Is it possible to use real ribbon, as opposed to fondant as a border on a cake? How do I stop the grease in the frosting from bleading through?

I do this all the time. I have had the best luck with adding double sided tape and wax paper to the back. Just trim to the paper after you stick the ribbon to it. It doesn't take long at all and works great.

Yes, you can. Apply wax to what will be the back of the ribbon by ironing it with a sheet of wax paper, making sure not to get the wax on the iron, of course. Shoot, that reminds me I forgot to buy wax paper!

I use wide clear packing tape to back my ribbon. This keeps the oil from wicking thru to the ribbon. I just trim off the tape with a rotary cutter and place it around the cake.

how do you iron wax paper on the ribbon without getting wax on it?? Do you lay something over the wax paper before you iron it??

exactly!

I haven't done this, but will probably be trying it in the next month or so. I'm sure you cut the wax paper to the exact size (or a tiny bit smaller) of the ribbon, put the ribbon on top and iron the ribbon. You wouldn't want to iron the wax paper.

thank you all so much!