Wreath
For the winter one year, I created this cute white pom pom wreath. It made me think of snow balls which fit our winter decor perfectly.
To dress up the little wreath I added a frosty light blue velvet ribbon and then hung the wreath on a stake of wood cutting boards. Here are the steps on how to make a pom pom wreath.
We will save all the fun ribbon decor ideas for the Christmas season, but for now, let's move forward to ribbon decor ideas for holidays, starting with Valentine's Day, where ribbon naturally fits perfectly.
Valentine Ribbon Decorating Ideas
This year, since ribbons and bows are very popular, I couldn't resist adding them to our Valentine's decor. You see, spring comes early in Florida, so during the month of February when mother nature teases us with warm days, I slowly transition our decor to spring while adding hints of Valentine's decor.
Ribbon Garland Decoration
Adding ribbon to your fireplace mantel is an easy and sophisticated way to dress it up for the love holiday. This year, I thought an off-white linen ribbon garland would just be what my mantel needed for Love Day.
I draped the ribbon, swagged it across the front, and attached it with clear masking tape leaving long tails on each side. Then I cut a few more pieces to add a second tail on each side.
Then, I tied a bow using floral wires and taped it to the center. Again leaving long tails for the bow.
This was such an easy project and took less than 15 minutes to create.
Ribbon Bow Garland Printable Decoration
Another ribbon garland decoration is this paper bow garland. Even though this is not a real ribbon, it still has that look we are going for. This garland is a printable in our Etsy shop and is very easy to make.
It comes in three colors: pink, blue, and off-white. You can use it for parties or decorating your home for holidays and seasons or add it to your everyday decor because it makes you feel happy.
Adding Ribbon Bows to Pennant Banners
To continue using ribbon on garlands, here is another idea: Make tiny bows and add them to a pennant garland. Isn't this so cute?
In this photo, I used yarn instead of ribbon, but you can easily change it out to ribbon. If you love this pennant banner, it is another printable in our Etsy shop here.
Last but not least, add a ribbon around the candles for a romantic Valentine's look.
Tieing Ribbon Around Candles
Here is another simple idea that anyone can do. Simply take a small ribbon that matches your decor and tie a bow around a candle. I recommend using battery-powered candles to do this just to be safe, as I did in this photo.
Now that we have finished Valentine's Day, let's move on to Easter for more ribbon ideas.
Easter Ribbon Decor Ideas
I love adding ribbon to wreaths, but my favorite ribbon hack is hanging wreaths on doors with ribbon. Here is my secret to hanging a wreath on a door with ribbon.
Hang A Wreath On A Door with a Ribbon
This front door wreath DIY is so easy. Once you get it set up, you will use ribbon to hang wreaths on your doors from now on. This works for cabinet doors, too.
Add A Ribbon Bow To Your Wreath
In this fun Easter egg wreath DIY I used the same ribbon to hang the wreath on the door to make a bow with long trailing tails for the wreath.
Do you want to hear something fun about this Easter egg wreath? I made it using all Dollar Tree items except the ribbon I already had on hand. Now, let's see how I used ribbon for Mother's Day.
Decorating with Ribbon for Mother's Day
Keep in mind you can use ribbons in ways to celebrate Mom, such as adding beautiful ribbons to her presents. But think about the smile on Mom's face when she gets this DIY Mother's Day birth month flower gift.
Hang Multiple Art on Ribbon
This is another Dollar Tree project that looks like you spent way more money. It is a printable in our Etsy shop. If you have a large family, you can purchase all 12 months, or you can purchase one month at a time.
I went with a white satin ribbon for this wall hanging to go with the shiny gold frames. This is a classy gift without breaking the bank and will look great with your home decor year-round.
Hang Flower Arrangement with Ribbon
Here is another Mother's Day decoration or gift idea using ribbon, except I used twine for mine.
Simply use the free printable provided in this Mother's Day May Day floral arrangement post and make Mom a surprise gift that she can use in her home decor. Add a ribbon around it, hang it, and leave it on her front door. This will make her day!
4th of July Ribbon Decor Ideas
For our next holiday, I realized that ribbon is not my go-to medium, but I found one example to share that can be used all year long: ribbon around lamps.
Tie a Ribbon Around a Lamp
A plain white lamp is so versatile because you can dress it up with things like ribbon and tassels. For our patriotic holiday, I used a red, white, and blue grosgrain ribbon to make a patriotic statement.
Adding ribbon based on the holiday colors is simple, low-cost, and takes no time to create. Check out more ideas in this vintage patriotic decorating post.
