Ribbon Wall Tutorial

Photography and styling by Honeysuckle Life.

One idea that kept popping up over and over as I planned the decor for our modern Southern engagement party was a ribbon wall. I used these images as inspiration: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. I wanted it to be more than just ribbon, which can get quite expensive. So, I decided on a combination of ripped fabric, ribbon, and yarn. After finishing the two curtains, I had enough material left over to make table runners for one table, one coffee table, two buffets, and a patio door.

A few detail shots (with a tutorial to follow!)…

The basics of creating a ripped fabric wall are crazy easy. My sister taught me this trick. Cotton fabric rips right up the warp (a fancy term for the grain of a fabric that runs parallel to the selvage), and as long as you cut a little bit at the bottom, you can rip it all the way up. The biggest investment is in the fabric. If you plan ahead, you can get coupons for cheap cotton fabric. If you want to purchase curtain sheers to use as a backing, this will help you  lower costs even further by reducing the amount of fabric you need to cover a window.

To start, calculate the amount of fabric you need by measuring your space. My planned spaces were two windows, one double and one single. Paired with 9 foot ceilings. I used existing curtain rods, and left curtain sheers in place. Think in layers when creating your curtain: base fabric, accent fabric, ribbons, yarn. The more layers, the better.

You have two options for attaching your fabric and ribbon, you can loop the edges over without tying, or you can tie to the top and trim at the bottom to the appropriate length. Your choice. I chose a combination of methods depending on how much of each item I had.

Ripped Fabric and Ribbon Wall Tutorial

Supplies (colors I used are in parentheses):

• 6 yards base fabric (white muslin), in extra wide (90″ to 100″)
• 3 yards accent fabric (soft green)
• 3 yards accent fabric (striped yellow)
• 9 spools ribbon in varying colors and sizes (gray, yellow, green)
• 1 skein yarn (green and white striped)
• scissors
• curtain rod

Directions:

1. Using your base fabric, cut on the short edge (not the selvage edge) in 4-6″ strips all the way across. On each snipped edge, start ripping fabric all the way up. Make sure you are ripping parallel to the selvage, or you will have short and crooked strips instead of nice, long, straight rips. Continue on each snipped edge until you have a dozen or so strips. Loop these over the top of your curtain rod, adjusting the bottom of the strips as you like. Do the same with your accent fabrics, using narrower strips (I used 2″ for the light green fabric, and 3″ for the yellow striped fabric).
2. Continue the process with ribbon, and then yarn. Cutting and tying as needed. Make sure to tuck the ends of each knot into the back of the curtain.  Trim the ends to varying lengths to create more volume and visual interest.
3. Use the remaining materials as table runners!