Ribbon Craft

How To Make a Beautiful Faux Poinsettia

2011-12-11T16:04:00.000-05:00

Whether you are decorating your Christmas tree, adding color to your packages, or using it for table decor, this easy-to-make poinsettia is sure to please. I used Over the Moon Ribbons Elite red velvet for this particular poinsettia , however, you may choose to use any color that will work with your decor.

What you will need:

between 1-1/2 and 2-1/2 inch wired ribbon
sharp scissors
craft glue (Sobo) or glue gun
small beads or berries that simulate the stamen of a flower (any craft store will have these in the silk flower section)or a sparkly piece of jewelry
12-inch piece wire or 1 pipe cleaner

Step 1: cut 4 pieces of ribbon approximately 8 inches long
Step 2: cut 4 pieces of ribbon approximately 6 inches long
Step 3: take each piece of ribbon and cut a point on each end
Step 4: start with the longer pieces of ribbon. Fan out into a flower shape. Squeeze all of them at the center. While continuing to squeeze, add the shorter pieces on top. (If it looses it's shape, don't worry, you can reshape).
Step 5: Fold wire in half, fold side at top of flower. Now add the wire or pipe cleaner to your flower twisting as tight as you can at bottom of faux flower.
Step 6: Glue the berries or jewelry to center of flower (glue gun or craft glue (Sobo) will work fine.

For a video tutorial with additional tips, try our extremely popular video:

Enjoy!

The Ribbon Lady

Carol Brings Joy to Eaton Village

2011-12-05T11:01:00.000-05:00

When Carol ordered 300 yards of weatherproof velvet, I had to know what was going to happen to all that velvet. She wanted to beautify her neighborhood for Christmas, and beautify she did. Twenty four gigantic bows later you can see the results.

Kudos to you Carol,the bows are spectacular!!!

Do you have pictures of your creations using Over the Moon Ribbons? We love to see them. Send to ribbonlady70@gmail.com.

Alice
The Ribbon Lady

Remember Thanksgiving

2011-11-21T15:24:00.002-05:00

Thanksgiving is almost my favorite holiday. It truly is a time for family, food, and of course decorating.

I keep the decorating part somewhat simple. I know what I will be decorating for within a week. That being said, please enjoy the richness of pumpkins, fruits, hams, turkeys, turduckins, chestnuts, stuffing, and apple and pumpkin pies. Don't be too quick to get out the tinsel and mistletoe.

I always, always have ribbon on my napkins in some way, even if it is a simple bow.

This year I will carve out my "mini pumpkins"and fill them with fresh flowers in autumnal colors. If I can find some nice brown oak leaves I will give them a wash of copper or bronze to complete my Thanksgiving table.

Of course my table won't be complete without the best china I own, the silver, the celery dish, and salt dishes we have used in my family since I was a kid.

All of the above can happen the day before, so while I am cooking, and watching the parade, boiling the giblets etc. I can walk by the dinning room table and know this truly is a special day not to be forgotten.

Just remember, on Thanksgiving, you can eat anything you want to-----"Why do you think they call it Thanksgiving?" A quote from a great lady, Irma Bombeck.

You must have some childhood memories, I would love to hear them.

Enjoy!

The Ribbon Lady

Victorian Days in Belvidere New Jersy

2011-10-03T20:00:00.000-04:00

Despite earthquakes, hurricanes and severe flooding, Victorian Days went on.

Some ribbon offerings
from Over the Moon at Victorian Days

The weekend after labor day the Ribbon Lady and the Ribbon Man look forward to the lovely Victorian Days Event in Belvidere, NJ. We fill our vintage suitcases with ribbon, the van with autumn wreaths, garlands and arrangements and away we go.

Couple in vintage clothing for
Victorian Days in Belvidere, NJ

This year involved quite a bit or maneuvering to get to our space because the Peaquest Creek caused major problems for the residences of this quaint historical town in New Jersey.

The antique cars took up their spots with the owners proudly polishing and shining every speck of dust off of them. All the antique dealers and crafters were in the same spots they have occupied for many years around the beautiful square that is the center of Belevidere.
The master of ceromonies and the town crier proudly announced that the clocks were turned back to the year 1900. The costumed residence and visitors started to appear strolling about, the Star Spangled Banner was played, and Victorian Days 2011 opened.

There was much entertainment, with singing and dancing, the old calliope from Holland played, banjo bands, house tours, Victorian fashion shows, gentleman's auction, afternoon tea, an old time baseball game, and delicious homemade offerings from the churches that surround the square.

Next year will be the 25th anniversary of Belvidere Days. I suspect it will be bigger and better than ever. Mary Ann and her devoted staff always seem to pull this huge undertaking together.

Oh yea, oh yea congratulations to Belvidere to be able to present the 24th annual Victorian Days in grand style despite,earthquakes, hurricanes, and severe flooding!

The ribbon Lady at Victorian Days

For more about Victorian Days, visit www.daysvictorian@aol.com

Ribbons "Down the Shore"

2011-08-11T09:00:00.000-04:00

The Ribbon Lady and family had the pleasure of two weeks "down the shore" in Ocean Grove NJ. I am always looking for fellow ribbon lovers, and the quaint little Victorian town of Ocean Grove delivered.

