Ribbon Tips and Ideas
Professional scrapbook artist, paper crafter, and author, I have taught people how to make family memories into legacies for 20 years.
Ribbons are the fun way to add color, definition and style to every craft project
If you make any kinds of crafts, then you love ribbon ! The colors and textures add so much to every craft project. No matter if you sew, scrapbook, make cards or paper crafts, ribbon adds that finishing touch to every project that you create.
There are hundreds of ways to use ribbons on craft projects. So many colors and patterns to chose from. People actually collect ribbon as a side hobby.
There is an endless palette of colors to chose from. You can find printed, stripped and dotted ribbon.
No matter what your craft type, adding ribbon makes it so much better.
Types Of Craft Ribbon
| Type | Properties | Uses |
|---|---|---|
Burlap | is a coarse cloth made of jute, flax, or hemp fibers. Gives any project some rustic charm. | Use it for home décor, gift wrapping, and fun craft projects |
Chiffon | Similar to organza, but in very small widths | Can be used in corsages and other floral decor. Bows can be made with it. Because of the thin width, some have knitted and crocheted with it |
Curling Ribbon | Comes in crimped or smooth texture. Comes in solids in almost any color you can think of. | Good for scrapbook, wreaths, wands and of course wrapping gifts and packages |
Grosgrain | Durable ribbon with some elasticity. Comes in solid colors and patterns. Also comes with loops along both edges called picots | Collages, scrapbooks, wreaths and bows |
Jacquard | Both sides of this ribbon show the same pattern in opposite colors | Used for decorative accents |
Lace | Not as durable as other ribbons, but does give a bit of elegance to any project. | Traditional for weddings. It also makes for an ideal trim on handmade clothes and heirloom dresses, and an endearing accent in scrapbooks. Can also be combined with burlap for a rustic elegance. |
Mesh | Similar to netting, Comes in different sizes, widths and colors | Most often used in wreaths, centerpieces and seasonal decor |
Organza | Mostly made of polyester | This organza could be use as simple decor for table, ribbon, even as hair accessories. |
Paper | Made of thin creased paper that has delightful texture. | Easily shaped into bows, paper ribbon is wonderful for gift wrap, scrapbooking, and casual trim. |
Raffia | Raffia is created by opening the leaves of palm fronds and revealing the natural fibers within | Most often used in fall decor. It is often made into a wreath shape; Can also be added to other ribbon to create a textured bow |
Satin | Has a satin sheen that is available in a rainbow of colors They are mostly made of silk, nylon or cotton. They also come in picot which are small loops along the edges. | Good for almost any project |
Taffetta | This is a lightweight ribbon made of silk, rayon or polyester. Most are wired, but even without the wire, they retain a crispness | Can be used as table accents. shoe ties and home decor |
Tulle | A light airy material | Most often used for formal occasions like weddings. |
Velvet | Has a plush elegance in endless color combinations. It iseasy to press, store, and reuse for winters to come. | Often used on projects for holidays like Christmas or winter decor. Used also for home and business decor |
Wired Ribbon | The wire within this ribbon makes it very flexible. It also retains the shape it is put into. Comes in patterns and solids. Wires can easily be removed. | Great ribbon to use in floral pieces, bouquets and wreaths |
Woven Edge | Woven to the exact edge of the loom with a finished edge | All kinds of crafting |
Recycled Clothes Pins
Cover a clothes pin with ribbon and buttons. Use them on a desk or add a magnet to use on a refrigerator
Awareness Ribbons
Different colors of ribbons are used to create awareness for different types of illnesses and conditions
Easy And Simple Things You Can Do With Ribbon
Here are some projects you can make with ribbon that are easy to make,
- Make a ribbon streamer party chair. Ribbons are tied on the back of a chair. Great for weddings, showers and birthday parties. Click here for the project.
- Make bike tassel ribbon streamers. Make this project in under an hour. Click here for this project.
- Wrap a candle with ribbon. Take different widths of ribbon and wrap them around the candle. Either use straight pins or a glue gun to secure the ribbon to the candle. Theme your ribbon to a season or occasion.
- Hang a Christmas ornament with ribbon. It will look even better.
- Sew ribbon around a pillow.
- Hang a wreath with ribbon
- Use ribbon as curtain tie backs
- Bind a mini scrapbook with ribbon
- Give life to an old lampshade with ribbon. Click here for the project
- Use ribbon in place of shoe laces to give new life to a pair of sneaker
- Glue a ribbon bow to the top of a headband.
- Weave a ribbon through a basket for a seasonal touch
- Sew ribbon onto the edge of a kitchen towel
- Make a ribbon garland
- Add ribbon to a child's toy
- Make a hair clip with ribbon . Click here to get the project
Ribbon Roses And Floral Arrangements
Ribbon wreaths can be made with seasonal, color and occasion themes
Ribbon Wreath
Ribbon wreaths are so festive. There are several methods to do a ribbon wreath.
- Birthday- Make it in his or her favorite color
- Baby Shower- Shades of blue or pink
- Wedding/Wedding Shower-Make it in the wedding colors
- Seasonal-Make spring, summer, fall or winter theme
Tied Ribbon Wreath
Supplies
- Tubular styroform or straw wreath form
- You will need a 1½ to 2-inch (3.81 to 5.08-centimeter) wide, solid-colored ribbon
- 7/8, 5/8, and 3/8-inch (22, 16, and 10-millimeter) wide ribbons
- Scissors
- Glue gun and glue sticks
Wrap the solid color ribbon tightly around the wreath base. Make sure that you overlap it a bit. Cut off any excess when you reach where you started, Secure the end with hot glue.
Cut lengths of the other ribbon long enough to tie around the wreath form with some extra for a tail. You could leave the tail as is. You could also make a diagonal cut or a v shaped cut.
Thread it onto the wreath. Make a double knot and continue until you have covered the wreath form.
More Ribbon Wreath Ideas
- DIY Ribbon Wreath | Sweet Tea Ministry
Learn how simple it is to create a ribbon wreath in any color combination! - DIY Ribbon Wreath (Halloween or any Season) - A Pop of Pretty Home Decor Ideas
Updated 2019! How to make an easy diy ribbon wreath for any season, just 3 easy steps. Make a Halloween ribbon wreath or one for any season. - {diy} How to Make an Easy Ribbon Wreath • The Pinning Mama
An easy ribbon wreath to craft . You can theme your wreath as to color, season and occasion. - DIY Ribbon Wreaths - Craft a Wreath for Your Door
Try one of these DIY ribbon wreaths for your next craft project.
Decorating Christmas Trees With Mesh Ribbon
Mesh ribbon is one of the ways that you can decorate a Christmas tree
How To Use Ribbon On A Greeting Card
Greeting cards are one of the most fun place to add ribbons. They enhance the message and create focus. They accent your message beautifully !
Of course, adding a bow to your greeting card may be the first thing that comes to your mind. Bows are easy to make. The best way to attach a bow to a card is to either use a glue dot or some fast drying tacky glue.
- You can also make your bow even more special by taking some ribbon and adding a charm to the bow.
- Edge a card with ribbon. You can edge any part of your card with ribbon. Always adds a lot of elegance to your card
- Add a piece of ribbon flat across a card. Does not add any bulk
- Make a faux bow and add it to your cards
- Weave ribbon for a patterned ribbon effects
More Ribbon Greeting Card Inspiration
- Created By You: Two Quick & Easy Ribbon Tricks Tutorial
Nicely detailed tutorial on making a faux bow - Card Making Idea: Ribbon Edge Christmas Card Tutorial - Greeting Card Class 2 - Aunt Annie's Crafts
In this tutorial, learn how to create a decorative cut edge that is enhanced with a ribbon backing. Also learn how to make a stamp from an eraser and use it make plain and checkered backgrounds. - How to Make a Bouquet Card With Ribbon: 12 Steps (with Pictures)
How to Make a Bouquet Card With Ribbon. This card combines paper and textile craft to arrive at an inexpensive card that's sure to get attention and be remembered. It's suitable for many occasions, including Valentine's Day, Mother's Day,...
Tie pieces of ribbon onto a pair of flip flops. This project is great for all those pieces of scrap ribbon.
Ribbon Projects
- How to Frame Your Phone Photos with Ribbon Scraps | In My Own Style
Find out creative ideas on how to use ribbon and or use scraps of ribbon, rickrack and more to make colorful picture frame mats to display your phone's photos. Scrap ribbon crafts easy diy idea. - Vintage Doily Bohemian Dream Catcher – My Pinterventures
Vintage Doily Bohemian Dream Catcher. Tutorial on how to create a simple dream catcher using lace, a vintage doily and ribbon. - Sites-JoAnn-Site | JOANN
Shop the largest assortment of fabric, sewing, quilting, scrapbooking, knitting, crochet, jewelry and other crafts under one roof at JOANN Fabric & Craft Stores. Our online craft store is your source for all your creative needs. - Sites-JoAnn-Site | JOANN
Shop the largest assortment of fabric, sewing, quilting, scrapbooking, knitting, crochet, jewelry and other crafts under one roof at JOANN Fabric & Craft Stores. Our online craft store is your source for all your creative needs. - Embellishing Curtains With Ribbon | HGTV
Embellish store-bought curtains with coordinating ribbon to personalize them. - How to make your own mum: Tips from Texans who buck the homecoming tradition's extravagant
It's a Texas thing, y'all. Other states may have Friday night high school football. They might even have homecoming traditions and a court of... - Ribbon and Candles | Decor Tips | Ribbons.com
Decorating candles with ribbons is a super easy way to add finesse and charm to decor. Get great ideas and crafting tips now when you visit Ribbons.com.
Using Ribbon In A Junk Journal
Ribbons add a vintage and are a useful tool in junk journals
Using Ribbon In Junk Journals
Ribbons give junk journals that vintage feel. No matter how they are used, they are one of the best way to add a pop of color to all of your junk journals
Here are just a few ways to use them:
- Use then as a closure for a junk journal. Glue or double side tape them into the the inside cover page before covering the page cover insert.
- Use the as a vertical or horizontal belly band to hold ephemera
- Use them as a page border
- Use them to embellish a tag or pocket
- Use a bow on a journal page
- Use them to wrap around a non bound journal
- Use them on a pocket
- Add charms to a junk journal
How To Tie A Perfect Bow
You can tie a perfect bow every time with this quick tutorial
Ribbon Sewing Tips
There are a few tips when using ribbon for sewing that will help you avoid problems with your sewing projects
- Wash and dry your base fabric before adding ribbon. Most ribbons will not shrink, but your fabric might, so washing and drying your fabric will help avoid problems later on.
- Be careful if you are ironing ribbon. Use a lower synthetic setting if you are iron your ribbon before sewing. Once the ribbons are stitched to the base fabric, make sure you continue to press them with a cool iron. Or, if the iron is on a cotton setting, press the ribbons from the wrong side of the fabric or use a pressing cloth to protect them.
- T
- o eliminate the need for pins and to keep the ribbons from shifting as they are sewn in place, I like to use a little basting glue or strips of lightweight fusible web such as Steam-a-Seam. Follow the directions on the product that you are using.
- Use a fine needle to sew your ribbon (75 to 80). Make sure that it is very sharp and creates a hole only large enough for the thread.
- Always sew the same way on both sides of the ribbon. You will avoid puckering that way.
- You can sew your ribbon by hand using a fine needle and close stitches.
- Polyester thread works best for most ribbon sewing projects.
You can use ribbon scraps to make this delightful ribbon tassels. You can also use this same idea for a pull chain for a bedroom fan.
Sewing Ribbon Tips
- Granny’s Sewing Basket – Tips & Tricks: Sewing Ribbon! | Thread Riding Hood
Tips and tricks for sewing ribbons - How to Sew a Ribbon to a Dress Without a Pucker | Our Everyday Life
Tips on sewing ribbon on a dress without puckering. - Tips on Sewing with Ribbons - Renaissance Ribbons
A touch of ribbon adds color and interest to all sorts of DIY projects. Sometimes the ribbons can be simply glued in place, but sewing is often the better way to go. Today’s blog post includes tips for sewing with ribbons. Most of Renaissance Ribbons
Easy Ways To Make A Bow
More Ribbon Inspiration
- Rabom Cheer Bow Tutorial | Ribbon And Bows Oh My!
How to make a Cheer Bow with Rabom! We'll show you how to fold and make the perfect Cheerbow, perfect for Cheer Bow Graphics, Rhinestones, Emojis, and Prints! - Reliant Ribbons Width Chart | Reliant Ribbon
Here you will get to see Reliant Ribbons width chart which shows sizes of ribbons in inches, florist sizes, and millimeters. Visit ReliantRibbon.com now! - How To Make A Ribbon Bow The Easy Way | In My Own Style
How to make a ribbon bow for a wreath, tree, or just to use alone. Step-by-step photo tutorial | In My Own Style - DIY Tips: How To Tie A Perfect Bow - Wedding Inspiration
We are always looking for creative and unique finishing touches to homemade projects that we can share with our customers and blog readers. We are - Tips and Tutorials | Ribbon And Bows Oh My!
