Ribbons Are Having a Moment — and John Mark Sharpe Made It Happen at Dallas Market
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When John Mark Sharpe sauntered to the microphone at the Dallas Market Center last week, it was with all the awe-shucks attitude of a small-town Southern boy.
And the ladies who had crowded the area on the 12th floor of Dallas’ iconic trade tower cheered and clapped before he uttered a word.
“Hi, y’all,” he said with his toothy grin, all Tennessee charm of a young man who knows to say “yes, m’am” and not take himself too seriously.
Standing Room Only
No swagger here, even though his popularity could have warranted it. It was standing room only for his presentation during the Total Home & Gift Market that continues through today. The retailers, mostly women, who were there to hear his presentation on ribbons and bows in home décor, got there early and even were willing to sit on the floor to hear his home-grown wisdom.
He knew his crowd. For Dallas’ market, the boyish entrepreneur and owner of John Mark Enterprises in Germantown, TN showed up in a sport coat, well-pressed shirt, brown jeans, cowboy boots, and a cowboy hat. He may have started in Tennessee, but today he was conquering Dallas.
At 27, he certainly has conquered a lot in a very short time. He began his sales career earlier than most. As a teen, he needed to make some cash to buy a car, so he began by selling candy to his classmates.
“I was the candy man,” the smiling entrepreneur told the Dallas crowd during his presentation on home décor. He quickly learned his biggest markup came from jarred pickles he re-packaged in plastic bags giving him a 95-cent profit margin. “That gave me my first taste of having my own business.”
Turns out he was a natural salesman, driven to succeed, eager to try new things, and unblinkingly unafraid. Those qualities, combined with a downhome Southern charm, have earned him a place as a social media influencer and his shop a Memphis-area destination.
Destination: Dallas Market Center
His trip to Dallas was to debut his new line of signature ribbons intended for home decorating. His John Mark Wholesale line was showcased at the showroom of The Round Top Collection. He again has tapped into a market with demand. According to statistics from ZipDo’s Home Decor Industry Statistics Report 2025, the average American household spends $1,750 each year in home décor and improvement.
Judging by the women who lined up to snap a photo with him, Sharpe remains popular. Various sources cite his business as worth $25 million to more than $150 million. Not bad for a Tennessee boy who went to college, but admits his training came from an aunt, his grandmother, and local businesswomen who all took them under their wings.
“There is no design background,” he told the assembled fans with his slow southern drawl. “I’m not formally trained.”
He laughs, and the crowd loved it.
Ribbon Weaving
While he was weaving his new ribbons in various widths on a Christmas tree, then a mantle, and finally a wreath, he also wove stories from his childhood, which wasn’t all that long ago. He started his business in 2009, and now his Instagram followers near half a million. His easy smile and molasses-slow conversations belie his business acumen.
His shop, located at 9076 Poplar Pike in Germantown, offers floral arrangements and seasonal décor. But his online tutorials in decorating, especially with ribbon, are where he’s become well-known and successful outside of Tennessee.
“I go into stuff very blind and naïve,” he told the group. “I still do that in business because if you wait too long, you psych yourself out.”
Zig Zagging
Clearly, the group watching him last week was familiar with his creations, which range from floral centerpieces, wedding décor, to Christmas designs. Even though it’s January, Sharpe demonstrated Christmas decorating with his ribbon, readying retailers for 2026 home décor. He talked, laughed, looped, snipped, and never once stopped to measure.
He started with lengths of four-inch-wide red-and-white ribbon, working in “zig zags,” tucking it into tree branches. Then he added another wide ribbon in green, edged in gold, making loops. Third came a two-and-a-half ivory-colored ribbon, followed by a narrow version of the previous green.
Moving to a mantle, he used various shades of blue, including a multi-colored ribbon copied from one of his mother’s watercolor artworks. The deepest blue, a wide royal blue ribbon, he said was popular for the Fourth of July.
Ribbons have no season, and he has many ribbons. Rolls of “good ribbon” come with a pin. Fold, don’t pinch, the sides of a ribbon when making bows. Ribbons don’t need to be “matchy-matchy.” Double-fused ribbon “makes up so much nicer” because it’s sturdier and doesn’t unravel.
His moment in the spotlight mattered to the young entrepreneur. Like his ribbon, he never unraveled, but he admitted to being emotional during his presentation.
“I don’t know why I get so emotional sometimes,” he said. Still, he kept working, chatting and smiling. “People took a chance on me, and this is what happened. I learned a lot, and people just let me do my thing.”
