5 Home Decor Ideas Using Ribbons

Craft rooms everywhere always find themselves overstocked with a few things: beads, string, glue, and ribbons. If you’ve found yourself with far too much leftover ribbon from a recent birthday or holiday, and far too few unique ideas on how to use your new supplies, you can rest assured that you can reuse your surplus crafting materials for new projects to liven up your home. Read on to find five easy and fun home décor projects using ribbon.

Before you get started with the projects, let’s go over the various types of ribbon so you know which one to use for each project and what type of ribbon you may already have in your craft room.

Types of Ribbons

Ribbons can be diced several ways based on their features, and they are divided into two general categories: woven and non-woven. Woven ribbons tend to be narrower than non-woven and they always have a defined and thicker edge. Non-woven ribbons are made from textile and plastics, and are held together by an adhesive.

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For the crafts below, you will want to use mostly woven ribbons. Woven ribbons are generally used for crafts and home décor because of their versatility and durability, while non-woven ribbons are typically used for gift-wrapping because they can be cut, shredded, and curled easily.

You will often find ribbons further divided into these types:

Organza
Grosgrain ribbon
Curling
Iridescent
Jacquard
Taffeta
Poly
Satin
Wire
Velvet

For the projects below, you will want to look for the ribbon types that are durable, light, and easy to work with. Not all ribbon types fit the bill, so here are a few suggestions:

Organza is the first ribbon type on the list to fit the bill as it is very light and often sheer.
Grosgrain is also widely used and is not sheer like organza, so it can also be a good choice for ribbon pillow or lampshade projects.
Iridescent ribbon has a reflective finish that changes the color depending on the angle you view it from, which makes it a great choice for summer curtains.

If you already have leftover ribbon, read on to see which project you can take on next!

Ribbon Shade

This DIY project requires a lampshade, adhesive, and ribbon. You can decide to either fully cover the lampshade or wrap the ribbon around the top and bottom, making a colorful trim. If you want to fully cover the lampshade, you can wrap the ribbon horizontally or vertically.

In either case, you will have to measure the height and circumference of the lampshade so you can properly cut it into lengths. The best kind of ribbon for this project is wide so that you don’t have to make 20 layers just to cover the shade and pliable. This also ensures that the ribbon wraps around the edges easily and goes on smooth.

Having a personalized ribbon shade can liven up your living space and add a touch of colorful flair to your room. Experiment with different colors and textures to see how they match with your existing decor!

Ribbon Pillow

This project requires some basic sewing skills. You’ll need a pillowcase, needle, thread, and the star of our show: ribbon. Depending on the pillow size, you’ll want to get a couple spools of ribbon. Again, the wider the ribbon the easier and less time it will take you. Also, if you have a sewing machine, you will be able to complete this project much quicker and your stitch lines will be straighter and last longer.

The first step in creating your ribbon pillow is to measure out your pillow area and cut corresponding ribbons. You can either pencil in the lines to follow while stitching to make sure it comes out straight, or if you are an old hand with sewing, wing it and sew in your own pattern.

Ribbon Trim

Ribbon trims are great, inexpensive ways to add a little pop to pieces of furniture and other household accessories. We will be using a stool as an example for this project, but you can easily put ribbon trim on other pieces of furniture and household accessories, such as:

Footstools
Dressers
Side tables
Soap
Candles

The materials you will need depend on the surface you are trying to fasten the ribbon on. For instance, on fabric, you will want to use sewing like in the previous pillow project. However, on hard surfaces like side tables or dressers, use super glue or a fabric adhesive specifically designed to work on that surface. The type of ribbon that works best as a trim is thin because it will fit on most pieces of furniture and draw just enough attention without making it appear gaudy.

Ribbon Hangers

This is probably the easiest DIY project of all. It requires ribbon, hooks, and something to attach the ribbon to across the wall. All that you need to do is string a line of ribbon across a section of the wall and hang the hooks on the ribbon. Now you have yourself a hanging line you can hang dishtowels, keys, hats, and other small knick-knacks off of! It’s a great way to tie in accessibility, function, and flair – all in one neat space.

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Summer Drapes

You can incorporate ribbons in several ways with drapes. If you only have a small amount of ribbon, you can consider using it to tie your current drapes to the rod, instead of using metal rings.

Doing this makes the drapes and room look more relaxed and homey. If it’s summertime, this next way to use ribbon is a great way to let a little light and breeze in. It also requires nothing but ribbon and some knot tying skills. No sewing needed!

Here are the instructions to create light summer drapes:

Measure your window and multiply it by 2 to get the number of 1-inch ribbon strips you’ll need.
Measure the height of your window and add a couple inches for the knot you will need to make.
Find your favorite ribbon! Make sure to get a little extra to accommodate for mistakes.
Cut the ribbon according to your measurements.
Loop the ribbon around your curtain rod! There are several knots you can use to do this.

Liven Up Your Home

Whether you are looking to spruce up some old furniture or breathe new life into a room, ribbons are a fantastic way to introduce creativity and color into your home. Enjoy using these home decor ideas using ribbon!

Author Bio: Roy Cunningham is a freelance writer and a crafts enthusiast from Los Angeles, California. When he is not busy working as an interior designer, he enjoys crafting using ribbons and other specialty materials.