Ribbon Wreath

If you spend as much time as I do reading blogs and looking at interesting things on the Internet, you've almost certainly seen a ribbon wreath project somewhere. (If you haven't, and you want to see a few that inspired me, you could look at this page or this one.) I've had the idea in mind FOR AGES that I was going to make a ribbon wreath. It took me a really long time to decide what color scheme I might like to use, especially after I made my playing card entry way decor.

Here's the finished product, along with the playing card sign!

 I was a little surprised by how much of a pain it was to make this project. There were a few times when I considered giving up, which, given my investment in the materials, would have been a big disappointment. I know there are some other bloggers who stock ribbon at home. I'm not really one of them - I have a few spools of ribbon, but definitely not enough to make a wreath like this. I decided on the color scheme to coordinate with the playing card sign and then headed off to Michaels (and later, JoAnns) to get the necessary supplies.

For me, in addition to the ribbon and the wire wreath frame, I also used fabric scissors (duh) and some Fray Block. I didn't see any other posts where the creator was concerned about fraying. But, as you can see in the photos above, there were some real issues with fraying. All of the ribbon I selected was grosgrain, which I think may be part of why fraying was an issue. It took me extra time to make the project since I was constantly cutting strips of ribbon and then needing to apply the Fray Block and let it dry before tying it onto the frame.

I was also a little surprised by just how much ribbon it took for me to cover the frame enough that it would look even moderately full. I purchased a total of 43 yards of ribbon, and I used almost all of it! The rolls of thin ribbon - in bright turquoise and lime green - were 10 yards long and I had a little bit left on each roll. If you're considering making a wreath like this, I would have to discourage the use of grosgrain-type ribbon. The ribbon is heavy enough that it won't stand up. Had that happened, I'd probably have been able to use less ribbon. I know some other people use that sheer, fluffy ribbon and I suspect that if you use that, you can use a little bit less. In any case, as much as it was annoying, I filled the frame and now it's done!!!!

 Here's a close-up of the finished product. I'm awfully proud that it's finally done and hanging up on my doorway. Now, all I need is to invite some friends over to show it off!

Ta da!