Help!! I need help figuring out how to mask something like this in photoshop!!!!

[discreetthinker]

Please help!! I really need a tutorial or SOMETHING that can help me mask images JUST LIKE THIS. (I have attached the image)
I don't really know too much about layer masks in THIS sense and would love it if someone could help me with this. Instead of this shape, I really need to do a ribbon in a shape of a christmas tree. I have the PSD file of the ribbon image that I provided, but I can't seem to figure out how it is done. It seems that each image is a different layer to form the ribbon.

If someone could direct me to a video or a tutorial (I seemed to search every where and cant seem to find something that works) or knows a technique, that would be very much appreciated! THANK YOU.

 

[fig]

If you have the ribbon/mask shape it's pretty straightforward actually.

Take your first overlay image, line it up and use the selection of the ribbon shape to mask it. Trim the mask on the edges so that it fits the curves of the ribbon, probably add a slight gradient to suggest shadows where appropriate, then move on to the next one.

You might need to use the free transform tool to fit the image to the curve of the ribbon in some spots, but other than that there's not much to it outside basic masking.

 

[laurim]

The trick isn't so much masking as it is creating the appropriate shadowing and warping of the images to mimic the curling ribbon.