Sep 28 2007
Ribbon Central
Hello, again! As I mentioned before I’ve spent the last few days reorganizing my stamp room. That is, I’ve spent every available minute working on it. Not every minute is available, of course. One of the reasons it’s taking so long is that I’m going over it with a fine toothed comb. I’ve already filled two large garbage bags and have a lot set out to give away. The garbage bags contain mostly packaging. It’s amazing how much space can be saved by sorting things into a few, or not so few, handy receptacles. The two big garbage bags don’t even include the burnables–that all goes into the wood stove. Sheesh!
My ribbon collection was completely out of hand. I’ve seen bigger collections but if there was a contest for the messiest collection I’d enter it with high hopes of winning. I had one big drawer full of ribbon that started out somewhat organized but wound up with rolls piled on until I could hardly get the drawer closed, let alone find anything. In addition to the drawer I had a big basket with ribbon rolls and packages tossed in haphazardly. And then, of course, I had two sets of Stampin’ Up!’s ribbon holders. The top tier of each is cut off in this photo, as are some of the contents in the near end of the drawer. I have another matching jar to fill with ribbon scraps but it’s soaking in the kitchen sink right now. The jars held candles. I considered altering them but decided the ribbon inside was pretty enough.
Until I completely remodel the stamp room I simply had to find a way to compact and organize my ribbon, making it more accessible. With no additional floor space available I was left with no recourse but to clean out and reorganize the whole room. This is what I wound up with for the ribbon. One thing I’ve come to love about Offray ribbon is that no matter what kind or how wide it is, the rolls are all the same size and they’re beautifully contained in these small Made Smart bins that I found in a local store (Bi-Mart). Aren’t they pretty all lined up there, ripe for the plucking? Who doesn’t love ribbon — show of hands? I gave up trying to sort them by color and went with “types” instead — all the polka dots, stripes, plaids & ginghams, satins, sheers, velvets, grosgrains, florals and novelty ribbons, metallics, particular collections, ric racs, lace ribbons, taffetas… I painstakingly wound all the loose ribbons (except the bulky twills) on embroidery floss cards and pinned them in place. I found a whole baggie of the most beautiful taffetas I’d completely forgotten about. Oddly, there are times I feel I don’t have just the right ribbon for a card I’m working on. Well, there’s just no excuse for that! This is the dawn of a new day for me and my ribbons.
After I completed this project I had need of one of the sheer dot ribbons that I’d wound on an embroidery card. I’m happy to report that I removed the required length, re-pinned the card and placed it carefully back in its neat, new home. Now that I can see what I have, I’m feeling all kinds of inspired! Oh, happy day! I hope you’re having a happy day, too. Take care!
Why don’t you pay me a visit? I have a drawer just like you describe. :0)
OMGoodness! That looks almost as beautiful as your garden!!!
Gotta love ribbon!!!
wow I just did that to but I did not have that moch ribbon, lucky girl I love ribbon!!!
Your ribbon looks so pretty all organized!
I’ve been organizing my ribbon too! I’ve been winding my ribbon on cards on the Cropper Hopper ribbon bobbins and putting them in the drawers they sell and finally managed to do the last ones…at least, I think so! There may be more cards of ribbon out there in my stash that I haven’t found, it’s so easy for those things to get buried!!!
I Better take a lesson from you. My Ribbon is a Mess!!!!! This looks great!
Vicki
Wow! You did a great job. I bet stampers would pay you to come organize their ribbon collections! Mine is on the verge of getting out of control, I just have to decide which organizing system works best for me.
How gorgeous!!! I, too, organize my ribbon by type, rather than color — for me that just makes more sense, though I know most people organize by color! Love those long narrow holders — don’t have a Bi-Mart, but I will be on the lookout for something that size!!!! I need a major reorganization for my ribbon as well — actually, for my entire space — LOL!!! Don’t we all!!!
This looks fabulous! Isn’t it always a job going through all this “stuff”? I’ve just recently done the same thing. It’s actually a lot of fun to see what’s been hidden away!!! I also organize my ribbon but type rather than colour. Makes more sense to me!
