Ribbon Pages

Have you discovered the fun of ribbon pages? This new sensation has hit the scrapping stores and recent conventions! Adding the look of fabric ribbon to a layout can lend your books either a fun, peppy feel or an elegance fit for a queen. The Offray company has recently started marketing pre-adhesived ribbons for scrapping. And these do come in a few dozen styles ready to use.

This wonderful company makes thousands of ribbon styles for their sewing line and just a few dozen for scrappers.... I was intrigued by the technique but put off by the cost of the scrapbooking pre-adhesive ribbons! Most of these scrapping ribbons were three times as expensive as their identical counterparts in the fabric stores! However, I recently heard that all Offray brand (except the burlaps and the metallics) are acid free.

This is great news for us scrappers, because now we can make our own scrapbooking ribbon! Wouldn't you gladly save 2/3 of the cost of a supply if all you had to do was add a strip of acid free adhesive to it? Here are some of the supplies I used to make these pages: cardstock, photos, ribbon, and acid free glue runer.

(Figure 4)

Here's how to do it. This process is simple but you do need to follow a few guidelines. Do not use a wet adhesive. Tape runners, glue runners, or photo squares work well with this project. Wet glues are a little too messy with the fabric ribbons. I use an acid free glue runner called Easy Stick. I found mine at Sam's Club but they are also carried in many office supply and craft shops. Monoadhesive* or a tape runner will also work well.

All you need to do is search your sewing supplies for this brand ribbon or hurry on down to your local fabric store and pick out some Offray ribbon that matches your layout mood. You can even buy the ribbon, have your favorite gal wear it for pictures, and then use that same ribbon (after gentle hand washing and ironing it) to make the page accents.

How much should I buy? All these ribbons shown here were less than $1.50 a yard.

One yard is usually more than enough for a page.

When doing borders for a two page spread buy 1 yard of ribbon.

If you are doing only one border for a 12 inch or 8.5x11 page buy half a yard.

For a 5x7 frame you will need one yard or ribbon.

Buy a yard and a half for an 8x10 picture frame.

Bow treatments take between a quarter yard and half a yard for each bow. Remember not to use ribbon over 1/2 inch wide for bows as they will make the page too bulky.

Plan out the layout and decide where you want the ribbon elements to go. You will then add your own acid free adhesive to the back side of the ribbon in an even amount, place the ribbon where you want it, smooth it down, trim off the excess, and whallah!-- you have made a ribbon page!

Some suggested headlines for pages like this are:

Cute as a Button, Sweet as a Bow!

Tied Together with Heartstrings!

Soft as Velvet

Blue Ribbon Baby

Ribbons of light...nighttime take flight

Some poems that might work nicely are :

Old Things

by Clay Harrison

Old photographs in albums

love letters tied with lace

recapture those old feelings

that new ones cannot replace.

Nobody Knows but Mother

by Mary Morrison

How many Buttons are missing today?

Nobody knows but mother.

How many playthings are strewn in her way?

Nobody knows but mother.

How mant thimbles and spools has she missed?

How many burns on fat little fists?

How many bumps to be cuddled and kissed?

Nobody knows but mother...

How many hats has she hunted today?

Nobody knows but mother.

Carelessly hiding themselves in the hay

Nobody knows but mother.

How many handkerchiefs willfully strayed?

How many ribbons for each little maid?

How for her care can a mother be paid?

--nobody knows but mother!

A Blink in Time

~Unknown

I watched them walk to the bus today

I couldn't help but ponder...

in a blink it seems the years go by

but the images still linger.

I remember her pigtails that bounced when she walked

and her favorite red ribbons

and forever I'll cherish a picture in thought...

her toothless first grade grin.

Butterfly Kisses

by Bob Carlisle

Sweet sixteen today

looking more like her mama more every day

one part woman, the other part girl

to perfume and makeup from ribbons and curls

A Daughter

by Mary Pickering

All mothers need a daughter

someone like her to be

to dress her up and take her out

for all the world to see.

To brush her hair so shiny

the pretty bows to tie

to teach her how to clean her room

and how to bake a pie.

Then one day when she is older

and finds her love so true

she never will forget the many things

that she learned from you.

Someday she will have her children

my wish for her would be

to have a lovely daughter

--one who is just like she!!

I hope you enjoy using Offray fabric ribbon on your pages! You can find a wide variety in the fabric section of your local sewing store. As you can see from my samples, there is a ribbon for every style page!!