Ribbon Embroidery Tutorials

Ribbon is a fantastic embellishment to add to your scrapbook pages. It comes in a huge variety of colors, widths, and styles, with something to fit almost every page design. And at an average of $1 or less per yard, it's a relatively cheap scrapbooking supply. But the traditional use of tying a bow may not work for every layout. So what do you do with all the ribbon in your scrapbooking stash? Here are some unique ideas:

1. Tie ribbon around a frame; you can even stack several different colors and widths of ribbon for an eclectic effect. This works best with thinner widths, but can be really beautiful with thicker ribbon (you'll just need a longer length of ribbon).

2. Sew with ribbon instead of thread or embroidery floss. Thread an upholstery or large-eyed embroidery needle with thin ribbon and stitch it on the page. You may find it easier to use this technique if you pre-punch holes with a hole punch or paper piercer.

3. Wrap chipboard letters in ribbon. You can tie a single bow, or completely wrap the letters, mummy-style. If you go for the full wrap, coat the letter with adhesive first to help the ribbon hold.

4. Create ribbon flowers. There are some fun and easy scrapbooking video tutorials on how to make ribbon flowers for your layouts, from flat daisies to lumpy roses.

5. Use ribbon as a frame. Adhere your photo the layout, then "draw" a border around it with ribbon. Again, you can use several different ribbons for a fun look.

6. Use them as the center of flowers. Tie a knot in a thin ribbon and thread it through the center of a pre-made or handmade flower. This look gives texture and dimension to your page. Use all the same ribbon, or mix them up.

7. Adhere ribbon to the edges of your layout. I like to place glue dots or glue lines on the back edges of my layout, and place the ribbon so it's just poking out.

8. Add ribbon to tags. Tags make great journaling and title blocks, and a little ribbon can add a lot of visual interest.

9. Line ribbon up and use it as the "home" for your title.

10. Create letters from ribbons. Take a thin ribbon and form it into letters for an eye-catching title. Obviously, this will work better with thinner ribbon.