Napkin Rings

Difficulty Level:  Easy

All you need for this simple craft is:

• cardboard roll from paper towels
• glue gun or craft glue
• exacto knife
• double ruffle ribbon from Over the Moon Ribbons ($8)
• ruler or tape measure
• pen, pencil or other marker

Step 1.  Measure the interior length of the double ruffle ribbon (the part that isn't the ruffle).
Step 2.  Mark the same length on the paper towel roll creating 4-6 rings.(Make 1 extra)
Step 3.  Use your exacto knife to cut the paper towel roll into rings.

Step 4.  Take the extra ring and cut it lengthwise to measure.
Step 5.  Once you have that measurement, cut 4-6 lengths of the double ruffle ribbon.  Attach to cardboard rings with craft glue.  If using a glue gun, place small beads of glue on the cardboard rings and not long lengths of glue. 
Step 6. (Optional).  Dress the rings up further with a contrasting ribbon as pictured above.  (be sure it is thinner than the double ruffle ribbon of course). 

Voila.

Ribbon Magic----Make your Favorite Ribbon Wider to Make a Belt or other Craft Project

Here's a little trick if you have a beautiful ribbon that is not wide enough for your project. You only need 5 items for this trick. This is our Burberry inspired plaid. It's a very popular ribbon and can easily be made into a belt.

It comes in two widths--5/8 inch and 1 inch along with its cousins blueberry and raspberry plaid.


To make the ribbon wider  you will need:

Stitch Witchery

• Your ribbon(s) of choice.
• Wider blending or contrasting ribbon in the wider width you want to end up with.  We suggest Grosgrain or Lyon taffeta ribbon.
• Scissors.
• A fusible bond such as Heat and Bond or Stitch Witchery brand, available at most craft stores, and/or a sewing machine.
•  iron (if using fusible heat and bond webbing).

Here are some examples of what the 1 inch width  Burberry inspired plaid ribbon looks like stitched, or "stitch-witcheried"onto a 1-1/2 inch length of grosgrain ribbon.

 Notice by using a different colored background the look changes. You may want to use lighter colors for spring and summer.

The spools of fusible webbing give directions that are easy to follow but if  your finished project will be worn and laundered, you may want to consider sewing the ribbons together.  Most of the ribbons on our site are 100% washable. 

Creativity abounds using this method, you may want to use several lengths of a narrower ribbon such as the Blueberry Plaid used on the tan grosgrain to create a belt. When making my belts, I use the Stitch Witchery, and then stitch with the machine.

Some additional info that my be helpful.
The fusible bond may ooze out onto your ironing board, use a cloth to protect your ironing board.
Fusible bond comes in several widths, it can also be easily cut.
If using both a fusible bond and sewing, you may need a heavier needle on your machine to handle the bulk of the project.

As always, if you make any of our crafts, we can post your photos on our Facebook page. 


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Bring out the Artist Within

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

About Grosgrain Ribbon

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

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 !!!!!

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

My Visit to Mackenzie Childs

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.

A Beautifuly Wrapped Package

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

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

Organizing and Storing Ribbon

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

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.