Cobalt ferrite one-dimensional nanostructures (nanoribbons and nanofibers) were prepared by electrospinning combined with sol-gel technology. The nanoribbons and nanofibers were formed through assembling magnetic nanoparticles with poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) as the structure-directing template. Nanoribbons and nanofibers were obtained after calcining the precursor nanoribbons at different temperatures. Successive Ostwald ripening processes occur during the formation of CoFe2O4 nanoribbons and nanofibers. The sizes of nanoparticles varied with calcination temperatures, which leads to different one-dimensional structures and variable magnetic properties. These novel magnetic one-dimensional structures can potentially be used in nanoelectronic devices, magnetic sensors, and flexible magnets.