Decorative Packaging

I love ribbon flowers!   There are so many ways you can make them and in a million different colors.  Large, small, slightly gathered or bunched up tight… It’s all up to you!  The larger flower in my post is from 1 ½” wide satin ribbon.  Some of the other pictures use grosgrain ribbon.    They are so simple to make.    You will need ribbon pieces about 4-6”long depending on the size you want to make, needle and matching thread, button or brad for the middle of the flower, and scissors.

 Thread your needle and tie a knot at the end of the thread.  Starting at one end, do a running stitch along length of ribbon.   When you get near the end, pull on the thread to bunch up your ribbon. Back stitch with your needle a few stitches to secure. Fold ribbon around to make a complete circle. Hold ends together with tails pointing down.From the back side, stitch up the tails to close your circle.

Stitch back down and secure with knots. Cut off tails close to stitching. Insert a brad, or sew on a button to create the flower’s center. You can attach these to a homemade card, scrapbooking project,  hair bow,  invitation, magnet, or where ever you think needs a little summer flower!

This colorful hair bow is made with 5/8″ grosgrainribbon.  I love the green and black combination.  This is very easy to make and hot glue to any hair clip or scrunchie.  These would be great to make in school colors too. 

Just choose the ribbon colors. Make several loops in both colors, keep the loops uniform in size.  Use a thin wire like floral wire or bread tie to twist the center of the loops and bend the ends of the wire flat and cut off any excess.  Then hot glue to the head band or hair clip you choose.

Pom-Pom Inspired Hair Bows

 These adorable hair bows are so easy to make.  You can make them with almost any type of ribbon.  I have even used curling ribbon when I was in a hurry and the girls needed something crazy in their hair.  Depending on the size of your rubber band, cut many lengths of ribbon 6 inches long.  I recommend tying the hair back with a standard coated hair band first.  Then use a smaller rubber band or Scrunchy and just start tying the ribbon around the rubber band. Alternate colors, and slide them down and packing them down and around the hair bow is full and fluffy. Tie as many ribbon strips as you can, the more the better! Then slide this decorative hair accessory up and over the top of the original rubber band. These are so cute and cheerful… You may create hair envy as your pony tale bounces up and down while cheering for your favorite team.

Have you ever tried to weave ribbon?  It is easy, fun, and looks great on this piece of jewelry. This is so much fun you can make them as gifts, or to fit all your wardrobe colors or even in your favorite athletic team or school colors and wear it on game days to show your team or school spirit!

What you’ll need:
a.. Four spools satin ribbon, 1/8 inch and 1/4 inch; b.. Scissors; c.. Blue painter’s taped.. Plastic seaming needle (available at yarn stores); e.. Lightweight fusible interfacing  f..Iron; g.. 1-inch and 1-1/2-inch covered button kits (available at fabric stores) h.. craft adhesive; i.. Pin back; j.. 2-inch eye pin; k.. Jump ring

Hint before you start: After you weave the ribbon, you need to fuse
some interfacing to it. It’s tricky to move your finished weaving
from your work surface to your ironing board for fusing, and so just do the
weaving right on the ironing board. Also, refer to the pictures for help

Begins with blue painter’s tape, which is a great craft supply.
It’s only lightly sticky, so you can tape things down and peel them back up
without damage or residue. The picture shows three pieces: one long and two short. I’ve
placed the long piece, sticky side facing up, on my ironing board. The two small pieces are used to tape the ends of the long one down.

Place the ribbons side by side on the sticky side of the painter’s tape.

Cut 20 pieces of ribbon, each measuring 7 inches. The picture shows 2 different
colors here, 10 of each color. Place the ends side by side onto the sticky
piece of tape, pressing them very gently to stick them to the tape. As you
can see, you don’t need to match up the ends. Peel up the tape and turn it
over in order to stick the ribbons down to the work surface.

Now, stick the long piece of tape down to the ironing board, trapping the ends of the ribbons underneath. Press the tape down firmly with your fingers. Rub and smooth the tape well and cut off the end pieces.

We’ll use a second piece of tape to anchor all thee ribbons for weaving. So, flatten all those ribbons out as best you can with your fingers. Then, take a second long piece of tape. Stretch it across the bottoms of the ribbons and press it down lightly so the tape picks up the ribbons.

Then, hold this tape in your hand and gently move and adjust the ribbons sticking to its underside until they’re straight and side by side. When they look good, press this tape down firmly to the ironing board with your fingers.

Cut another 20 7-inch lengths of ribbon. I’m using two new colors here, 10 pieces of each. (It’s good to note here that you can use any combination of ribbon colors you like for this project. There are endless possibilities. I would recommend that only one of your colors be a 1/4-inch ribbon.Thread the first ribbon on a seaming needle and weave it in and out.

