Alison Manning: 10 Ways to Use Ribbon Scraps

Like most paper crafters I have ribbon – lots of ribbon. And with all those spools, cards and yards of ribbon come scraps that I just can’t bring myself to throw away. If you suffer from the same problem, help is here!

I have 10 ways to use up those annoying little pieces that aren't ready for the trash can. Yours might be different, but my definition of a scrap of ribbon is a piece that measures 6”or less.

1. Sentiment – showcase a sentiment on a scrap of ribbon using rub-ons or stamps. A plain ribbon will hightlight the sentiment better than a busy, patterned ribbon.

2. Ribbon tabs – this is my favorite way to use up those pesky scraps and don’t just stop at one, add several t0 your project.

3. Accent hardware – a touch of ribbon can soften metal hardware, which otherwise might look too masculine. Tie a piece to a clip, picture holder, buckle or ribbon slide.

4. Journal – jazz up a spiral bound journal or notebook with ribbon scraps tied along the spine. Match up the ribbon colors on your journal for a coordinated look, or use random scraps for a funky feel.

5. Flower stems – using a glue dot, attach a small ribbon knot or bow to a flower stem or bunch of balloons. Although small, the bow can play an important design role by guiding the eye up to the focal point.


6. Add a tag to a project or gift. Or make that ribbon scrap work a little by acting as a tab on the insert of a pocket card.

7. Dress up eyelets – let’s face it eyelets are a bit dull, so why not liven them up with some ribbon or fiber?

8. Make a faux bow using a double rectangle punch. This can also save you money when mass producing cards. Using a faux bow on this card cost a lot less than wrapping ribbon around the whole piece of chocolate chip and then tying a bow.


9. Chipboard - take the bored out of chipboard by embellishing it with a ribbon scrap.

10. Layer Ribbon - Make a neutral piece of ribbon pop with a tiny splash of color from a ribbon scrap. If the wide satin ribbon had been pink, it would have overpowered the flower image. This little pink scrap draws the eye into the card and guides it to the focal point.

I hope you find these ideas useful. If you have an awesome way to use up ribbon scraps, please leave it in a comment and I will do a follow up post with all your suggestions.

Have a wonderful day!