DIY: How to Curl Ribbon for Presents and Gifts

With the Christmas holidays coming up and the many other gifting occasions throughout the year, learning how to curl ribbon can help make those gifts even more beautiful. Your friends and loved ones will appreciate the extra creativity that you put into wrapping their present.

The great thing about this simple craft is that there are endless possibilities when it comes to what you can create. All it takes is a pair of scissors and some ribbon of your choice. It can be decorative Christmas ribbon, polka dotted ribbon or simply varying solid color ribbon of your choosing. Unlike ribbon which is already curled and has limited options in colors and designs, curling your own ribbon provides an opportunity to be creative. You may wish to coordinate your ribbon with the look of the gift wrap or gift bag that you are using or you can choose contrasting colors that compliment your gift wrap. The choices really are endless.

To start, cut a section of your selected ribbon approximately 10-12" in length. The width of the ribbon isn't very important. In fact, you can alter the look of your finished gift by using curling ribbons of varying widths and lengths, just be sure that they are of sufficient length to achieve the desired curl.

With the blades of the scissors opened and a firm grip on one handle and blade, press one end of the ribbon firmly between your thumb and the blade. Maintaining a firm grasp, pull the entire length of the ribbon tightly with your other hand across the blade of the scissors. When you complete the length of the ribbon, release it and you will have a newly transformed, and curly, ribbon.

If, by chance, your first attempt at learning how to curl ribbon is unsuccessful, simply repeat the above procedure until you have achieve the desired look.