Halloween Ribbon Decorating Ideas
Next, let's look at a few ideas for using ribbon for Halloween, starting with an outdoor Halloween tablescape.
Remember I mentioned earlier that we would revisit some ribbon decor ideas in other seasons or holidays? Here is another example of how I used ribbon for an outdoor table, this time for Halloween.
I adored this tablescape that we arranged in the woods by my house. We were going for a spooky, fun feeling. You can see more photos and read more in this outdoor Halloween tablescape post.
But how did we use ribbon for this Halloween tablescape? I tied gold satin ribbon around black paper napkins into a bow. Easy peasy!
Halloween Ribbon Garland with Bats
Next add a Halloween garland to your mantel and use ribbon to make the garland.
You will need a very thin ribbon for this project and our Etsy printable bats. After you print and cut out the bats, simply punch holes in the wing tips and thread the ribbon through the holes.
You can add orange felt balls found at the craft store or use bats. It looks cute either way. Hang your Halloween bat and ribbon garland anywhere such as your mantel, hutch, walls, or in front of a piece of furniture.
Now, let's talk about Thanksgiving and how to use ribbon to decorate your decor.
Thanksgiving Ribbon Decor Ideas
You may already have some ribbon decor in place for fall so where can you add ribbon for Thanksgiving? A great place is your tablescape.
Using Ribbon For Your Thanksgiving Table
For this Thanksgiving table, I used homemade ribbons for decorations. I simply tore flour sack material from napkins and tied it around these cute tiny pies I found at the grocery store (Walmart).
It made for the most adorable decorations and also provided dessert for guests. This is what I call a win-win situation.
Another place on your Thanksgiving table to use ribbon is your centerpiece. Look closely at this centerpiece for the ribbon.
I weaved a white ribbon through the autumn leaves inside the basket lying on the table. Do you see the white ribbon coming out of the front of the leaves?
Here is a photo of the other side of the centerpiece. I trailed the ribbon up the basket through the leaves and out the front. Consider using ribbon in your Thanksgiving centerpiece.
With all this ribbon and bow talk, you might wonder how and where to store your ribbon.
How and Where Do You Store Ribbon?
There are many different ways to store ribbon. You can keep it on its spool and place it in a drawer. Hang it on a rod so it is easy to grab and cut, or place it in ziplock bags for safekeeping. As far as storing your ribbon, you can keep certain ones in your attic or basement in the store containers with holidays or keep year-round patterns and colors in a box or drawer for easy access.
Christmas Ribbon Decor Ideas
Now, let's move on to the most popular holiday for using ribbons: Christmas. For this blog post, I saved the best for last: decorating with ribbon at Christmas.
What is it about Christmas that naturally looks better with ribbon? Is it the Christmas tree bows, ribbons tied to stockings, or could it be the presents all wrapped in ribbon? Whatever compels us to bring out the ribbon, I am glad we do it. Ribbon is one of my favorite Christmas decorations.
Ribbon Decoration Idea for your Christmas Table
To begin decorating with ribbon and bows at Christmas let's start with another tablescape. This Christmas table was all about vintage, from the old red antique toolbox to the ribbon.
Look closely at the farmhouse-style ribbon used at each place setting. To give the place setting a little charm, I added flour sack napkins and a cutting of wide cotton ribbon on top. This is another easy example of using ribbon in your holiday decor.
Decorate Your Front Door with Ribbon Bows
Next, let's head out to my front porch for some ribbon decor ideas.
On my front porch, I created bells from all Home Depot items and hung them as a wreath on my front door. Yes, you read that right. I bought all the parts from Home Depot and made these bells. Here is the step by step DIY Christmas bells post if you are more curious.
I found this beautiful plaid ribbon bow online and added it to the homemade bells I made from Home Depot parts. Home Depot's website has just about everything, like Walmart and Amazon.
Add a Ribbon Bow To An Old Sled
For my next Christmas porch ribbon and bow idea, check out this sled.
Plaid ribbon has a woodsy rustic look, so it was perfect to pair with the Home Depot bow on the porch. I made a fluffy bow from a plaid wired ribbon with very long tails for this ribbon decor idea and added it to a rustic sled.
Decorate a Small Christmas Tree With a Ribbon Bow
There are so many other ways to add ribbon to your porch, like on a small Christmas tree, as shown below. This plain little Christmas tree needed something to make it special so I tied a ribbon in a simple bow to the top of the tree to make a ribbon tree topper.
