This week’s technique stems from the fact that I have often heard scrapbookers complain that they aren’t enough ribbon colors to match their papers and supplies and they wish for more ribbon colors. If you are a ribbon fiend, these techniques are just what you might be looking for. There are actually two different techniques included in today’s Technique Tuesday.
Dyeing Ribbon
First off, I recommend beginning with a pure white ribbon. This makes the color truer to what you are looking for, rather than using another shade only to get an odd color at the end.
Next, you will need an ink pad in the color that you are trying to coordinate with.
It’s very simple. Cut your ribbon to the desired length and then place the ribbon directly onto the ink pad.
Use a sponge or paper towel to blog the ribbon down onto the pad. Let the ink soak all the way through and continue until the entire length of ribbon has been dyed to your wishes. Next, place it on a piece of paper towel or scrap paper and blot well. Allow to dry completely before use. You can use a heat gun to speed up the drying process. I have also heard people throw the ribbon into the dryer or in a microwave, neither of which I recommend for several reasons including dyeing your dryer and setting your house on fire with the microwave.
Stamping on Ribbon
This technique is fairly simple, and the end results are awesome.
First, choose the ribbon that you wish to stamp on. Keep in mind that you might need a wider ribbon to fit the entire stamp. Lighter colors work better unless you plan to use a white pad on dark ribbon.
Choose the images you wish to use. Stamps that work well on ribbon are decorative border stamps and phrases and alphabet stamps.
Next, ink the entire stamp with ink and press gently onto the ribbon. Too much pressure and you will cause the image to bleed into the fabric, blurring it and rendering it useless.
Allow to dry completely and then use on your layouts as you would any piece of ribbon.
Nicole Humphrey writes articles for the Scrapbooking Blog and for the Frugal Blog. She also guest blogs on a variety of topics. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.
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