Muslin Ribbon tutorial

Since we had such a great response to our muslin ribbons the last two weekends, I thought I would share with you some info on how to make them.  It is very easy, and you can use any cotton fabric that is light enough for a stamp to show up on.

These are your basic supplies.  Muslin, rubber stamps, an ink pad that works on fabric, an iron, and tea.

I buy unbleached muslin, in 2 or 3 yard increments. I cut the muslin about every 2 1/2 inches and tear the strip off (depending on how wide I want my ribbon to be). 

I always start with a cup of tea for myself to enjoy.

 Steep the tea.  I place 4 or 5 bags of tea in the bowl of hot water.  You can even add a few drops of food coloring to the water if you want colored ribbons.

Mark your fabric with a pencil every 2.5 to 3 inches.

Start to tear your pieces off.

 

This is what your left with.

I dye the fabric strips in batches.  I usually let them sit 5 to 10 minutes.  Then I wring them out before I put them in the dryer.

You are left with an even more wrinkled mess after you dry the fabric.  You need to iron the strips before you can stamp on them.  You will then iron them again after they are stamped to heat set them.

    I use this same process when I make some of my paper tags.  However, I do not iron the paper tags.  I like them wrinkled.

The stamp pads I use have been picked because they are recommended for use on fabric, after a heat set.  JoAnn's actually has a chart in the isle that points out which ones are good for fabrics.

These ribbons are so cute and versatile.  I love wrapping gifts with them, and have even used them as curtain tie backs in my daughter's room.  I recently made ribbon for a wedding shower gift and used a great dress stamp my mom had.  It really was a nice addition to the gift itself, and made a nice keepsake for the bride.

Normally, I would use a longer ribbon, or even two to wrap a gift, but you get the idea.  I make mine with matching tags to store the ribbon on. 

Hope you enjoy making your own ribbons. Enjoy!