 Thread the first ribbon on a plastic seaming needle and weave it over and under the taped-down ribbons. If you need to, you can weave your way halfway across, pull the ribbon through, and then finish weaving.

When you’ve woven the strand all the way through, push it up until it’s snuggled against the tape. Repeat the process with the next strand, weaving it opposite to the first.

Thread another strand of ribbon onto the needle, and weave it in the opposite manner to the first one, as shown.
Snuggle the second strand right under the first.
Continue in this manner until you’ve woven all the way down to the second piece of tape. Be sure to straighten and groom your work as you weave. Cut a square of fusible interfacing the same size as the weaving, and fuse it over the ribbons. You can iron over the painter’s tape briefly without damaging your ironing board.

When you’ve fused the interfacing to the ribbon, carefully remove the tape. Then, iron the ribbon again. It is critical that you get the interfacing completely fused to the ribbon so it won’t fall apart when you’re making covered buttons. So, iron and iron again.

When the fabric is thoroughly fused, trim off the ribbon ends on all four sides. Cut a circle from this fabric that’s about 3/4 inch larger on all sides than the top of the covered button blank. To make jewelry with your button, you’ll need to remove the wire shank. In the covered button blank I’m using here, the shank is just a piece of wire that’s easily pinched out with your fingers. Other styles of covered button may require a pair of needle-nose pliers.

Place the button blank face down on top of the fabric circle.Place the fabric circle, wrong side up, on your work surface. Place the top of the covered button, face down, on top of the circle. Notice the teeth around the edge of the button? Those will be important in a minute.

Use your fingers to wrap the edges of the fabric around the button top. Wrap tightly. Those teeth will grab the interfacing on the back of the fabric and help hold it in place.Then, press the back of the covered button to the front. Follow the package directions.
Because the ribbon fabric is thick, you may need to use a pair of pliers to help snap the two pieces of the button together. If you do, remember two things: Protect the woven top of your button by placing some fabric between it and the pliers, and be careful to pinch only the edges of the button. If you squeeze the center of the button with the pliers, you could easily dent it.
When the two pieces have snapped together, you have a finished button! So let’s make some simple jewelry.To make a pin or ring, glue a finding to the back of the button with hot glue.To make a pin, just use some hot glue to attach a pin back to the back of the button. The same method works for a ring. If you prefer, you can cut a circle of wool felt to cover up the back of the button before you glue it to the finding.

To make a pendant, you’ll need to add an eye pin to the button back before you assemble the button. Give the eye pin a couple of bends, as shown. You want the eye to line up with the top edge of the button.

Insert the top of the eye pin through the slit on the back of the button, as shown. This bent end will be hidden inside the finished button.

Then, install a jump ring on the eye pin to accommodate the chain of your choice. I usually also put a spot of tacky glue or hot glue under the top of the eye pin to help hold it in place against the back of the button.

These buttons have plenty of other uses, too. You could sew them to a cuff bracelet, or use them as embellishments on a handbag. You could glue them to hairpins.

Customized Flip Flops

This is a fun, fast, and fabulous way to customize flip flops for any occasion.   You can even make them in school colors to wear to games to show your team spirit. Great for back to school, inexpensive enough to have one in every color!

Take any plain pair of flip flops, new or worn; select the satin and grosgrain ribbon colors you want.  The picture shows 3 colors for braiding around the plastic strap, and a printed and plain grosgrain of the same color to make the bow.  Or you could order custom bows.

For braiding the straps, I would leave the 3 colors on the spool since each shoe size is different and the length will vary.  Start on one side at the back with all three ends, put a small amount of hot glue down in the hole and use a wooded Popsicle stick to poke 3 ends down in. Use a thin line of hot glue around the beginning of the strap to make sure all 3 ribbons are glued to the shoe from the start.  Then simply braid the 3 colors around the strap all the way to the other end and place a small line of glue to affix the ends, then cut off the ends long enough to add some hot glue to the hole and shove the ribbon ends down into the shoe.

The Bow is very easy to make.  You only need some thin floral wire or bread tie, 7 6inch strips of grosgrain ribbon in desired colors.  To curl the ribbon like the picture, spread sticky glue that dries clear, or fabric starch on each strip, wrap pencil’s in foil, or plastic wrap, and wind ribbon around the pencils and let dry.  When dry, remove from pencil, and foil or plastic too. Then lay the strips on wire, centered, twist the wire tight like and use wire to secure the bow to flip flops then cut the ends of the wire just long enough to bring up to the top and thread through and under the top of the braided ribbon so it wont poke your feet.   So cute!  Have fun

Team Pride Painted Totes

Customize a tote bag that displays your team spirit.  This would be great to hold all you will need at those cool night football games, like an extra blanket, snacks, camera, noise makers and extra fan gear.  This can also hold a change of clothes for after the game, extra books and such. 

