At the last birthday party I attended all of the presents were packaged in gift bags.  Bag, bag, bag, bag.  The gift bag is handy, reusable and oh so convenient, however, I really missed the beautifully packaged gift!   I LOVE the idea of reusing items, so my mission was to create wrapping that was a bit eclectic, Earth-friendly and EASY!

 
To go along w/ my eco-friendly gift wrap- I made re-usable, multi-purpose, flower loop bows.  These fun, multi-layered bows are often used as hair bows.  Just attach one to a clip or barrette and you have a fabulous hair accessory. Often you will see Flower loop bows made with the same width of ribbon.  I wanted to mix it up a bit so I played with the fabric of ribbons as well as the width.

 
(If you like these bows and want to make some for yourself, A Flower loop bow how-to video will be posted on the May Arts blog in 2 weeks)

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The packaging For this gift I simply put it in a photo box, and shut the lid!  These are as easy as gift bags, and very attractive.  They come in patterns, all colors and are quite inexpensive.  These boxes are perfect for reusing over and over!

 The bow  I wanted to make a bow that was “gender neutral” so I used browns, tans and turquoise ribbons with a  button center for the bow. A matching band of  ribbon around the box completes the package.

(May Arts ribbons used: (WF) Grosgrain/Circles, (DD94, DD02) Grosgrain/Dots, (BD33) Grosgrain/Center dot, (DH33) Grosgrain/Dots, (WK94) Grosgrain/Stripes, (WM47) Solid/Variegated stripes.)

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The packaging As I was working on this project,  the weekly free newspaper was delivered to my door step.  Serendipity. I instantly remembered how my in-laws have been recycling newspaper as gift wrap for decades--  I love the idea of using what is right in front of you.

The Bow    Keeping with the newsprint theme…I went with a black and white (and read all over…) bow.  The center of the flower is a piece of chipboard that reads…”EVERYDAY LIFE.”

(May Arts ribbons used: (331) Grosgrain/White ovals, (DD10) Grosgrain/Dots, (WB10) Grosgrain/Stripe, (AKN10) Solid/Check)

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The packaging  For this gift I repurposed a leather pencil holder.  I simply turned it upside down and slipped it over the gift.  

The bow   The (333) Grosgrain/Horizontal lines ribbon was perfect for my flower loop bow.  This ribbon is fun and festive and PERFECT for a party!  The center is an over sized paper covered brad.

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The packaging I knew I wanted to use scrap fabric as a packaging idea…the United States fabric seemed the right fit for this project. 

The Bow   I picked bright yellows and orange ribbons with a bright yellow button center for this bow.

(May Arts ribbons used: (DD27) Grosgrain/Dots center (333) Grosgrain/Horizontal lines)

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The packaging.  This might be the zaniest packaging of the lot.  A piece of linen that was a window valance!  Yes.  ANYTHING can work!!!!

The Bow  This bow is perhaps my favorite.  I used a mix of fabric ribbon…lace, sheer, grosgrain…green, pink and orange. SIGH.  This bow makes me happy!!!  For the center of my bow I used paper flowers.

(May Arts ribbon used:  (335) Sheer/Print, (BS06) Solid/Iridescent, (NP46) Crochet, (NQ 28) Lace, (WH 28) Reversible/Grosgrain)

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Blog Posted By: Leah Farrar-White

Click here for this week's Gift Wrapping Contest!

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In this week’s blog post we showed you some creative wrapping techniques to try with your ribbon!  Reusable boxes & bows are a time efficient, as well as a beautiful alternative, when gift wrapping for your next occasion.  For this week’s contest, we want to hear from you!  

We all know that wrapping the perfect gift can be a time consuming event, in a world where most of us have very little time to spare!  What are some quick & easy ways that you use your ribbon when wrapping a gift? 

Details are listed below:

• To enter: Post a comment.

• Start date: Monday July 27^th , 2009

• Deadline: Sunday August 9^th, 2009. 

• The prize:  6 - three yard spools of May Arts Ribbon.  Your choice!

• We will select one entry.  The winner’s name will be posted on Monday August 10^th.

• The winner will have 2 weeks to contact us & claim their prize.

• Domestic & International entries are all welcome.

• Photos are not necessary to enter the contest!  But we always welcome them!  Just forward them to sales@mayarts.com.

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This week, we asked you what your favorite ribbons to work with were.  We loved everyone’s response!  As always, keep checking back with us, there’s always a new contest running! 

This week’s winner is wendi r:

"I always love adding some ribbon for fun color, dimension on the page and some texture.. I like my projects to "feel" alive... I love bulky and textured ribbon but also love some rick rack- always the perfect additive to anything, lately I've been into lace type ribbon too."

Wendi, thank you for posting your comment!  Congratulations!  We always love to see pictures, so please feel free to send us some photos at sales@mayarts.com!  We will gladly post them for everyone to see!  Please forward your shipping information & your ribbon selections to the email address above!

Thank you again for your comments!

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Wendi,

Thank you for  sharing your work with all of us!  It is beautiful!