Ocean Grove is one mile square with a huge Methodist Auditorium and "tent city"smack dab in the middle where traditionally, the Methodists lived to be close to the church. You can still hear the large choirs as you walk by. The town and auditorium date back to the 1800's, it's only been in the past 20 years that the town has allowed people to drive on Sunday. Go to http://www.oceangrovenj/, for a more extensive description of the town. One visit there and you will fall in love. You just feel like any minute John Phillip Sousa,and 76 trombones will come marching down the street all at the same time, while playing Stars and Stripes Forever!

Lovely Victorian wreaths, red white and blue buntings,and charming "painted ladies" abound. Of course there were lovely ribbons on the wreaths, one home had celebrated a graduation with school colored ribbons all along their white picked fence, but my personal favorite was the basket of impatience, with the double face satin ribbons streaming from the planter.

So my friends as summer starts to fade, I will remember fondly our special family time "down the shore" in Ocean Grove.

What is your favorite summer time memory?

2011-07-05T20:32:00.000-04:00

It's July 5th, that means yesterday was the 4th of July.

These holidays always bring a large surge of patriotism to my sole.I am one of those that cry at parades, and the Hallmark card counter.

I missed the parade yesterday, but didn't miss the family picnic---I love watermelon on the 4th,I know it has a lot of carbs but I enjoyed it.

The patriotic spirit took me back to Memorial day weekend, when I visited with my friend Donna in Auburn NY. One of the local Schools sponsored a fund raiser. Residents were offered an opportunity to purchase a flag, in honor or in memory of a friend or loved one. Each flag was tagged with names of the donators as well as the honoree. All were carefully placed in alphabetical order so the donors could claim their flags after the weekend.

To see 4500 Flags around this lovely pond, with a beautiful gazebo as it,s centerpiece was quite a site,and touched me deeply.

Only one thing could have made it better-----attach the tags with Over the Moon Ribbons.

May the Star Spangled Banner wave

Bring out the Artist Within

2011-06-19T17:53:00.000-04:00

This past weekend we had the pleasure of a real get-away, with no agenda!

We escaped to a little town in New Jersey called Frenchtown. A B&B seemed just the thing, so off to the Widow McCree house, a charming 1800's home with many modern but well done updates.

Hunterdon County (NJ) and Buck's County (PA) are separated by the Delaware River, they are truly a weekend getaway delight.

Two of our BFFs met us there, so we were off to a weekend of fine dining, fun, shopping, and viewing of artists galleries. Which brings me to the meat of my story.

In one of the chichi galleries, there was a framed ribbon weaving in the tumbling block style. Although well done, I was dismayed the artist didn't use prettier ribbon. To top it all off, it was was mounted on a fabric covered box but the fabric was badly wrinkled.

I was curious to know how much one could charge for a piece I knew I could create better. It was a mere $400.00.

And so my fellow ribbon lovers; Google "ribbon weaving-tumbling block pattern", and you too can become an artist.

My personal favorite is Elaine Schmidt's book The Complete Guide to Ribbon Craft available on Amazon.

Send pictures, and keep on playing with ribbon.

Alice aka The Ribbon Lady

Put on Your Old Grey Bonnet with The Blue Ribbons On It!

2011-04-01T21:07:00.001-04:00

My web savvy audience might not remember the song that I named this blog after. It’s over 100 years old and reminds me of one of our favorite customers, Timely Tresses. I have relationships with many of our customers and their lives and stories are so interesting that I decided to share with you.

Danielle Perry and Mandy Foster of Timely Tresses are located in Oxford, North Carolina. They make historic and authentic millinery from the regency to the civil war period. Each style is carefully researched and designed to faithfully represent historic fashion. When you love what you do, it shows. That’s why Timely Tresses was chosen to design bonnets for the Jane Austin Festival for the Royal Opera Company in London.

I love getting orders from Timely Tresses since they order ribbon that we are proud of; beautiful and luxurious ribbons such as our Swiss double faced satins and velvets that represent the attention to detail that Timely Tresses is known for.

Whether you are a re-enactor, or you love history and reflect it in your decorating, Danielle, and Mandy are the women to contact.

View Danielle and Mandy’s work at Timely Tresses, or visit them on Facebook.

Until next blog,

Alice

Over the Moon Ribbons

Over the Moon in Honduras

2011-02-28T08:44:00.000-05:00

Two years ago I joined a mission group and visited a little mountain place in San Buena Ventura, Honduras. It is a children’s home of 68 kids rescued from the streets to a home of love, food, shelter and hope! The name of this special place is the Lamb Institute.

During that trip, members of the group were presented with an opportunity to sponsor a child. My husband and I decided it was the least we could do for these little angels, and we chose a little boy named Alexander.

This year I decided to take Over the Moon to Honduras, and packed one large suitcase full of Over the Moon Ribbons.

WOW, I never expected the response I received all the girls ended up with 2-3 hair bows, as well as creating belts for themselves with ribbon and beads-----even the boys wanted them for their “tutors (house mothers) It did seem strange to me that they were claiming to have 3 to 4 tutors when I knew there was only one, but I let them think they could pull one over on me because they were having so much fun doing it!

