Use Fabric Ribbon for Your Christmas Gifts

It's late on Christmas Eve, and you haven't wrapped a thing. You're tempted to stuff the presents in gift bags and go to bed. But your kids love to rip the paper off, so you decide to wrap them. You'll skip the ribbon - after all, it's the gift that counts, not how it looks, right? But you could add a fabric ribbon in seconds. Each gift will be beautiful, and you won't be sending any disposable ribbon to the landfill. You can even use the same ribbons next year.

Fabric ribbons are easy to use

If you can tie your shoe, you can tie a fabric ribbon around a gift. Just make sure you don't make the knot too tight, in case you want to reuse the ribbon. With the luster of fabric, a simple knot or bow is gorgeous -- unlike disposable ribbon, which looks cheap unless you do something fancy with it.

Choosing fabric ribbon

Fabric ribbon comes in many varieties, widths, and colors. Depending on how much you want to spend, you can buy satin, velvet, tulle, or even silk. Single-face ribbon is less expensive but also less durable than double-face ribbon.

You can get wire-edged fabric ribbon for shaped bows. Or for small gifts, try silver and gold elastic cord, available from craft shops. It's stretchy, so it will fit around various gift boxes.

Wider ribbon is easier to untie and reuse than narrow ribbon. Be cautious when using ribbon with a metallic finish. It can be harder to untie, and the metallic coating can flake off. Velvet can also be a problem since it picks up lint. My favorite fabric ribbon for gifts is satin, though it is expensive.

If you have small children or pets, avoid metallic ribbon and ribbon with wire edges. You will be trimming small bits off the ends of the ribbon, and these can be harmful if swallowed. If you have a baby, don't leave any ribbon within their reach. It's an obvious safety hazard.

How much ribbon do you need?

The amount of ribbon needed for each gift depends on the size of the gift, whether you want the ribbon to go around one way or both ways, and whether you tie a knot or a bow. It takes about a yard of ribbon to go around a hardback book width-wise, with enough left for a small bow.

When cutting a new ribbon, estimate carefully so you don't make it too short for a particular gift. After one or two years of using fabric ribbons, you will usually have a length that fits any gift.

Go green: Reuse your ribbons

Choose durable fabric for your ribbons and take care of them, so you can reuse them every year.

Use a sharp scissors to cut each new ribbon on a slant, so the ends don't fray. Then seal the edges with a tiny amount of Dritz Fray Check ($3 from craft and sewing stores). If a ribbon does fray, just trim the end and apply more Fray Check.

You can iron some fabric ribbons on a low setting to make them look new. Depending on the type of fabric, you may need to use a cloth between the ribbon and the iron. Many ribbon fabrics are not washable.

Store your ribbons in a plastic bag. Make sure to untie all the knots, so the fabric doesn't crease any more than necessary. Put them away with a Christmas sachet for a pretty scent next year.

Fabric ribbons are an investment

Fabric ribbon costs quite a bit more than disposable ribbon. You can get 40 yards of disposable ribbon for $1, but only 3 yards of wire-edged decorative ribbon for $1. Satin ribbon costs about $1 a yard.

Depending on what kind of ribbon you buy, you'll come out ahead over the years if you reuse your ribbons. I tend to use less fabric ribbon than disposable ribbon if I am trying to make a gift look nice.

Fabric ribbon goes on sale after the holidays. I've found it for as much as 70% off. So if you don't want to spend the money this year, stock up after Christmas and use fabric ribbon next year. Your friends and family will love the look.