Ribbons are beautiful and expressive. From bows to invitations to cake decorating, ribbon is the component that can tie a project together.

While ribbon is an elegant yet practical way to decorate and secure a project, issues can arise when the crafter does not know how much ribbon they need. Too little ribbon can make a necklace fit too snugly or a greeting card appear half-hearted. Too much ribbon can make a gift appear sloppily wrapped.

With these worrying thoughts in mind, one may wonder, how much ribbon do you need for a project? Consider the methods below to determine the perfect amount of ribbon for your creative project.

Step One: Choose the Right Ribbon

Before determining how much ribbon you will need, first you must choose the right ribbon for your project. Some projects, such as jewelry and awkwardly shaped gifts, may benefit from a stretchy ribbon made with elastic. Other projects, such as invitations and standard square or rectangular gifts, benefit from rigid ribbon. Typically, you’ll need less of an elastic ribbon than you would with an inflexible ribbon.

Step Two: Determine Your Project’s Dimensions

Once you have the perfect piece of designer ribbon, it is time to determine the dimensions of your project. The two main dimensions you want to find are the length and the width.

For example’s sake, let’s say you are wrapping a gift. The gift box is 10 inches long by six inches wide.

Step Three: Multiply by 4

After you know your project’s dimensions, multiply the length and width by 4.

The length in our example would be 40 inches and the width would be 16 inches.

Once you have multiplied the length and width, cut two pieces accordingly. Or, if you would like to use just one ribbon for your project, cut the vertical or horizontal piece as you so choose.

Now that you have the perfect amount of ribbon, you can move onto the next step: wrapping or decorating.