Bravo, Leslie! It’s just beautiful! And very inspiring. :o) Linda
this looks so great Leslie, thanks for the insperation! I wanna come play at your house!
Got ribbon? Ribbon, ribbon and more ribbon! We sure love our ribbon! I just can’t get enough of it! I have my ribbon by color hues in Tupperware containers (6) and growing! Like you mentioned the Offray ribbon is always the same size, so nice to make neat rows of. You are an inspiration to many! TFS- Deb
Wow…thats a lot of ribbon. It would have been a hopeless cause if I had tried to organize all of that
Oh happy day, indeedy! Looks so pretty and I see several Offray ribbon that I have as well; can’t wait to see how you use them some day.
I have many brands & systems I am trying for lack of space but have yet to find THE ONE for me.
Other than creations by all of you talented ladies, ribbon, to me is beautiful eye candy!
P.S. One thing I did learn via SCS - Home Depot and Lowe’s do NOT have rain gutters here in Hawaii like they do on the mainland U.S. Ours are so narrow. Many of the SCSers were trying out that gutter system for their stash of rolls and I even took the pictures to a befuddled guy at Lowe’s.
My son said that he thought the guy was think’, “Crazy old lady.” 
Your ribbon organization is as beautiful as the cards you create ~ and I didn’t think anything else could be that beautiful. Once again you’ve inspired me ~ Thank you!
ok, want to come to my place and help me now and get my place organized?? I love what you are doing so much and I am floundering here.
I know what you mean about not having the right ribbon. I have 7 candy jars, two drawers, a basket, a bin, and an organizer filled with ribbon, but today I just couldn’t find anything I liked. All I wanted was a simple wide piece of black with white polka dots. I have sheer with dots, skinny with dots, wide without dots, but nothing just right. “SHEESH!”
Your ribbon looks so nice and organized now! I love your system! I organize my ribbon by type instead of color as well.
question for you, what is it that is on the counter that is holding your ribbon cards? I love the look of it and would love to find some to hold my precarded ribbon from SU
It’s so nice to see an organized ribbon drawer, I need you here!lol
ohhhh……..look how neat & organized you are! your ribbons look great!
your ribbon collection is awesome! I really like how you have them organized that alone must of taken a day.
I am in awe of your ribbon collection, and so organized too. I think though that I could give anyone a run for there money in the messy ribbon contest :).
WOW Leslie, Enjoy all that organized ribbon, Jennifer
Wow! I’m so glad to hear that I’m not the only one with a drawer full of tangled ribbons! I’ll have to shop for some new drawer dividers like the ones you used and get mine organized (again!) I’d probably have a lot more, but I use embroidery floss on a lot of my cards since it lies flatter for mailing. Check out my cards on http://www.stampingtower.blogspot.com.
Doris Smith
Wow, great ideas, Leslie — I may be borrowing a few!
Great ideas - I am in the middle of reorganizing my ribbon right now! Could you possibly email me where you got those clear containers that are holding your SU ribbon assortment cards in the upper right hand corner?? They would be perfect for my desk! Thanks! kjsbasket@aol.com
[…] Ribbon Central […]
Look at all that glorious ribbon! Maybe that’s what I need to do to actually start using more ribbon on my cards…purchase a lot so I won’t be afraid to use it. It’s worth a try anyway!
Linda
Oh wow, can I come play at your house as well. A long way from Australia though lol. I just got two big baggies frull of scrap ribbon from my local craft shop, for really cheep. I have just thrown it into the draws that are already full of ribbon lace and the like. I have so much stuff that yes if I sorted it out I would be more inspired as well. One day, it is too hot at the moment 45 deg heat does not help.
Cheers Debra.
[…] The designer papers are stored in the cabinet pictured below. They’re stacked in 12″ x 12″ trays which I purchased from the Paper Wishes catalog. More Sterilite drawer units make better use of the large open area of the cabinet. The top drawer of the other cabinet is full of ribbons (in addition to the ribbons on top of the cabinet). You can see more about my ribbon storage in Ribbon Central. […]