Then came the big day----One of the young ladies of Lamb Institute was getting married and could not afford a wedding until one of the members of our visiting group, I will call him ST, paid for her to have a wedding in the magnificent chapel.

There were two wedding specialists along including me. We engaged the children and set to work using the few resources we had brought along. Most of the items had been purchased ahead in Honduras, thanks to ST.

We wanted it to be a wedding that they loved, and not one we imposed on them.

The wedding was Over the Moon, nothing to do with ribbons, only to do with a rag-tag bunch of nine volunteers who truly cared about making this world a better place to live.

Thank You to the Charleston Mission Group for your southern hospitality to this Yankee!

If you would like to know more about our adventure, and how you can help, contact me at ribbonlady.

Winter on the Ribbon Lady's Mountain

2011-01-12T16:20:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone one, and Happy New Year.

It is a beautiful, snowy day her in the mountains of Pennsylvania. I felt compelled to snap a few pictures to share with you. They show you the beauty of our winter.

I am one of those few that actually enjoys winter. I love the shorter days, the shadows in the snow by 4 pm, the frozen ponds, good food by a crackling fire, the snowy days when everything is canceled along with the conversations at Rosie's (the local spot for breakfast)"Did you get out ok? Do you plan on going over the mountain? Did they Plow Fox Gap yet? Are there really people out on the Appellation Trail?"
Ask me in March if I still feel the same. Last year we had 100 inches, it did get a bit waring by March.

I took a picture of the bird frenzy at one of the feeders, our little evergreen at night, and the kids enjoying the frozen Tarn. (Scottish for Pond.)

I have a lot more, but I didn't think you would want to look at 100 pictures of what I deem beautiful.

Here at Over the Moon we are thinking spring. Here is a picture of a very small sampling of what is coming to the website. We will be featuring lots of checks and dots, as well as some jacquards and woven ribbons from France.

If you haven't visited our Swiss Double Faced Satin Ribbon do so--it is truly luxurious and comes in luscious colors.

Look forward to more blogs from me in 2011 (one of my resolutions), keep your creative juices flowing.

Alice
a.k.a The Ribbon Lady

Red Plaid Christmas Ribbon Combination

2010-11-29T07:48:00.001-05:00

Here's something a lot of people never consider...pairing your ribbons for a really special look to your holiday gifts or tree. Each week, I'll post one to two videos about these pairings. Some are traditional, some are modern showstoppers. You may want to visit my previous blog on how to decorate your tree with ribbon. It's very informative with a whole lot of tips. Even my daughter who helped to film it learned a lot. So here's the first--a very traditional look.

Tutorial-Decorate your Christmas Tree Beautifully with Ribbon

2010-11-08T09:18:00.000-05:00

About Grosgrain Ribbon

2010-10-22T20:15:00.000-04:00

Did you know the translation for the French word grosgrain? It is coarse texture. This ribbon is aptly named, because it is a textured woven ribbon, very sturdy and utilitarian. It is durable and washable hence you will see it in many fashions, the brim of hats,wraped and woven into plaits and pigtails and, cheerleader ribbon. You can find grosgrain ribbon in many widths, solids, patterns pleats and sometimes scalloped edges. Grosgrains are made of a variety of fibers usually a blend of cotton and viscose, and more recently, green and ecological bamboo.

Grosgrain is an excellent choice for hair ribbons, because it doesn't slide or un-tie

Here at Over the Moon Ribbons we have a wide range of grosgrains,in the coming weeks the Swiss dot. confetti dot, and asprin dots will arrive.

Although the bamboo is not shown, it is available, just e-mail me with your request.www.allim089@cs.com

Dressing up the Pumpkins

2010-10-12T20:52:00.000-04:00

As you all know I am in love with fall and I have been dressing pumpkins for years.

You can choose to spray paint your pumpkin a color, or leave it au natural.
I am a big fan of coppery colors, and since the two places where I'm likely to put this pumpkin, the fireplace mantle or the dining room table, are dark, copper works well (in fact, any metallic color works well to bring light to an otherwise dark area).

Next I looked around my studio for ribbons and stuff to add to the little critters. What you see is the end result.

I used sheer ribbons, red gold from our Luxor Collection, and double faced satins. You can pin or glue your creations onto your pumpkin neck. Tying works well too, but if they are moved much the tying sometimes slips and moves around.

Spray painting doesn't seem to affect the life of a pumpkin, in fact it may lengthen it; it seems to seal it as long as there are no blemishes.

Another helpful tip is to be sure to add ribbons on both sides it it is a true centerpiece. If it is only viewed from one side this is not necessary.

You can choose large or small pumpkins, all size pumpkins, you can even choose an artificial pumpkin.

I have used them as an inexpensive centerpiece for charity events, as decorations on my table, as place card holders etc.

Add some fall leaves or some fall garland to give them a little extra punch.

Jodie and Bill are having their wedding here on the mountain this week, I will be showing you pictures of their dressed ladies next week, a real variation on a theme.

IT'S FALL !!!!!

2010-09-21T09:30:00.009-04:00

At last, my favorite season. As August arrives and we have a few more heat waves, I am reminded and comforted by knowing fall is almost here.

Now we are in wonderful September with its cool nights and Indian Summer days and I am renewed!

