Ribbon

1. Stack your spools on an upright paper towel holder
2. Mount an open-ended towel rack or, for a smaller number of spools, a toilet paper holder
3. Place a tension rod in a closet or between bookshelves
4. Hang a clothesline in a corner
5. Slide a dowel through the holes of a plastic crate or basket

6. Use a tie hanger: Just slide the ribbon through about half way, keeping the same color scheme on each hanger. Then, when you are ready to use one, just pull it out.

7. Old fashioned clothes pins: Place one end of the ribbon in the open center and wrap ribbon around entire pin. Then, you can store each ribbon "spool" in a jar, grouping by color.

8. Store losely in jars by color.

9. One very unique way to store ribbon, but not very handy if you travel to crops and such.

10. Peg-board wire rack baskets (can be found in your local hardware store in the storage department, I think. Obviously, this method can be used only if you have pegboard up on the wall.

11. You can slide a metal, plastic or wood dowel (or tension rod) in a box.

12. Get a large round keyring (found usually in most hardware stores)and some large safety pins. Clip the pin to one end of the ribbon and attach the safety pin to the keyring. Now, you just let it hang. With this keyring, you can hang it from just about anywhere.

13. Bathroom door hanger

14. An old crate or basket with holes. If you use the crate and have a pegboard set up, you can also hang the crate on some pegboard hooks.

MY CHOSEN METHOD:
Since most of my ribbon/threads/fibers don't come on a spool of any kind, I found the best way for my ribbon storage needs is in a thread storage container. This can be found in any department of a fabric shop (like JoAnn's), but the least expensive department is the cross-stitching section.

Brought to you by:

sketchbook.typepad.com

polymerclaynotes.com
everythingetsy.com
ozinthefastlane.blogspot.com
emilygiovanni.com
whoistracy.com
sunflowerstudio.typepad.com
new-memories.com
theeverdayscrapper.com
craftystorage.blogspot.com

Create a Digital Ribbon

Scrapbook Memories has a great way to make your own 'ribbon.'

The most realistic ribbons, strings, and twine we have found are scanned or photographed elements. A scanned ribbon looks just like the real thing and gives your page a look of authenticity and without the bulk. The ribbon color can be changed by clicking on Enhance | Adjust Color | Adjust Hue/Saturation (Ctrl U) and adjusting the sliders.

If you cannot find the perfect ribbon to scan or photograph, you may need to create one digitally. To create digital Grosgrain ribbon, just follow these easy steps:

For step-by-step instructions, as well as sample pictures, click HERE.

Cover That Chipboard With Thread?

Yup! That's right! There are so many different ways you can embellish your title. You don't have to just leave it plain and use it how it comes. Get creative! Think outside the box!

Ronee Parsons of Olympia, Washington did just that! She used embroidery thread. Check out this creative layout she made. I've also included a list of the supplies she used to make this sweet layout.

If you're not sure what that is exactly, that's the thread you would use for cross-stitching. You can find the embroidery thread in yoru local craft store in the stitching section where they have all the cross stitching things. You'll be surprised how many different colors you have to choose from.

I'll be honest, this wasn't something I would have ever thought of on my own, but I was looking through the April 2007 issue of Memory Makers magazine and I was so excited!

Here are the three simple steps for creating a unique title.

Ribbons & Fibers

1. map out your vacation route with fiber threaded through eyelets
2. use as laces on paper pieced shoes
3. make a frame around a matted photo or journal box
4. tie through the hole of a tag
5. use in a sports scene as a basketball hoop, soccer net or fishing pole
6. create grass or trees
7. spell out a title using fibers to stitch out the letters
8. wrap around a border, nugget, tag or corner accent several times
9. make hair or other features on a paper doll
10. use as a string for balloon die cuts or eyelets
11. tie lassos for western pages
12. create a seaweed on an ocean or vacation page
13. attach a tail to a kite
14. build a mountain/water outline
15. use a rope for a tug of war scene
16. fringe on animals
17. wrap fibers around letters
18. create a shadow for die cut letters
19. use fibers to tie 2 or more elements together
20. weave through mesh
21. create bows
22. scarf on a paper pieced snowman
23. attach to a brad and use it as a yo-yo
24. fiber piecing (http://www.fiberscraps.com/)
25. use to stitch pieces together to form a pocket
26. as embroidery stitching
27. attach tire swing to a tree
28. wrapping presents
29. crossing corners of a photo mat or journal box
30. clothesline for hanging mittnes with wodden clothespins
31. stitching a template design
32. thread punchies on fiber and create a bracelet around a photo/mat
33. down the length of a page, photo mat or hournal box as a border
34. to hang/attach buttons or charms
35. hang signs or metal-rimmed tags from buttons, brads and eyelets
36. decorations on a Christmas Tree
37. decorations on an Easter Egg
38. create a spider web
39. lacing 2 pieces together
40. ends of a hammock
41. wind fibers tightly to form the center of a flower or leaves
42. to knit or crochet page accents
43. as a blanket stitch around a border or mat
44. tassells
45. braiding the fibers together to create borders or page breaks
46. as needlepoint stitches on your page elements
47. hanging header letter squares or mini tags
48. enhancing die cuts
49. accent on Serendipity Squares

Photo Anchors

1. attach photo anchors to the page with a brad or eyelet
2. use photo anchors as photo corners to adorn the edges of a special photograph
3. photo anchors can be used to hold multiple ribbon strands in place beautifully along a border

Picture Holders

1. attach picture holders to your page with an eyelet or brad and then hang tags, photos or even letters from the triangles
2. tie ribbon or fibers to the triangles and attach the picture holder to the bottom of a photo mat as a dangling decorative embellishment

Clasps

1. use a safety pin or hair barrette as a unique way to attach an element to your page
2. mini clothes pins or metal clips can be used to hold ribbon, journaling, tags or photos in place

Buckles

1. string a ribbon (or several) through a buckle, like a belt
2. use a thick buckle as a frame and highlight a letter at the beginning of a title by placing it inside the center of the buckle
3. many buckles are just the right size to slip over a ribbon border