How to Make a Ribbon Wreath – Easy!

Make an easy and beautiful ribbon wreath with simple step by step instructions. Perfect DIY wreath project for any skill level!

Ribbon wreaths (similar to deco mesh wreaths or burlap wreaths) are a fun way to make holiday wreaths in pretty much any color combination imaginable.

I’m sure you’ve seen these wire wreath frames at Dollar Tree or at craft stores, and maybe you’ve wondered how people can turn one of those and a few spools of ribbon into a fun and festive holiday wreath… Well, I’m here to show you the easiest ribbon wreath DIY!

The base of these wreaths is always a wire wreath frame, which I have used many times, but almost always with flowers and/or greenery. My favorite Wire wreath project is hands down my Rainbow Hydrangea Wreath. Swoooon.

I’m not going to lie, I underestimated what it takes to turn a few spools of wired ribbon into a lovely ribbon wreath. I’m a fairly proficient wreath maker, so I tried just playing around with the ribbon and frame, and after a few missed attempts, I decided it was time to nerd out and do some wreath research.

As I’ve dived into this world of ribbon/mesh/burlap wreaths, I’m noticing that there are three basic techniques for adding the ribbons to the wire frame. As there isn’t some wreath governing body to define the terms and techniques, I kind of came up with my own:

• Bubble Method
• Push Up and Twist Method
• Cut and Bunch Method

Each method has its pros and cons, some require more steps and/or supplies than the others. And depending on what type of ribbon you want to use, or how much ribbon you have, some techniques will lend themselves better to one or the other.

These ribbon wreaths require a bit of playing around with the ribbons you have, to see what looks best or works best. And fair warning, you may be taking it apart and starting over a few times before it starts coming together for you. NBD.

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Ribbon Wreath DIY

Until this year, I have pretty much avoided Deco Mesh Wreaths, Burlap Wreaths and Ribbon Wreaths completely. They just weren’t quite my style. I like modern and simple. A lot of times mesh/burlap/ribbon end up kinda… busy.

So never one to shy away from a challenge, I decided it was time to try to make a simple ribbon wreath. A lot of the ribbon wreath DIYs that are out there have lots going on, and are a bit crazy for my taste. I decided I wanted to just show how to make a nice basic ribbon wreath, that can easily be added upon for different holidays or decor styles.

Did you know you can use one wreath year round, dressing it up for different holidays? You totally can! Check out my Year Round Wreath post to see how.

The ribbon wreaths in my examples below are definitely more on the “plain” side, but that’s mostly to just teach you the techniques, and then you can embellish with flowers or bows or little signs or whatever you’d like!

Supplies needed for making a ribbon wreath

To make a ribbon wreath, you’ll need:

• a wire frame (I like to buy these at the Dollar Tree, but you can also find them at craft stores.)
• Ribbon, of course! Probably around 12 yards (see FAQs near the end of this post)
• Pipe cleaners, wire, or zip ties (optional)
• Scissors

Ok, here we go, lets learn how to make some wreaths!

Three Types of Ribbon Wreath Techniques: 

Bubble Method

The first technique I tried is the bubble method. The result is a poofy, bubbly effect with the ribbons. It works best with wider ribbons (so you can cover more of the wire frame when you fluff the bubbles out).

The exact ribbon I used for this method is this darling 4″ wide peach gingham ribbon from Michaels.

You need to have pipe cleaners, wire or zip ties for this method, as you’ll be attaching each “bubble” to the wire wreath.  

To create this look, you start by bunching the end of the ribbon up and attaching it to the wire frame with a piece of pipe cleaner, wire or zip tie. 

Then you stretch the ribbon out a determined length, so the “bubbles” are a consistent size. You can choose a number of inches, or I like using the width of my hand to measure the ribbon.

Then scrunch the ribbon together at that point and attach it to the wire frame. As you will notice, most wire frames have four wires that run around the perimeter of the wreath. You have a few options for where to attach each “bubble”.