I retired my summer wreath last week and replaced it with a new creation. I used a birch wreath base and studded it with autumm leaves of olive/greens, golds and orange/reds. I added some pale yellow gold pears, followed by my favorite copper accents. All of these items are artificial, but beautiful.

Great possibilities when you combine ribbon!

Of course now I am getting to the good stuff-ribbons. My wreath is under a small overhang, mostly protected from the weather. I used Over the Moon Ribbons 2 inch velvet in reseda combined with 1-1/2 inch width Luxor metalic in red/gold, which is a very coppery metallic, mesh, wired ribbon. I really love the combination, but you can have fun coming up with your own winning combos.

The Luxor line of ribbon is great for outdoors. If you have some protection from the elements, our double faced satins, grosgrain's, velvets, or any ribbons from our fall collection would be wonderful too. Most of our fall collection is outdoor worthy.

Just a little FYI, I will make a bow of your color choice, and send it safely to you. The price will depend upon what ribbon you choose, they range between $8.00 and $18.00, plus shipping.

I will have a few Halloween and Thanksgiving ideas for you, so stay tuned fellow crafters!!

Until next time

Alice
Over the Moon Ribbons

Beautiful Decorative Candles for Unity Candles or Special Occasions

2010-08-30T17:18:00.069-04:00

I was thinking about something beautiful that could be done with candles, this is what I came up with. I have crisscrossed 1/4" sheer ribbon onto a straight sided taper, and added some accents from the local craft store.

Caution: Be sure to test all materials to be sure they will not catch fire. When I burned my candle the paper flowers melted, the pearls dropped as the candle burned. The ribbon melted, but did not catch fire.

There were no products I used that were a fire hazard, including Morex sheer organdy ribbons sold by Over the Moon Ribbons.

Materials needed :

1/4" sheer organdy and/or double faced satin ribbon
sharp scissors
straight sided candles ( I used Carolina Candles) I suggest using a good quality candle, you will have longer burn time
glue gun
embellishments of your choice

After some trial and error, it became apparent, you don't use your glue gun to glue the ribbon to the candle, but merely to melt the wax on the candle so the ribbon will adhere to the melted wax. This method works quite well.

Start with a length of ribbon approximately 14 inches long.

Cut the top at a 45 degree angle and adhere to the candle using the glue gun to melt the wax,by touching the hot glue gun to the ribbon on the candle.

Once dry,( about 1 minute) spiral the ribbon down the candle, keep the distance between the ribbon equal. at the bottom adhere again using the same hot wax method.

Cut another length the same as the first one . Cut at a 45 degree angle. Start at the top exactly where you began ribbon number one,but now you will be spiraling in the opposite direction, making sure to keep all the crossing points in a straight line with the candle. Attach at bottom, hot wax method.

Now the fun begins. At each crossing pint attach ,a pearl, rhinestone, little flower, bow,etc. I found these could be glued to the ribbon using glue gun or craft glue. Just go to your local craft store, and let your imagination run wild.

Same idea this time with floral embellishments.

This design would work well for unity candles, as their purpose is not to burn for a long period of time.

Gifting with ribbons

2010-08-12T09:42:00.000-04:00

Hi fellow ribbon lovers.

I have often given ribbon "birthday cakes", to my fellow crafters, floral designers, scrap bookers, and romantic ribbon lovers.

You can use any combination of Over the Moon Ribbons to make an exquisite "cake of ribbons".
a color theme may be in order, or perhaps an approaching holiday, and therein lies the fun; using different combinations of ribbon

Of course you don't have to use the birthday candle if you would like to give for another reason, such as newly expectant mother to decorate the nursery, or a cheerleader with different ribbons of her school colors.
I used a narrow plastic bag to wrap the ribbons, such as clear bags that newspapers come in. One could use cellophane as well, and of course shrink wrap would be fabulous.

If you would like to order a ribbon combination from Over the Moon, in your notes include, "please include plastic bag"

Soon to come to Over the Moon "goodie bags" You will love them, they will include at least 5 rolls of ribbons for $8.00. Perfect for the "Ribbon Cake."

There is a chance you may not want to wait for me to get my act together, in that case contact me ribbonlady

Until next time,

The Ribbon Lady

Seat Belt Purse

2010-07-21T11:15:00.000-04:00

I love my Harveys Seatbelt Bag!!! I bought it from Material Girl. The bag is great and so is the company. They offer excellent customer service important to us and one of our strengths at Over the Moon Ribbons, I love them.

The bag comes in several styles and many colors. I purchased mine in an olive green (love that green-- my favorite). Then I went crazy one day adding Over the Moon's cheetah ribbon to it. The cheetah ribbon is from our new safari collection.

It was so easy and lots of fun. I can change it whenever I want to.
The method used was to cut 3 lengths of ribbon a bit longer than the circumference of the bag.

Weave the ribbon in and out of the weaving already present. When the ribbons joined, I stapled them and hid them under the non cheetah spot. It took me about eight minutes to complete, and any 1-1/2" ribbon can be used.

Hope I have inspired you.

The Ribbon Lady

Wedding Invitations by Sydney Singer

2010-07-03T08:42:00.010-04:00

Sydney Singer makes gorgeous wedding invitations. She got in touch with us asking me for help finding the perfect ribbon combination for her client's wedding invitation.

