How Make a Ribbon Ruffle

A ribbon ruffle is a simple way to add a touch of whimsy and femininity to all sorts of different items. Make your own ribbon ruffles by hand, or with your sewing machine, in just a few minutes. Then you can attach a ribbon ruffle along the open edge of a sock to add a little flair to a little girl's pair of socks or use hot glue to add a ribbon ruffle to the front cover of a notebook for a hint of playfulness. The embellishment possibilities of a ribbon ruffle are only limited by your imagination.

Measure and cut a length of ribbon one and-a-half to two times as long as the desired length of the finished ruffle. Cut the ribbon to one and-a-half the desired length for a ribbon with a little bit of ruffle to it. Cut the ribbon to twice the length for a fuller ruffle.

Sew a basting stitch, either by machine or hand, down either the center of one edge of the full length of the ribbon. Sew the stitch down the center for a ribbon ruffle you plan to attach with a stitch down the center of the ribbon; sew the stitch down the edge for a ruffle you plan to attach with a stitch along the edge of the ribbon. Loosen the tension and stitch length to sew a basting stitch by machine. Sew a simple back and forth stitch with a roughly 1/4-inch stitch length to sew the basting stitch by hand. Leave the tails of the thread long.

Knot the tail of the thread at one end of the basting stitch. Hold the tails of the thread at the other end of the basting stitch while you push the ribbon up the length of the thread to gather it. Keep gathering the ribbon until the ruffle is the desired length. Knot the end of the thread to hold the ribbon gathered.