Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas and that means one of our favorite traditions of the year: decorating the Christmas tree. Whether youre a traditionalist who treasures dragging out the boxes of old family ornaments each and every year or someone who thinks every Christmas is the opportunity for a new theme, one thing is a constant: ribbon is the perfect way to complete your look. Those holiday gifts aren't finished until they've been embellished with ribbons and bows, so why should your tree be any different?There are so many beautiful ways to use ribbon on your Christmas treefrom simple ribbon ties to cascading garlands to statement tree toppers (and, yes, bows!). While some ideas may take a little more time than others, theyre all easy to create once you have the basics down. Here are our best tips and ideas to get you started: What Kind of Ribbon To Use To Decorate a Christmas Tree: With so many ribbons out there to choose from, it helps to first decide what style and material of ribbon you want to use. If you love the the look and feel of a classic Christmas, steer towards tartan plaid ribbon. If your style leans more rustic, jute or burlap ribbon is a good choice for you. For the glitz-and-glam holiday lovers, a ribbon with metallic hints or made of shiny satin is best. Youll also want to grab your sharpest ribbon-cutting scissors and Christmas light clips to keep things in place while you play around with the look.How to Decorate a Christmas Tree With Ribbon:1. A Ribbon GarlandStart at the top of your tree and secure the ribbon end to the top of a branch with a clip. Carefully wind your way around the tree, going over and under branches as you come down. If you run out of ribbon as you go, clip the end somewhere in the back of the tree and repeat the same process with your new strand. You can also use wire-edged ribbon for a more structured look.2. Vertical Ribbon StrandsBegin by cutting six to eight pieces of ribbon that are each approximately a foot longer than the height of your tree. (You can cut more strips if you want a fuller ribbon look.) Secure one end of each ribbon to the top of the tree with a clip. (We recommend getting a large tree topper to hide all the clips!) Let each strand cascade down the tree, tucking it back where you would like to create a fold.3. A Ribbon Bow Tree TopperThe mechanics of a tying ribbon tree topper are similar to tying a regular bow. We recommend using a wire-edged ribbon for this so that your bow keeps its shape all season long. First, cut a strip of ribbon long enough to leave you with no shorter than 6 in. tails. You can then tie it to the top of the tree in a simple two-loop bow or create multiple loops for a show-stopping look. Get more ideas and inspiration for decorating your home for holidays: