Ribbon Craft

Inspiring creativity through exquisite ribbon!

Ribbons featured in can be found on our website
Over the Moon Ribbons

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Be Mine Valentine Craft Project

Hello ribbon lovers and crafters. Hope you all had a good post holiday week getting back to normal, loosing those 10 lbs, throwing away the holiday cookies, and continuing to vacuum those Christmas tree needles that just seem to keep appearing. I think that was just a give away of what I did this week sans the 10 lbs.

I keep my wreath on the door, it is more of a winter wreath than just a holiday wreath, I may do something different for Valentines Day. For St. Patrick’s Day I always do a green spring wreath or door basket. I use St. Patrick’s Day ribbon, and then change it to a more spring like ribbon after March 17.


Since we are on the subject of holidays here is a great Valentine project. Simple enough for your kids, elegant enough as a gift for adults.

And for your convenience, we've even put together (drumroll please) a Valentine combo ribbon kit  for this project.  An adorable mix of satins, sheers and ribbon with tiny hearts on it
in four color combinations. A picture is worth a thousand words so just click on the link to see.  

Supplies Needed:
  • three ten-inch paper doilies
  • a glue gun
  • sharp scissors
  • Over the Moon Valentine Ribbon Kit 
  • fresh flowers 
  • water tubes from florist or floral section of grocery store (if using flowers)  or candy to fill
  • (optional) heart stickers from craft supply store


Step 1: Weave ribbon around lacy front edge of doilies


Take three doilies and treat them as one.  Three gives you a sturdier end result.  Measure and cut a yard of narrowest ribbon from your kit and weave on the outside edge of the three doilies. 





 


Step 2 - Create cone shape and glue

(Use glue gun to glue all three doilies-- not craft glue or Elmer's unless you like maximum frustration.)









Step 3:  The handle:

Now take the widest ribbon from the kit, measure and cut 15 inches for the handle and glue to outside solid part (not the lacy part) of the cone.
Stapling works in a pinch too.



Step 4: Use bows to cover the glue spots or staples


Designers choice here--any ribbon will do.  Once the bows are complete, glue on to the sides.

If you are perplexed on how to make a really great bow, here's a link to my bow tying video on YouTube. This bow will be much smaller made with no more than 4 loops but the principles are the same.

You're back!  Ok, if you're still pulling your hair out, just make  simple “shoe string” bow.



Step 5:  Trim and fill

Now your basket is ready for trimming and filling.

Time for the optional heart (or other) stickers. 

I used Hershey kisses in this example.

If using fresh flowers, fill the water tubes with water and place each flower in a tube first to make them last. 


Please send us photos of your finished Be Mine Valentine craft so that we can post them in the next blog!!!
Send to the Ribbon Lady and keep crafting.


BONUS TIP for Brides:

These make great bridal favors as well as aisle markers for the budget bride.  Eliminate the glitter hearts, use crystals?  I'll be demonstrating that version in my upcoming Budget Bridal video series due this spring.  And of course I'll share with you. 


Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Wired or Unwired?



Hi and happy New Year. You may have “the holidays are over” itis.  I get it about now every year but it doesn’t last long  because I am one of those people that actually like winter!

It’s a beautiful winter morning here on the mountain.  This is a view from where we eat breakfast and bird watch every day.





Many people don’t realize that you can remove the wire from a ribbon if you want to use a ribbon that won’t get bent or squashed.  Just grab the wire and remove it like I'm demonstrating here.





You would want to do this if the bow is going to be handled frequently, or there is a chance it will be brushed by a lot, or something may sit on top of it. (Examples pillow trim or drapery trim, bridal and bridesmaid bouquets, hair bows)


















Whoa, look at that squished one.




 Let me show you the difference.

















 A simple bow made from unwired ribbon.






















Wired bow.

 



I know many of my customers like to use our toile ribbon as tie backs for curtains.  This is a case where I would suggest leaving the wire in place. Here’s a sample on curtains in our Granddaughters room.








Next week -- valentine craft tips, meanwhile keep crafting, and enjoy the winter.