How To Tie An Invitation Wrap

I often get asked for help with estimating ribbon length for invitation ties (and you can find a little tutorial on that here). I thought it might also be helpful to share some ideas of how to use ribbon as a pretty addition to an invitation suite.

My dear friend Kris LeBoeuf and I took some photos to help illustrate, which may be particularly helpful for anyone who learns best through images (that would be me!). The beautiful invitation we used is by Mathilda Lundin.

To Tie With a Bow

For this example we used my 1/2" (12mm) habotai silk ribbon in Smoke. This width is perfect for a more delicate look but any width can work, as you'll see, for a variety of styles.

Lay your invitation across the ribbon, making sure that the ribbon underneath is flat. You may want to leave one end long for the first wrap, until you're sure of the length needed for each piece.

Pull the two ends of the ribbon across the centre.

Tie the two ends gently but firmly across the middle, centreing the cross with the middle of the card. Be careful not to pull too hard; many silk ribbons can fray if tugged on too much.

Tie in a neat bow, making the looped pieces proportionate to the card; not too big, which will make your invitation envelopes lumpy, and not too small, which can look unbalanced. Trim the ribbon ends at an angle to prevent fraying.

Bow Alternatives

Tie in a neat knot and trim the ribbon ends.

Cross the ribbon ends and secure with a wax stamp.

These are available premade, with self adhesive tabs on the back, or if you're feeling really crafty you can make them yourself with wax sticks and a stamp.

If sustainability is important for you, be careful when opting for the premade stamps that you're buying real wax and not plastic, which is a common option not always openly stated.

You can also use a wider ribbon for a different look.

This is the Fog silk ribbon in 2" (5cm) width, closed with a self-adhesive wax stamp.

Another option would be to use a small sprig of dried flowers or grass under the ribbon, for an extra natural flourish.

These will be available later this year from this shop, sourced from an Organic flower farm in Oregon. 

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

Happy planning!