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Feb 28, 2012

MFT DT Creative Chat - Ribbon Organization

It's time for the MFT Creative Chat. The My Favorite Things Design Team Creative Chat is a monthly feature, where we are challenged to explore our creative spaces and share valuable organizational methods, tools, and shopping strategies with you. You'll be able to peek into our creative spaces, ask questions, and share your own ideas in the MFT forum.  This month, we were asked the following questions:  



Show us how you store your ribbon.
What are your favorite types of ribbon?
Any tips or tricks on how to use ribbon on stamped creations?

Visit Kim's Blog for a full list of designers that have taken up the challenge and get ready to delve into the minds of our creative team.

To say I am a ribbon addict would be an understatement.  I REALLY love ribbon.  I even named my blog after my ribbon obsession.  Now THAT is a good word.  Obsessed.  I have quite the ribbon collection and have tried various methods of storage, but I have settled on what I think is the best way to find what you have, when you want it, and be organized too.  Organization makes me happy.  :)


I store my ribbon in Sterlite drawers from Walmart that are pretty deep.  They are sold per drawer and they stack together.  I am short a couple and had to put a small amount of my ribbon in more shallow drawers.  To be fair, that happened after I needed THREE drawers for pink and TWO for green.  In all, I have 14 large drawers and 10 shallow drawers with ribbon in them.  


I have toyed with many ways to store my ribbon.  I have tried wrapping it on "cards", sorting it by type (polka dots, stripes etc), but the way I do it now is by COLOR.  Not only that, but I put the vast majority of my ribbon in little baggies that zip seal.  Typically, I know what color ribbon I want to use, so I can go the "black drawer" and see every ribbon I have that is black.  I use things I might have forgotten otherwise.  A benefit to using baggies is the ability to dump out the entire drawer on the floor if you want/need to and simply stuff it back in after you have rolled in it found what you need.


Here is at look at my ribbon collection.




I love pink!  I needed 2 drawers for my light pink.



Here are my black and blue drawers.



Aqua/Teal and Red



I have two green drawers.  One can never have too much green ribbon or green Copics.  True story.



Orange and light brown.



Hot pink and yellow.



Dark brown and white/cream.



Fibers.  From 1980.  LMAO  Joking... from 2005... I hung on to these because you never know when you might need some.



Ribbon that cannot be properly classified goes in this drawer for rebels.



Twill, hemp, brown stuff.



Twill overflow.  Apparently I like twill.



Light gray and silver.



More gray.



Purple and I don't get along, but I have some anyway.  



2 drawers of it actually.  I should use more purple.



Twine.  I don't know WHY I haven't integrated my twine in with my other ribbon.  I should... but strangely, I like it by itself.  I'm weird.



More twine...



When I am stamping I will sometimes grab 5 or 10 ribbons to choose from when I am working on a project and wanted red ribbon, for instance.  When I am done with that paper/color combo, I toss all the ribbon on my desk in this tote.  When it gets full, I go put them all back where they belong and start the whole process over again.



Today while I was cleaning off my desk I didn't want to put away all these supplies I had pulled out a couple days ago because I wasn't tired of the paper pad and wanted to use it more, so I stuck the ribbon, paper, copics, ink pads, and card stock in some baskets and left it all neat and tidy on my desk.  Next time I sit down to stamp, I'll just get right to stamping with these supplies.  I even had some leftover embellies and stuck those in there as well.  



I decided it might be hard for you to gauge how big these drawers are, so I pulled out my two light pink drawers.



Then I dumped them out on the floor so you could see how many different light pink ribbons I have.  Wow.  I REALLY like pink, huh?  LOL




Here is my less-loved, but still appreciated orange ribbon collection.  Just for comparison.  :)



My favorite type of ribbon is YES.  I love ribbon.  I don't discriminate... well... not much anyway.  I  definitely have my favorites.  Grosgrain, polka dots, ruffled... YES, I love ribbon.


As for how to use ribbon on a card... I have a couple tips:

  • Make sure the ribbon type matches the style of card you are making.  If you're making a colorful butterfly card in pink, red, and blue, don't choose metallic gold ribbon that is sheer.  That would be wrong.
  • Make sure the color of your ribbon coordinates with what you are using it with
  • I *try* to avoid laying ribbon on the same colored paper.  
  • Use a Bow Easy to create bows.  It's easy to use and your bows will be cute.
  • When in doubt, add a strip of ribbon somewhere...
Thanks for stopping by today!  Don't forget to go visit the rest of the team.  You'll find the links on the MFT Blog.








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31 comments:

  1. Have been waiting to see your collection and you definitely have a lot of ribbon ... wow!!!!!!!!!!

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  2. Ok seriously jealous of all of you ribbon, twine and twill!!! AMAZING! :) Your stash is breathtaking!