She knew she wanted a beautiful, rich, plum ribbon with a traditional ivory ribbon. She chose our Luxe

double faced satin ribbon in plum in an 1-1/2 inch width combined Luxe double faced satin ribbon in bridal white in a 5/8 inch width. Double Faced Satin Ribbon Luxe is our top of the line double faced satin ribbon. Our tagline reads, "When only the finest will do", and we think that perfectly describes it.

The matching thank you notes, used 5/8 inch sheer in grape.

Hats off to Sydney for a creative, interesting and truly beautiful invitation.

For more information contact Sydney Singer at ses@sydneyesinger.com

Until the next time.

Alice, the Ribbon Lady

My Visit to Mackenzie Childs

2010-06-17T09:19:00.000-04:00

Be still my heart!!!

My friend Donna needed some help moving to her summer home, so I volunteered. She lives in Auburn NY.

Being from the hills of Pennsylvania I only knew we would be going north, I will follow, NO map NO map quest, NO GPS. After 3 hours of absolutely gorgeous driving, we arrived in Auburn. (What a charming town, looks like a Norman Rockwell painting.)

My friend Donna asked while we were having lunch Would you like to visit MACKENZiE CHiLDS? It sounded like a pleasant idea so my answer was yes! (I'll leave you guessing what or who this is so you'll visit the link).

OMG!! I had no idea what a treasure trove existed in Aurora NY.

I was so charmed, and as a ribbon lady, I saw so many great uses of ribbon, and wonderful combinations of patterns that work so well together.

If you aren't familiar with MACKENZie- CHiLDS please visit at www.mackenzie-childs.com, or better yet take a trip to Aurora NY, you will be enchanted.

Help us win a makeover

2010-06-14T08:02:00.000-04:00

Hi all,

Short and Sweet.

We sell our ribbons through an all-in-one e-commerce solution called Big Commerce. Thy are running a contest. You can help us win simply by taking 60 seconds to watch our humorous video.

The video

Thank you so much for watching.

Drone Ribbons for Bagpipes

2010-06-07T22:16:00.002-04:00

What a lovely experience several weeks ago to talk to Les about Fraser Tartan ribbon. What is Les going to use his Fraser Tartan for? Drone ribbon; ribbon for his bagpipes!!

Les is a member of the78th Fraser Highlanders, so of course only Fraser would do.

From reading material shared by Les, I learned that drone ribbon, although very festive, should never be used in competition since a stiff wind or a breeze could cause a ribbon to flap over and knock out a drone.

There are complete instructions on making and attaching drone ribbon at www.bagpipejourney.com. My favorite part of Andrew Lenz's article was suggesting that tartan ribbon can be found online,and when clicking on tartan ribbon, you guessed it, Over the Moon came up first.

I have always been fascinated by bagpipes and piper music, I even have a brooch from a Northern Irish gal's outfit, it is a treasure. She is a piper in her hometown band, certainly occupied a lot of her time in her teen years, and she loved it!!!

Les promises a picture when the project is complete, I suspect Mrs. Les is in on this too.

Want to learn more about the 78th Frasers? Go to www.78thFraser.org

Great favor idea compliments of Ann and Bill

2010-06-02T08:48:00.001-04:00

This past weekend I switched hats to be florist and wedding coordinator for a small wedding on our beloved Kirkridge property. Kirkridge is a retreat center located just South of Stroudsburg PA , on the Kittatinny ridge of the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. It is a rustic place so a fancy crystal and diamond wedding just wouldn't work here, however our breathtaking views rival any crystal or diamond.

I was totally charmed by the bride's choice of favors. Ann has been along time collector and fan of vintage handkerchiefs. She wrapped the traditional Jordan Almonds in 64 of her lovely handkerchiefs, tied them with Over the Moon white organdy sheer ribbon. They were so well received, and looked so lovely on the table before the guests were seated.

Even if you haven't been a collector, vintage handkerchiefs are easily found in antique and thrift shops. You can usually strike a deal if you are buying more than one or two. You may want to pick a color theme. Ann's mix was adorable!!

Julie's Wedding

2010-05-25T09:44:00.002-04:00

Julie and Brian wanted a little something to spark up their program for their upcomming wedding. Julie contacted me for samples and chose light coral double faced satin ribbon in the 3/8" width. To quote Julie " the programs look awsome", and they do Julie!!

A Beautifuly Wrapped Package

2010-05-18T08:16:00.004-04:00

Hi everyone. I find May and June to be big gift giving months. I love to wrap packages. There was a time when I thought I would like to operate a package wrapping service, but then I thought about the time involved and wondered if, at the end of the day, I would still enjoy wrapping packages.

This week I wanted to show you a lot of packages, but alas alack, I ran out of time, so I picked my favorite, the bridal shower package.

It is wrapped with our double faced satin ribbon, two of our sheer ribbons, two widths of ivory double faced satin, and a " pin wheel" backdrop of Luxor silver metallic ribbon.

I liked the idea of something old incorporated with the ribbon. I used a vintage sterling silver serving pieces. Two small tea cups would be a great addition, a cake or pie server, a vintage juicer, a beautiful handkerchief the bride could use on her wedding day.

