Three small occasions, all year round
These gifts follow no calendar: a baby arrives, a nephew graduates, a client deserves a thank-you, and the box is needed tomorrow. Keep a small stock so nothing waits on an order.
| Occasion | Colours | Ribbon | Width |
|---|---|---|---|
| New baby | Soft pastels, white, or neutrals such as sage, oat and ivory | Soft satin or sheer | 6 to 16 mm up to about 15 cm; 16 to 25 mm for about 15 to 30 cm |
| Graduation | School or university colours, with gold accents | Grosgrain, with a printed name and year if you wish | 16 to 25 mm for about 15 to 30 cm; 6 to 16 mm for smaller boxes |
| Thank-you | One house colour kept in stock all year | Satin for a polished look, grosgrain for a tailored one | 6 to 16 mm up to about 15 cm; 16 to 25 mm for about 15 to 30 cm |
Baby boxes and new-baby gifts
New-baby gifts suit a soft, calm look. Pale pastels and white are the classic choice, and plenty of parents now prefer to avoid pink and blue altogether. Neutrals such as sage, oat and ivory work well for any baby, and they sit nicely on white or kraft boxes without announcing anything.
- Soft satin gives a gentle shine and ties a full, rounded bow. Choose double-face satin if the ribbon will be tied, so every loop shows the glossy side.
- Sheer ribbon adds colour without weight, and looks lovely layered over a narrower satin in a matching tone.
- Keep it simple. As a sensible caution, avoid anything loose, glittery or prone to shedding on a gift meant for a baby's room. A plain, well-finished ribbon tied firmly is the safer look and the nicer one.
For the finishes in more detail, see the guide to satin, grosgrain and organza.
Graduation gifts
Graduation is the one occasion in this guide where colour is often decided for you. Use the school or university colours, with gold as an accent, and the box looks like part of the celebration.
- Grosgrain gives the crisp, slightly sporty look that suits school colours. Its firm ribs hold a knot and a bow shape well, and it takes print sharply.
- Gold accents work best as a second, narrower ribbon laid over the main one, or as a printed line on it. Two colours per box is plenty.
- A printed name and year turns an ordinary box into a keepsake. Keep the wording short, check the spelling twice, and read how to prepare printed ribbon before you send artwork. Remember that the width limits the height of the print, so a narrow ribbon suits a short name and a year.
Thank-you boxes
Teachers, staff, clients and wedding guests all receive thank-you boxes, often in batches and often late in the day. The easiest approach is to pick one house colour and keep it in stock all year. Every thank-you then looks consistent, and you are never choosing a ribbon in a hurry.
- Choose a colour that works with both white and kraft boxes. Ivory, sage and navy are all easy to live with.
- For wedding guests, make sure every bow in the batch is the same size. The guide to tying a gift bow explains how to cut all the lengths first and use a card jig.
Widths for small boxes
Most baby, graduation and thank-you boxes are small. Use the shorter side of the lid as your guide, as set out in the ribbon width guide:
- Lid up to about 15 cm: 6 to 16 mm.
- Lid about 15 to 30 cm: 16 to 25 mm.
Bows on small boxes
A bow looks balanced when it spans about a third to a half of the lid's shorter side, so small boxes want small bows. A simple two-loop bow is usually enough, and it is quick to tie. Wider ribbon needs bigger loops, which means more ribbon, so tie one sample and measure it. The guide to bow sizes shows how to work out the ribbon a bow takes, and the gift bow guide walks through the steps.
Short notice: stock a few core colours
When a gift is needed tomorrow, there is no time to order, so the answer is to stock ahead. Keep a small set of core colours that suit almost anything:
- One ivory or white, for baby gifts and for pairing with anything.
- One neutral such as sage or oat, for baby gifts that avoid pink and blue.
- Your house colour, for thank-yous.
- One gold, for graduation accents.
Rolls are sold in set lengths, so check the guide to roll lengths in yards and metres before you choose a roll size, and use the ribbon calculator to work out how many boxes a roll will cover. Store rolls on their cores, away from damp hands, so satin does not crease or mark.
Printed ribbon cannot be done at short notice. Keep plain ribbon in your colours for the gift you need tomorrow, and plan printed names and years for graduations you know are coming.
The short checklist
- Occasion and recipient decided, with colours chosen to suit
- For babies, pastels, white or neutrals, in soft satin or sheer, with nothing loose or glittery
- For graduation, school colours matched on the real finish, with gold as an accent
- Width checked against the shorter side of the lid
- One sample bow tied and measured before you cut the batch
- Four or five core colours kept in stock, quantities worked out with the ribbon calculator
Questions buyers ask
What ribbon colour suits a new-baby gift if I want to avoid pink and blue?
Sage, oat and ivory are the easiest neutrals, and white always works. They look calm on white or kraft boxes and suit any baby. Soft satin or sheer organza in one of these tones gives a gentle, finished look without announcing anything.
What ribbon is best for graduation gifts?
Grosgrain in the school or university colours is the best choice. It is firm and crisp, holds a knot and a bow well, and takes print sharply, so a short name and year come out clean. Add gold as a narrow second ribbon or a printed line.
What width ribbon should I use on a small thank-you box?
Use 6 to 16 mm for a lid up to about 15 cm, and 16 to 25 mm for a lid of about 15 to 30 cm, measured on the shorter side. Hold two widths across the lid and step back to see which looks right before you order in bulk.
Which colours should I keep in stock for last-minute gifts?
Keep one ivory or white, one neutral such as sage or oat, your own house colour for thank-yous, and one gold for graduation accents. With these four on the shelf, most baby, graduation and thank-you boxes can be wrapped the same day without waiting on an order.
Is satin or grosgrain better for a graduation box?
Either works, and they give different looks. Satin is smooth and glossy and ties a soft, full bow, so it suits a polished, formal gift. Grosgrain has a ribbed surface and holds a crisp, flat shape, so it suits a tailored or sporty look in school or university colours. If a name and year will be printed, ask to see a printed sample on the ribbon you choose, because the surface changes how the print looks.
