Ribbon Woes

[Angela]

I'm fairly new to bow making I've stuck with flowers more but I have a few styles that I have made like boutique, pinwheel, and tuxedo, and a few layered look that I'm not sure the names. Anyway I let my twin girls each choose some ribbon for me to make bows for them and now I'm stuck.

I have two different ribbons that I'm not sure what to do with. One is an owl design that is really cute that one of my daughters chose and its 1" wide and the other is a skull and cross-bone design I chose to make for my neighbors pirate themed restaurant and it's 3/4" wide. Problem is both ribbons are very flimsy. They say 100% polyester and are sort of silk like? I want to make bigger bows out of them but they don't hold up well to any design I've tried so far. Other problem is they are only printed on one side.

Is there a different bow type design that would work better for something so flimsy?

Thanks!

[BusyBumbleBee]

I would make pinwheels with extra loops. Since it is only printed on one side, the pinwheels are flat and you won't see the underside quite so much.

Satin ribbon is very hard to work with, but pretty with it's shine.

Good luck, share what you come up with if you get the chance! I'd love to see the ribbon, it sounds cute!

[Angela]

Thank You!
So I should make two pinwheels two different sizes and layer them on top of each other? I will take pictures I have to figure out the photo feature on this forum still but I'll get around to it.
For the skull and crossbones ribbon I was thinking about doing a pinwheel then some sort of rounded element on top for somewhat of a literal interpretation like as if the bow actually looks shaped like a skull and crossbone.
and the owl print is really cute! I'm sort of obsessed with cutsy owls lately and I think she's picked up on it some lol

[IzzyB]

You can also layer the light weight ribbon with a gros grain ribbon to make a bow. I do that sometimes in my twisted boutique bows when the ribbon is light weight or I don't like how the other side of the ribbon looks.

[ishop2much]

Oh my word...that bottlecap would match the bows I'm making for a baby shower gift perfectly:banghead: I love it!!

[Angela]

Oh that's so cute! Thanks! I love the bottlecap too!
That's new to me I haven't seen those yet but I did see something at JoAnn's about making them so I may have to look into learning how to make them. I've been feeling discouraged lately because I haven't sold a single bow. My neighbors are selling some at their restaurant in the gift shop and so we put out a bunch of patriotic bows and flowers but I think they're over-priced. Of course I want my profit but they want a profit too.

[ishop2much]

Oh that's so cute! Thanks! I love the bottlecap too!
That's new to me I haven't seen those yet but I did see something at JoAnn's about making them so I may have to look into learning how to make them. I've been feeling discouraged lately because I haven't sold a single bow. My neighbors are selling some at their restaurant in the gift shop and so we put out a bunch of patriotic bows and flowers but I think they're over-priced. Of course I want my profit but they want a profit too.


Which restaurant at the lake?? We vacation at the lake of the ozarks all summer long!!

[BusyBumbleBee]

Which restaurant at the lake?? We vacation at the lake of the ozarks all summer long!!

My parent's just got back from there, they went over 4th of July. As you know, it's not too too far from STL. Very pretty out there

[ishop2much]

My parent's just got back from there, they went over 4th of July. As you know, it's not too too far from STL. Very pretty out there


LOL the only time we are not down there is 4th of July weekend...it's too busy:-(

[Angela]

lol how fun you guys are close then! The restaurant is Jolly Rogers! It's on the gravois arm at the 4 mm. We're about 11 mi by water from the damn.

and yes last weekend was insane. my husband works for a marina by the grand glaize bridge and he works weekends but sometime we'll take our boat out after he gets home but not last weekend. We did take the twins swimming and all the wakes made it like a wave pool which was fun. I went into town in the evening and it wasn't too bad. Did you know they built a by-pass highway around osage beach?

[Angela]

Oh and yes it is close to St. Louis. We moved from O'Fallon Mo about 30 min outside St. Louis and I still taught in St. Louis after we moved. I stayed there during the week with the twins then we came home every weekend but it wasn't much of a life so last year I permanently moved here. It's why I'm trying to sell bows now because I have to make some extra money somehow. We still go to St. Louis pretty often to visit my parents.

and the three crazy weekends down here are memorial day, fourth of July, and labor day. It's just now calming down from last weeks craziness lol

[Angela]

so I tried the 3 loop pinwheel with the skull and crossbones ribbon. I think I'm happy with it because for this giftshop I don't think I'd make super fancy bows, most people who come there are coming on boats. For a craft fair or for my girls I'd make it more layered. I haven't tried the owl ribbon yet but I'll post a pic when I do.

What do you think? I don't want to attach it to a clip until I'm certain.

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w9/angelarudy/Mobile%20Uploads/Photo0151.jpg

[Angela]

or this
I layered the opposing pattern behind it and did a boutique bow. it's more then twice the ribbon so would cost more. That's another question: how do you decide to price your bows?

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w9/angelarudy/Mobile%20Uploads/Photo0154.jpg

[Angela]

okay don't laugh! I wanted to try a scuptural bow something more literal.

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w9/angelarudy/Mobile%20Uploads/Photo0155.jpg

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w9/angelarudy/Mobile%20Uploads/Photo0156.jpg

[IzzyB]

I love them!!! Where did you get that ribbon!!!! And y'all are making me homesick!!! My aunt has a cabin at the Lake. My parents had one too when I was a kid. I miss it!!!!! :crying::crying::crying:

[Angela]

Thank You!

aww I'm always surprised to hear how many people have a connection to the lake. It is a fun place to live although we don't do any of the touristy things but we do take our boats out a lot and that's probably the best part. You'd probably be shocked at how different the lake is since you were a kid. We came here almost every year on vacation when I was a kid and it wasn't nearly as busy plus the only place to really shop then was the strip with all its touristy shops. Now there's a big outlet mall and a lot more chain stores (honestly I wouldn't have moved down here if it was how it used to be lol)

[Angela]

Oh Yah I got the ribbon at Michaels they had a couple different halloween ribbon displays and that's where it was!:001_tongue:

I kind of think hobby lobby had some too and it may have been grosgrain. I had a coupon for Michaels so that's why I got it there and Michaels was have a 50% off ribbon sale although this ribbon wasn't a part of the sale.

[IzzyB]

Oh Yah I got the ribbon at Michaels they had a couple different halloween ribbon displays and that's where it was!:001_tongue:

I kind of think hobby lobby had some too and it may have been grosgrain. I had a coupon for Michaels so that's why I got it there and Michaels was have a 50% off ribbon sale although this ribbon wasn't a part of the sale.

You got it this Halloween? Off to Michaels I go in the AM.

[Miss x]

Maybe you could add an embellishment in the centre of the pinwheel bows. Something piraty...

[K's kustom bows]

I like to go to the lake too, but never get to go! I really need to go to the coach outlet store! LOVE that place! My former boss has a cabin down there and she would always go do there on the weekends. Then, she ended up moving down there about a year ago after her husband retired! It was always her dream to just move there.



Thank You!

aww I'm always surprised to hear how many people have a connection to the lake. It is a fun place to live although we don't do any of the touristy things but we do take our boats out a lot and that's probably the best part. You'd probably be shocked at how different the lake is since you were a kid. We came here almost every year on vacation when I was a kid and it wasn't nearly as busy plus the only place to really shop then was the strip with all its touristy shops. Now there's a big outlet mall and a lot more chain stores (honestly I wouldn't have moved down here if it was how it used to be lol)

[MamaB]

I think pinwheels are a great idea... you'll have to post pics!