    XoXo,

    Katie

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  3. Oh Lord help the both of us! I have a huge ribbon stash as well as well as a ton of lace. Quit frankly I'm overwhelmed it it but I love, love love your storage idea. The wrapping of all of the ribbon around cards and what not hasn't worked for me so I just started to convert over to a system just like your, right down to using the baggies! Great minds think alike! Now to try and get as organized as you! Might be contacting you for more tips, hee hee! Thanks for all of your encouragement and inspiration!

    Hugs,
    Candi

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  4. OOoooo, My Goodness! God!
    Unbelievable!

    You are a ribbon addict! wow!

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  5. ahhhhh! ribbon heaven...Iknew I would LOVE your post. and ha! I thought I had a lot of ribbon. love your organization by color.

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  6. LOL! LOVE it! Your blog name is perfect for you!!! I'm seriously jealous of all that ribbon! Wowzers!

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  7. ROFL....Jody, you are a girl after my own heart. We could easily be best buddies I'm sure :) I love all your "collections", and your sense of humor. Thanks for always sharing with us. Susan

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  8. Wow! I like the baggie idea. I don't have nearly the ribbon you have but like your storage.

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  9. Wow! I like the baggie idea. I don't have nearly the ribbon you have but like your storage.

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  10. Debbie Dunham2/28/2012 9:16 AM

    Awesome ribbon! I too am a ribbon addict and store mine the same way, except that I am running out of storage room lol

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  11. Okay, so WOW, just WOW!!! At least you are up front about your addiction and even named your blog appropriately!! I am definitely showing this to my hubby so he will know that I am only half-way addicted!!! I am soooooo jealous!!! I've never met a ribbon I didn't like either. Thanks for sharing such a beautiful glimpse of your sweet addiction.

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  12. WHOWZERS Jody...awesome display of organizing a ribbon addiction...LOL...seriously you are a lucky girl to have that much ribbon at your fingertips!

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  13. Yep, your blog is well-named ;-) Awesome amount of ribbon, girlie!!

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  14. Ha Ha! I have finally found someone who has as much ribbon as I do! I have to say yours is a lot more organized than mine though!

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  15. Holy moly!!! Ribbon, ribbon, and more delicious ribbon!!! My twine is in a drawer by itself too, so I must be weird also. ;-)

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  16. Geez, i thought I was bad but you got me beat. Ribbon is an addiction and one I fall prey to, too. (?) Seriously, think your organization skills are formidable. Thanks for sharing.

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  17. OMG Jody!!! To say you have alot of ribbon would be an understatement...girl, you have a ribbon STORE! LOVE your bin for when you go to "return" your items to the proper place. I adore you!

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  18. I loved your post! You didn't just show how to store it, you also gave great ideas on keeping your workplace neat and usable for stamping by showing your little containers and ribbon bin! Thanks!

    Tricia

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  19. I believe I saw a show on TV that reminded me of your stash....Oh yeah it was called "Hoarders"!! But I guess it's not hoarding because you actually use it...right! Love it!

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  20. Oh my Jody!! I am cracking up. 1980 fiber ;) LOL!! I {heart} your rebel ribbon drawer! HAHAHHHA...just love...I'm laughing so hard right now.

    But on a serious note...your organization totally overwhelms me and leaves me in awe of you!

    Gorgeous my friend! Just gorgeous!

    HUGS!
    Meredith
    xo!

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  21. OH MY GOD! Wow. I am seriously impressed.

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  22. OMGoodness, I'm in awe of your ribbon! I laughed out loud when you dumped your pink and orange ribbons on the floor for us to see! Wow!

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  23. YOU NUT!!!! I'm LMAO over that GIGANTIC roll of GRAY... and I think I spotted brown polka dot in your purple drawer.... !!!

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  24. Still chuckling over rolling around in the ribbon! I can relate! I thought I had a lot of ribbon. Now I know I do not. I feel better about myself. Thank you.

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  25. you are so hilarious.. rolling around in your ribbon! LOL great post, thanks for sharing and being so entertaining! :D

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  26. Wow. I like what Jessie said -- Holy Pajamas! Aptly named blog! And an excellent and simply storage system!

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  27. OMG. I'm soooo jealous of your collection. And all that storage! I {heart} organization and until we move, I am confined to crafting in a corner of my living room. I'm drooling over the massive amount of ribbon!

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  28. wow!! Lady, you have a lot of ribbon!! glad to see you don't discriminate amongst the ribbon types. lol Give the purple a try!! :)


    jennik

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  29. Oh my god is all that comes to mind, that is some serious ribbon and I am sooooo jealous!!!! it is so expensive in the UK lol, see just another reason why I would love to live in the US x

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Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. I appreciate you reading my blog.

 
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