Now, our little tree is special. This bow is the perfect tree topper. In fact, this time, I used the same ribbon over and over to repeat the pattern on my front porch.
I love this ribbon so much that I used it on the wreath and inside my home. Repeating your decor elements inside is a great way to welcome guests into your home.
Do you add a ribbon to the top of your tree?
Add Ribbon Around Jars
The same ribbon that is on my front porch got repeated inside our home, this time on an old crock in our kitchen. I wrapped the ribbon around the crock and tied a bow.
I keep these ribbons year after year and reuse them. So, how and where do I store my ribbon? We will answer that shortly, but here is another jar I tied with ribbon.
See how easy it is to decorate with ribbons and bows.
Now, let's look at the second most popular place to decorate with ribbons at Christmas: the Christmas tree.
Adding Ribbon to Christmas Tree Candles
We have already talked about making a ribbon tree topper, so I thought let's look at a few other ideas for using ribbon on a Christmas tree, starting with bow ornaments.
If you look closely at my tree, you will see that I tied a burgundy velvet ribbon bow under each candle. This polished the candle design and added a little more color and style. Click my Little Women Christmas home tour post to see more detailed photos.
Do you have any favorite Christmas tree ribbon ideas? I'd love to hear them!
Adding Ribbon To Your Christmas Mantel
Another traditional place where ribbons are seen is on the fireplace mantel. This past year I tied bows to the ends of a bell garland on the mantel.
It is the little details that make an ordinary design extraordinary. You can add ribbon to many things on your mantel using ideas we have already discussed during other seasons. And don't forget to add ribbon to your stockings.
It is the little details that make an ordinary design extraordinary.
Next, I brought more ribbons and bows for Christmas to our entryway.
Adding Bows to Wall Sconces
These simple industrial-style wall sconces are perfect for decorations. For Christmas, I added some greenery from our real pine garland from the mantel to the sconces and tied it all with a big burgundy velvet bow.
Remember to keep repeating the pattern from room to room to combine your whole design.
And don't forget your bowls if you have some. I threaded a sheer burgundy ribbon off one side through the greenery and down the other.
The year before, I used a blue ribbon to create my design. This Christmas was anything but blue, if you know what I mean. LOL!
Just in this one photo, you will find three examples of blue velvet ribbons.
Decorating with Ribbon on Christmas Ornaments
For Christmas, I added a small light blue velvet ribbon to many of my tree ornaments, like these jingle bells I turned into ornaments from the Dollar Tree. I buffed them with Rub n Buff and made a ribbon hanger for them.
For these air-dry clay ornaments, I used a small white grosgrain ribbon. This was another easy project. To make the bunny, I used a cookie-cutter form.
Now, if you back off from the tree, you will see another example of making bows as ornaments for the Christmas tree. The repetition from the mantel to the tree pulls the room together.
The bows with long tails give the tree a blue color scheme that matches the whole room pulling the overall look together. You can see more photos and read about our blue Christmas decor here.
Now that I have shared ideas for using ribbon at Christmas in your decor, I didn't want to leave out Christmas presents because those presents under your tree bring color, texture, and added decorations. So consider adding ribbon to some of your presents.
Christmas Present Ribbon Decor
Whether your Christmas presents match your decor or not, think about adding ribbon to your gifts. In this first photo, we made ribbons from flour sack napkins, just like I did on the little pies at Thanksgiving.
On another package, we made a bow with bells on its tails. Be creative with your bows. I have a whole YouTube short that shows you many more ideas for a beautifully wrapped Christmas present using ribbon.
Well, that pretty much wraps up all my decorating with ribbons and bows ideas or at least that is all the ones I can think of right now. LOL! So here are a few final thoughts that will help you get started with decorating with ribbons and bows.
Final Thoughts
See how there are so many ways you can use ribbon to elevate your home decor at any time of year, season, or holiday. It is simple, fun, and will make you smile, so go ahead and grab your favorite type of ribbon or make some from old fabrics and start decorating. The best part? It's not expensive at all, so you can change your decor as often as you like.
You only need ribbon, scissors, and sometimes floral wire or tape. Pick a ribbon that matches your decor or go with something neutral, like a solid white or off-white. Check out my post, From Fabric to Fancy: How to Make Ribbon from Fabric. Then, walk around your house and look for places to add ribbons and bows.
Before you know it, you will have added charm and character to your home.
If you have any ideas about decorating with ribbon that I have not mentioned, please share them in the comments. We would love to hear your ideas.
Now, who is ready to decorate with ribbon? Let's do it!
Happy Decorating!