The finished product has something old, something new, something blue. I missed the borrowed, so if you have ideas on the borrowed aspect, e-mail me.

When wrapping a package you want the recipient to say "It's too pretty to open!" I think a beautifully wrapped package adds excitement to the gift. It's so much more fun , and it says I care about you, rather than giving a gift in a paper bag and saying excuse the wrapping. ( That happened to me, I won't name names.)

In order to make a bow, refer to my Christmas video on You Tube on how to make a bow for a wreath. same process, different ribbons and sizes.

Now I need to see your pictures, and hear your creative ideas. Feel free to send your pics here

Alice

The Ribbon Lady

Cinco de Mayo and ribbons

2010-04-16T12:21:00.110-04:00

The history and reason for the celebration can be found at this website. It is quite interesting, and even includes some recipes. I was excited about this, because I am having a Cinco de Mayo party. I thought the soupy stew called Menduo sounded interesting, but the ingredients of calf's foot and tripe gave me pause for serving it at the party, I am sure it is delicious however.

I am making these wonderful flower cones for my party, and since I don't own a Mexican table cloth I will create some fun on the table with ribbons.

For the flower cone project you will need :

pins
craft glue
glue gun
card stock paper or colorful wrapping paper
Styrofoam cones of different sizes
brightly colored silk flowers or fresh flowers
colorful ribbons from Over the Moon Ribbons, varied widths and textures

I am using Styrofoam cones for ease of doing the project.

Start cutting a square of paper big enough to cover your cone.

Glue or pin paper in place and wrap around cone.

Trim excess paper away from top and bottom of cone.

Next I added my flowers. Using wire clippers cut stems to three to five inches long. Simply arrange in cone until the Styrofoam is covered, (sometimes foliage is very helpful in covering) I tend to like to use the same colors and flowers in each cone, you may choose to do it differently, designers choice.

Now I will add a ribbon handle pinning the ribbon and adding a drop of glue to secure the ribbon handle.

Lastly, using pins I will add ribbons to give the cone a festive party look.

I think these would be fun for any party or shower, just use the appropriate paper and ribbon to coordinate with you event.

I am hanging these from my patio umbrella, they can hang from a ceiling, or shepherd hook plant hangers.

Have fun and keep crafting, especially using ribbon!!!

Alice aka The Ribbon Lady

Maypoles and May Baskets

2010-04-12T21:29:00.007-04:00

Here we are in the beauty of spring. With all the snow and rain of the winter it is really green around here and soooo very pretty!

I am thinking about May Day and Cinco de Mayo. I think I will save Cinco de Mayo for next week,and talk a little about May Day.

For a complete and informative history of May Day go to http://www.theholidayspot.com/

There are many stories that surround this celebration of spring: one of them the Maypole.

Ceremonial dances around the Maypole have several translations, one being the pagan symbol of fertility, and prosperity to the land and it's people.

Now to the best part---Ribbons of many colors were entwined around the maypole by fair young maidens dancing in a much choreographed manor. Each village seemed to have their own dance that resulted in a specific weave for each village.

It was believed if the ribbons were beautifully woven, without breaking, the village would have a good year of prosperity, and good fortune.

If you would like to try your hand at a maypole, a length of PVC pipe would be a good start. If there is no possibility of driving it into the ground, an old Christmas tree stand camoflauged with grass or fabric could be an alternative. Another thought would be to cement or plaster the pole into a bucket or large flower pot.
depending on the beauty of the bucket or flower pot you may want to camoflague it.Flowers or green plants may be placed in the top of the bucket, if enough space has been left.

I would attach at least four colors of ribbon purchased from http://www.overthemoonribbons.com/ , at the top of the pole, by taping or gluing. The length would depend upon the height of the pole. To finish off the top you could use a Styrofoam ball or a decorative finial from the drapery department. Another thought would be a big beautiful bow.

I would suggest the ribbon be 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide for this project.

This could also be a fun way to decorate your patio umbrellas, the umbrella pole now serves as your maypole. The ribbons could lead to each persons plate, or a favor could be attached to each ribbon.

If all this is too ambitious for you, make a may basket and give it to a neighbor, shut-in or a friend. A little inexpensive basket can be filled with treats, or flowers, pretty ribbons attached, then hung on the door of the recipient for a fun surprise.

I would like all of you to send me a picture of your May Day projects, I would like to post them on my website.

Next week, Cinco de Mayo, not to be missed.

Easter Sensation

2010-03-19T08:27:00.103-04:00

Spring is here!. The bear that lives here woke up from hibernation and is dutifully visiting every bird feeder on the mountain.

I have transformed a basket from a thrift store into an Easter sensation.

The materials you will need are as follows:

Handled basket---- store bought, or flea market find.
Scissors
Wire cutters (not pictured)
Trusty glue gun
Ribbons of your choice. Of course, we love when you buy our ribbons.
Silk greenery and flowers. Flower choice and color are yours. Tip: smaller flowers work better; one large head of flowers may have many little flowers that can be clipped apart using your wire cutters. Example: the hydrangea pictured above can yield about 25-30 small flowers.
Filler for your basket such as Easter grass, or excelsior.

