Maypoles and May Baskets

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

 


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

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