Looking for DIY arts and crafts guidance? We offer tips and tutorials for creating bows and unique designs to better accessorize clothing, gifts, and home decor.
These bookmarks are easy to make with ribbon clamps , some ribbon and some embellishments
Double Sided Tape-Perfect For Adding Ribbon On Paper
Even if your ribbon has adhesive on it, I often find that the adhesive the manufacturer uses is simply not strong enough to stay on the paper permanently. I always like to add some double sided tape on all my projects, just to make sure that the ribbon is permanent. The tape comes in many brands and widths depending on how thick or thin your ribbon is. I like to keep both a thick and thin roll of double sided tape in my craft room for when that inspiration hits.
Create A Beaded Wall Hanging For The Holidays
What an amazing idea to use ribbon and beads on this wall hanging
Make Some Paper Ribbon
Ribbon Package Layout
I designed this to look like a Christmas package but you could adapt this design to a birthday package too
Use Ribbon On A Scrapbook Page
Scrapbook pages are the perfect place to add a touch of ribbon. And yes, you can even use ribbon on a masculine scrapbook page.
The best place to start using ribbon is to associate it with a theme by color.
- Wedding-Use the colors that the bride or you used
- Baby Or Baby Shower-Blue or Pink
- Graduation- School Colors
- Favorite Teams- Could be any team-your kids, high school, college or pro.
- Location-Blue and sand colors, green for mountains,ect.
- Seasonal-Red for Christmas and Valentines, Brown for Fall and Thanksgiving, Pastels for Spring
What can you do with ribbon on a scrapbook page?
- Make a ribbon border
- Make a bow
- Create a ribbon flower
- Use it to separate different sections of a page
- Hang a page title with ribbon
- Use as a frame for a photo
How To Attach A Ribbon Onto A Scrapbook Page
Use a sewing machine and sew the ribbon onto the paper.
Use a Zyron machine. It basically makes a sticker out of your piece of ribbon
Use double sided adhesive across the ribbon
Stretch the ribbon across the page and attach it with double sided tape on the back of the page.
Use a brad or eyelet
Free Ribbon Resources
- Size Chart - Wholesale Ribbons May Arts
Download the Size Chart
Make A Ribbon Flower
Storing Your Ribbon
You will want to store your ribbons so that you can see what you have and protect them from dust and dirt. There are lots of ways to store your ribbons. The right storage solution for you depends on your space and how much ribbon you have. Some people like to store them in jars, especially those pretty mason jars. You can see the amount of ribbon that you have left.
Other people like to store them In those pretty shoe boxes that are available in most craft store. You can make a storage box that will hold your ribbon and allow you to just pull out what you need.
I have some of my thinner ribbons on spool holders that stack on top of each other. Very handy when I am busy and my designs need that special touch. I also store some of my larger spools of ribbon in some designed hat boxes that sit on a book case in my craft room.
It's up to you where and how you store your ribbons. But try to stay organized so that you know exactly where your stash is.
Woven Ribbon Heart
Could be used on a greeting card or in a scrapbook
A simple ribbon photo box storage idea
More Ribbon Storage Ideas
- A New Way to Store Ribbon! | The Homes I Have Made
- Fun Ribbon Storage Ideas! {Tips & Tutorial} - The Frugal Girls
On the hunt for Fun Ribbon Storage Ideas?? Make sure your pretty ribbon is right where you need it with these Fun Ribbon Storage Ideas!
Another Ribbon Storage Idea
Save space with this hanging ribbon storage idea
Ribbon Storage Ideas
Final Thought On Ribbon Tips
We could not possibly cover all the many ways ribbons can be used in your craft projects. We have shared a few ideas and tips to inspire you to think more about using ribbon when you craft. Take time to widen your horizons and include ribbon when you craft.
© 2015 Linda F Correa
How Do You Use Ribbon In Your Crafting?
Linda F Correa (author) from Spring Hill Florida on June 15, 2015:
I am so into making my pages with all kinds of embellishments and glitter. I am creating legacies for my family. Each page that I create is my art......
FlourishAnyway from USA on June 14, 2015:
Lovely hub. I enjoy making my scrapbooks multimedia, and you provide some excellent ideas here -- some of which I have yet to use. Thanks for the ideas! Voted up and more.