1. Cut small sections from your silk flowers with a wire cutter. Using your glue gun, attach greenery to your basket, small ferns and ivy work very well.

2. Trim the handle of your basket with your ribbon choices. I wrapped the handle of my basket first with a narrow double-faced satin in yellow. This step is not essential. I attached two types of ribbon to the handle; attaching them with wire at different intervals along the handle.

My ribbon choices were Chick-N-Egg, an adorable wired ribbon, 1-1/2 inches wide from our Spring Collection. Second choice was our delicate organdy sheer in light yellow, 2 ¾ “wide, not wired.

The next step is like trimming a Christmas tree in that you can use as few or as many flowers as you wish; color coordinate them with your ribbon choices. Use some smaller flowers to camouflage the wire where you attached your ribbon. See? No wires showing.

Fill your basket with whatever you would like, decorative eggs, treats, bunnies, birds, fresh flowers etc.

Note for Brides: You could alternatively create an necessity basket for the ladies room for a wedding. Of course you would be using wedding appropriate ribbon, lining the basket with a lace edged napkin, and filling it with the necessary items.

Sit back and enjoy your efforts, and guard your bird feeder from the bears.

The Ribbon Lady

Over the Moon Ribbons

Organizing and Storing Ribbon

2010-02-28T19:40:00.002-05:00

OMG I have never seen so much snow as this past week. I remember snows in New England as a kid, but I really think this tops it. I am here in Bangor PA; it has virtually been snowing for four days. I am sure you northern states are laughing, but this is a real dump of snow for us. On a positive note, it is sooo beautiful, and lots of fun watching the birds.

With all this snow and trapped in the house, it’s a great time to organize, including your ribbon.

One great idea is to mount rain gutters, yep, to your wall or pegboard. You can go simple or fancy, such as copper gutters. Your rolls will fit right in there, and you can see them all.

And for all you scrapbook crafters who have enormous amounts of ribbon, check out Pull-EZ Ribbon Purse organizers by Simply Renee. The Pull-EZ Ribbon Purse can hold more than 200 ribbons at a time in a small compact space and is flexible enough to squeeze into a tight space. The best part...the ribbons do not tangle when you pull one out! If you find any other clever ideas let me know.

Coming soon: I will craft a ribbon storage box for you out of a photo box.

Speaking of coming soon expect a spring ribbon line from Over the Moon Ribbons, you will love the great selection.

Until next week keep crafting and enjoying!!

the Ribbon Lady

Spice up Your Sneakers with Argyle Ribbon

2010-02-21T15:55:00.005-05:00

I love my argyle ribbon, but then I love all my ribbon. Being washable makes it versatile and it's a high quality printed grosgrain. I decided to see how the argyle ribbon would look as shoelaces in sneakers.

See Argyle Ribbon from Over the Moon Ribbons.

The little girl next door , Emma, has a cute pair of pink sneakers that set the stage for the color to use. I chose our bright green with pink and red accents argyle, measured a length of ribbon the length of the shoelace, and started lacing. When I was finished, I finished off the ends with a little glue to keep a little stiffness in the tips.

I thought a little bow for the pony tail would just finish everything off, and Emma agreed.

I think the teens would love this look in their Chuck Taylors.

Oh to be young and on the cutting edge of fashion.

Have a creative week, and I will do the same. See Argyle Ribbon from Over the Moon Ribbons.

The Ribbon Lady

Hot Tip! Custom Printed Ribbon

2010-02-17T18:50:00.000-05:00

Wow what a beautiful world.

We had a 18 inches of new fallen snow last week, I loved every minute of it. Six neighbors joined us for hot chili, stuffed peppers, and chicken noodle soup. Neighbor Shelly brought homemade lemon squares and brownies. We sat beside a roaring fire, exchanging laughter and good stories. Many trips to the window to see if it was still snowing, and it was about 11:00 pm when the stars came out.

Now that you are informed of the weather reports here on the mountain, I want to share a great ribbon tip I just learned about…..custom printing on ribbon from your computer printer.

You will want to use a smooth ribbon such as double faced satin above and be careful--not all printers can handle the width of ribbon. But, if you know your printer can handle cardstock, you should be safe. I used 1-1/2 inch width double faced satin ribbon in ivory for my bookmark and borrowed a verse from one of my favorite poets, Robert Browning.

Think of all the possibilites--kids birthday party goody bags, anniversary parties, wedding favors, bookmarks, tags for your homemade gifts such as jams, knitting. Scrapbookers, crafters and party planners beware....you'll be hooked.

Now for the craft. It doesn't matter which software you use; just as long as it prints text.

Print out the text you would like to repeat on a piece of regular computer paper-if you are making a lot of tags, repeat the text leaving enough space between lines to accommodate the width of the ribbon you are using. (Leave the paper intact, don't cut.)
Cut a length of ribbon to fit the text; (several lengths if you are making more than one).
Use "spray on" glue to the underside of the ribbon (the side you are attaching to the paper) or scotch tape around edges to hold the ribbon in place over your text. Don’t put tape over area to be printed or you'll have ink on the tape and not the ribbon.
Now put the ribbon attached to the paper in the printer feeder.
Hit print again and voila! You have custom printed ribbon.