Measure the length around the top of your bag opening, then cut a coordinating length of hem binding and sew a variety of decorative ribbon in team colors to the binding. Layer the ribbons so there wont be any gaps.  Leave the ribbon long enough to hang over the top edge of the bag. Using a variety of textures ans size of ribbons will give it a dramatic look.  Then sew the binding to the inner edge of the opening.  Some craft supplies like  fabric paint, foam stamps, glitter, buttons, and metal studs to decorate plain canvas totes. Before painting your school name, nickname onto the 
bag, place a piece of cardboard inside to keep paint from seeping through 
to the other side. Add more decorations if you choose, the more the better until it you are happy with it.

School Spirit Picture frame

 This cute idea will proudly display your favorite sports picture, prom king and queen picture, the winning catch of the game, or the float you worked all week on, or even the athlete you think is pretty cute. 

Unfinished Wooden Frame, 1; Craft Paint in your school colors;3-inch 5-layer spirit Mum, all your school color grosgrain and satin ribbons in varying sizes from wide to thin ribbon, Small Heart Garland, Silver, 7-inch piece, Football or other sports charms and stickers, Foam Brushes; Hot Glue Gun; Hot Glue
Stapler, Scissors, Ruler
 

Paint outside and inside edges red and the front of the frame blue. Let dry.
Layer and staple the five pieces of ribbon from widest on bottom and the narrowest on top. Hot glue stapled ribbon on to one side of the frame.
Hot glue all the charms decoratively around the frame as you choose. Cut your picture to fit, make sure it is a bit larger than the hole and tape the edges to the back of the frame.

Painted Cheer Cowbells for Homecoming

Show your team spirit and save your voice!  Many cheer sections at ball games have noise makers.  Any type of noise maker to let your team know you are proud of them.  These cow bells are a quick easy craft to do that you can personalize to what ever event.  Get a cow bell of any size.  You can find them at most craft stores.  Paint it with school colors, personalize with the team name and add ribbon to the top.  You can add wide ribbon and use it as a handle.  Or you can use thin ribbon and curling ribbon to make lots of curly streamers to hang down.  Have fun and cheer your team on!  This could also be a neat craft for a fundraiser.  Parents groups or Cheer committees can make these and sell them at the doors of the ball games and use the money for field trips, athletic equipment, or help needy kids go to camp.

There are several ways to make bracelets for many occasions.  The picture is of a child’s summer bracelet but when you add your school colors and charms it will be your own. But this is an excellent photo to show how to tie on the charms and one way to finish off the ends.

Here are a couple of ways to make some crazy jewelry to wear for pep sessions at school sporting events, and to wear as part of your crazy clothing accessories that the students and fans wear to show school team spirit. 

Choose 3 ten inch pieces of grosgrain or satin ribbon in school colors.  Join the three pieces by tying a knot in the end.  You can then add sports themed charms, letters that spell the school name or your favorite player number, and anything you can imagine.  Braid the three ribbons, working in the accessories you added and simply tie it in a knot around your wrist.

You can also attach jewelry clasps or a metal hook-and-eye clasp for jewelry making, available at crafts stores.

  1.. Hold the ribbons from their ends and spread out across your work surface. Tie the end you’re holding in a knot.
  2.. Begin braiding the ribbons as you would hair. As you go, string your
buttons, beads, and charms on to the ribbon so that they are worked into the
braid.
  3.. Stop braiding when the braided part of the ribbons is approximately 5
inches (18 centimeters) long; this is based on my fairly average wrist size,
but you might have to braid more or less depending on your wrist size. Tie
off the loose ends in a knot.
  4.. String one part of your hook-and-eye clasp on to a single ribbon end
hanging out of this knot. Tie this ribbon end and one other together to
secure the clasp. Repeat with the other part of the clasp on the other end of the bracelet. Have Fun!

Many schools have special sections of the bleachers for students to sit together all decked out with school pride colors and crazy stuff.  This craft is one idea you can use to add to your wardrobe.  Decorate plain white gym shoes.  Use marker, buttons, grosgrain ribbon, fabric scraps, buttons, iron-on decals, school color shoe laces, doodle your mascot on them, write the name of your favorite player, or their number, tie narrow strips of fabric through all the lace holes and leave them long and poofy like pom poms.  The possibilities are endless.  No matter what the age of the the sports enthusiastic fan, any shoe can be customized with a little bit of imagination.  I love the ribbon shoe laces in these sweet shoes.  Have fun!