Do you hesitate to use ribbon on your cards because you are not sure what to do, or how to use it?
I will confess- I love ribbon and twine on other people’s projects, but when it comes to mine, well, it’s not something I reach for (even though I seem to collect it easily).
Tying bows has never been my strength, but I discovered a hack to make it easier. Basically, you take the ribbon, wrap it around your fingers, making sure the number of loops are even on both sides, wrap one end around the centre, and tie the ends, creating a knot. Check out the video here.
Before we get into the hot topic of how to use ribbon on your cards, we need to decide how to attach it. This can depend on how you are using the ribbon, but for the most part, tape adhesive (either Stampin’ Seal, or Stampin’ Seal+ are my go to, but I will use glue dots as well for bows. If you prefer tear tape, that works well, too. I don’t use wet glue, because it can seep through the ribbon, and make a mess.
If I am using ribbon on a card, I like to use a strip as a focal point under a sentiment, or across the full width anchor the card. For both of these methods, I usually apply the tape to the back of the ribbon to ensure it won’t move.
A quick and easy way to use both ribbon and twine is to loop it around a focal piece or layer. To do this, run some adhesive on the back of the piece you want to attach the ribbon or twine, and wrap.
The adhesive will hold it in place so it doesn’t move when you put the elements together on the card.
A zig zag of ribbon behind a focal piece is also a great way to add a punch of colour or dimension. Put a couple of strips of adhesive, and zig zag the ribbon behind it. The adhesive will allow you to change where the ribbon lays if you need to, while keeping the other pieces in place.
Ribbon loops on one side of the card make an interesting tag look, and can help add a festive touch. Simply place adhesive on the back of the card in a strip, and play with the loops until you get the look you want. Check out this video.
Wrap and tie is probably the easiest way to add a bow onto a card. Run tape on the back of the card front, loop the ribbon or twine as many times as you want, and then tie the ends in a bow.
If you’re creating a moving card, or a gift card holder, ribbon and twine makes it easy to indicate that the recipient needs to do something with the card. Here, a piece of ribbon was used, and the twine was tied in a bow around it.
Who doesn’t love tassels? Create a loop of twine around your fingers, and tie. Cut the untied end to create the tassel, and wrap more twine around the top and tie on the card or bookmark.
I hope you are inspired to try some of these ways to use ribbon and twine on your paper craft creations.