One more thought--this could make cute tags for homemade items, sewn or knitted items, even jams or jellies.

If you would like to try this, of course we'd love you to try our ribbon. We offer 196 different colors of double faced satin to choose from in 7 widths and great prices. Over the Moon Ribbons

Jumping the Broom

2010-02-17T18:49:00.000-05:00

Can you believe it’s the end of January? Hope you have some fun planned for February. I like February, my birthday falls in February, I think there are a few Presidents days involved, Valentine’s Day, and the superbowl.

I just spent last week working on a wedding in Manhattan. It was a lovely wedding with a winter theme. There were seven designers working on the flowers. I was the personal flower person. After I have finished all the bouquets, boutonnières, corsages , flower girl things, ring bearer things etc., I put them to bed in a refrigerated space to wait for the big moment.

I then step into my role as the fru fru girl adding ribbons bows more fresh flowers to lovely baskets and containers filled with mounds of tulle. It looks so special when presented to the bridal party.

Delivery day we all play the role of Jacks and Jills of all trades including sweeping and cleaning if necessary. On a wedding of large scale, much of the work is done on premise.

Since we are talking about weddings, did you ever hear of Jumping the Broom?

During the days of slavery when African American couples were forbidden to marry, ceremonies that could be performed secretly developed to celebrate a union; one of them is Jumping the Broom.

The bride and bridesmaids decorated the broom with ribbons and bows before the ceremony. The broom was the symbolic act of sweeping away the old life and celebrating a new life together. A basket of ribbon was usually placed at the ceremony so family and friends could symbolically show their support by tying pieces of ribbon onto the broom. I think this sounds so sweet and charming.

I have never decorated a broom, but I have decorated a long piece of ribbon with a garland of greenery and flowers for one wedding. When the ceremony ended the couple stepped over the ribbon and into their new life together. The flowers dried nicely and they we incorporated into a decoration for their home.

I love to hear of different traditions, if you have some to share please be in touch.

If they don’t include ribbon, I am sure I can figure out a way to make it into a ribbon project.

Next week I think we will do another valentine craft, stay tuned, and keep your creative juices flowing.

Be Mine Valentine Craft Project

2010-01-13T10:46:00.006-05:00

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.

Wired or Unwired?

2010-01-05T08:08:00.002-05:00

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.

Christmas

2009-12-25T23:02:00.000-05:00

A beautiful, seasonal Christmas

As promised, our Frazer tartan placemats from last blog.

First course, yum.

See, our dogs do supervise our work, just like our website says.

Oakley

What did my son in law make for me? A crown roast of pork with demi glace sauce!

Yes, we do use ribbon around the house.

future blog material -- ribbon roses.

Make a Matching Placemat and Napkin Ring

2009-12-10T17:11:00.000-05:00

Ribbon Lady Craft Level: Easy

I love to set a pretty table almost any time of the year, but Christmas time is a time to pull out all the stops. Whether you are Celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, or Quanza, ribbon is an elegant and cost effective solution that adds a special touch.

PLACE MAT SUPPLIES

purchased place mats
1-1/2 inch width ribbon (approximately 2 yards will complete 1 "setting" place mat plus napkin ring)
Stitch Witchery (available at any craft or fabric store)
hot iron
scissors

NAPKIN RING SUPPLIES

an empty paper towel cardboard
exacto knife
ribbon (width and amount explained above except variation 3-use a bit extra)
glue gun or fabric glue (I like Tacky brand)
(optional) embellishments such as silk berries, leaves or flowers

Place mats

1. Simply follow directions on Stitch Witchery to affix the ribbon with iron to the place mat either against the edge or just slightly in from the edge. I used Frazer Tartan from our Tartan Collection and mitered the edges.

For the napkin rings, I'll show you three variations

Variation 1-napkin ring

Using an exacto knife cut the width of the napkin ring you wish to create slightly smaller than the width of the ribbon.
Simply use fabric glue or glue gun to attach the ribbon to the cardboard rings.
Use your imagination to trim with any decoration you would like

Variation 2- flat ribbon

Use fabric glue or glue gun to attach ribbon to itself.
Add embellishments.

Variation 3- ribbon bow

You may want to tie a bow of contrasting ribbon, or the same ribbon you are using, or glue on little trims such as artificial holly leaves and berries.

A trip to you local craft store should be all the stimulation you need. Nothing could be simpler.

I'm taking these to my daughter and son in law's home for Christmas. Their last name is Frazer so I'm hoping they appreciate the Frazer Tartan ribbon. --I'll take a photo for the blog.

Other Table Setting Tips

Another suggestion to “dress up” your table would be to simply use strips of a 2 ¾ or wider ribbon to create a design on your table.

If you use a floral centerpiece, ribbon loops and or bows and streamers could coordinate your flowers to your place settings.

During this holiday season enjoy all the wonders the season can bring. Look for new and exciting ribbon crafts in the New Year.

2009-12-04T09:17:00.001-05:00

How to Make the Perfect Bow for Your Christmas Wreath

We specialize in bow making at Over the Moon Ribons. We constantly get requests to make bows. Since Christmas is upon us, we would like to share our technique.

How to Make the Perfect Bow for your Christmas Wreath.