Grosgrain Ribbons FAQ

Typically woven tightly with a horizontal ribbed texture and stiff body makes grosgrain ribbon durable with an embroidered look. Grosgrain ribbon has a heavy weave construction with little lustre but is very strong. It’s very common for gift wrapping, decorating scrapbooks and greeting cards.

Due to their stiff and solid texture, there are many popular uses for grosgrain ribbons, such as gift wrapping, sewing, and scrapbooking. This type of ribbon has become a favourite for florists who are after a textured look for their bouquets and arrangements. Additionally, a 10mm wide option is easy to use and gives a professional finish to DIY projects e.g. invitation cards. Grosgrain ribbons can also be used to decorate party favours and candy buffet tables. When using grosgrain, sewers should take care that it is hemmed or sealed properly, to prevent fraying. This can be an issue especially with ribbons, particularly those that are used to hold brooches and decorations. A sharp tug in the wrong direction can unravel an amazing amount of material. 

Other Uses

• Book-binding - Grosgrain fabric and ribbon are common structural fabrics for the joining/reinforcement of spines or sheaves in fine commercial and hobby book-binding and book restoration.
• Cargo and Packing - A particular characteristic of grosgrain ribbon is that the thicker weft resists longitudinal curling and so it exerts an even pressure when tied around crushable materials. Nylon grosgrain is often used as heavy-duty webbing or binding around luggage, packages and messenger bags. It is also used for securing cargo. It can be dyed and is available in a variety of colours (though again usually black).
• Craft - Grosgrain made out of cotton or low-cost synthetics such as polyester is very common as gift wrapping ribbons, or for decorating scrapbooks and greeting cards. It can be used for many different crafts as well, such as making beads. Grosgrain ribbon is the primary ribbon material used in the hair bow industry. When made from nylon, they are sometimes used to make watchbands. Referred to as ribbon straps or "NATO" straps, the straps are inexpensive, extremely durable and can be easily and quickly switched out. 

During the weaving process, one thread (the warp) is usually thicker than the other (the weft) creating the ribbed or corded texture of the ribbon.

Polyester or nylon thread is the most common material used to make grosgrain ribbons today. Grosgrain fabrics were historically made using wool or silk. 

Grosgrain textile fabrics were common corded fabric developed around the 17th century. At first during the 17th century, grosgrain fabric was used as the fabric body (corpus) for many garments, including waistcoats, jackets, petticoats, beeches, sleeves and many other items of clothing. It wasn’t until the 19th century that grosgrain ribbon was commercially developed. Factories in North America started to produce grosgrain silk in the late 19th century. Throughout the 1920s, the term seems to have remained true to original definition as a garment fabric. Nowadays, it’s commonly known as grosgrain ribbon. 

Grosgrain ribbon is available in more than 10 widths starting from 3mm up to 68mm. See the complete range of grosgrain ribbon here.

Choosing the right width for grosgrain ribbon can prove to be quite a bit of a challenge, especially for beginners, as there are multiple types to choose from. Buyers can opt for grosgrain ribbon widths ranging from less than 3 mm to more than 24 mm. The choice should be based on the characteristics of the garment and personal preference. One should however keep in mind that not all widths are suitable for all types of sewing projects.

You can find over 130 different types of grosgrain ribbons on our website. We stock classic solid coloured grosgrain ribbon, saddle stitch grosgrain ribbon, polka dot grosgrain ribbon and striped grosgrain ribbon in a variety of widths and colours.