Ribbon embroidery: a beginner's guide

Silk ribbon makes flowers and leaves with just five stitches.

• The most common silk ribbon widths are 2 mm, 4 mm and 7 mm.
• Use short lengths: repeatedly pulling ribbon through fabric frays it. Threads suggests 12 to 15 inches for 2 mm and 4 mm, and 7 to 10 inches for 7 mm and wider.
• Needle-lock the ribbon: thread it, then pierce the same end about 1/4 inch from the end and pull the long tail.
• Five stitches make lots of flowers: straight stitch, ribbon stitch, lazy daisy, stem stitch and French knots.
• Ribbon stitch is ribbon-only; the others work with thread too.
• Don't pull tight, or the fabric puckers and ribbon twists.

Sources

All checked 1 November 2026. We read these; we did not test the products ourselves.

1. Threads: A beginner's guide to silk ribbon embroidery
2. Threads: Basics of silk-ribbon embroidery
3. Heritage Embroidery: Silk ribbon embroidery essentials