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OVALS!

For these paper crafting projects - 331 Grosgrain/White ovals ribbon 1.5“x25y

DAVE

Materials: cardstock - Bazzil, paper - Scenic Route, alphabets - Jenni Bowlin and American Crafts, sticker - Jenni Bowlin, heart - Heidi Swapp.

Ideas:

• With a simple color scheme and design…you can use a bold ribbon AND keep the focus on the picture.

• Pull out that corner rounder – use on one element of your project.

PIRATE GOES TO SCHOOL

Materials: paper - Scenic Route and Teresa Collins, chipboard and alphabet - Scenic Route.

Ideas:

• Pinking sheers! Use on your paper or RIBBON…adds a fun little unexpected touch.

• Sew your ribbon to the page…it will stay put and you don’t need adhesive!

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CIRCLES! 

For these paper crafting projects - WF Grosgrain/Circles  1.5”x25y

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It’s your birthday - CARD

Materials: cardstock - Bazzil, paper and chipboard - Scenic Route , ribbon - May Arts

Ideas:

• Tuck ribbon under paper and sew pleats with sewing machine.

• Use circle patterned paper with your circle ribbon!

MUD KIDS

Materials: paper - Fancy Pants, cardstock - bazzil, embellishments - Sasafrass, KI Memories, We R Memory Keepers, Prima, Tim Holtz, Jenni Bolin and Fancy Pants.  Alphabets - American Crafts. Making memories

Ideas:

• Keep your paper simple - add visual interest with wide ribbon and lots of embellishments!

• Play with your sewing machine…(by trial and error…I found this scallop stitch!)

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SCALLOPS!

For these paper crafting projects - 338 Grosgrain/Scalloped edge  1.5”x25y

Bring on the cake - CARD

Materials: cardstock - Bazzil, paper and chipboard - Scenic Route, ribbon - May Arts.

Ideas:

• Cut a hole in the top of the card, thread ribbon and tie in knot.

• Use a chipboard embellishment for added depth – cards don’t HAVE to be flat!

Happy day - CARD

Materials: cardstock - Bazzil and Stampin Up, paper and sticker - Scenic Route, flower - Petaloo, ribbon - May Arts.

Ideas:

• Sew border on card…overlapping the ribbon.

• Mat a circle sticker and add to a flower for the center!

TALL ENOUGH

Materials: cardstock - Bazzil, paper and stickers - Scenic Route, alphabet - Luxe, ribbon - May Arts

Ideas:

• Mix up border stickers and ribbon!

• MAKE SURE you add the date…or at least an approximate!

 
Blog Posted By: Leah Farrar-White

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Click here to view details on this week's "Crafting With Ribbon" contest!

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In this week’s ‘Scrapbooking / Arts & Crafts’ blog post, we showed you how ribbon can add a wonderfully decorative touch to a craft project. Ribbon is also an inexpensive way to personalize your designs.  With so many ribbons to choose from, how do you decide which one to use? We want to hear your opinion! 

What types of ribbon do you like to use on your craft projects?  Do you have a favorite fabric, width, or pattern?  Feel free to send in photos of your “crafting with ribbon” work to sales@mayarts.com, we will happily post them all!  Details are listed below:

• To enter: Post a comment.

• Start date:  Monday July 13^th , 2009

• Deadline: Sunday July 26^th, 2009. 

• The prize:  6 - three yard spools of May Arts Ribbon.  Your choice!

• We will select one entry.  The winner’s name will be posted on Monday July 27^th.

• The winner will have 2 weeks to contact us & claim their prize.

• Domestic & International entries are all welcome.

To enter our contest & post your comment, click here.

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May Arts Ribbon and mini books…the perfect combination!

This accordion book is decorated on both sides - it is nice to give mini books without pictures - the recipient can easily add favorite photographs.  This book will hold wallet-sized pictures.

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Ribbon is:

• wrapped around the first page vertically

• on the “happy photos” page wrapped around horizontally

• tied with a simple knot

• tied on a tag and on a button

Materials used: book - Maya Road, papers and embellishments - Chatterbox, felt words - Creative Imaginations.

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Word books are wonderful keepsakes that can reflect a crafter’s personality…this book will hold both 3x5 and 4x6 photos.

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• Combine 2 different types of ribbon on a page.   One adhered to the front, the other wrapped all around the page.

• Ribbon borders on edge of photo mat.

• Tie ribbon knots to edges of the letters.

• Cut apart flower ribbon to add as corner embellishments.

Materials used: book - Bo Bunny, papers and stickers - Cosmo Cricket, journal sticker - Jenni Bowlin

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Name books make kids feel special and proud.   A little extra ribbon makes a book irresistible

• Tie coordinating pieces to rings.

• Mix and match types of ribbon, width of ribbon, textures…have fun with this!

Materials used: papers - Prima, My Best Creations, book - Creek Bank Creations, buttons and bling adhered with glossy accents.

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On this small 4^th of July book, I only added one big ribbon to the ring- 

• Red ribbon on a red ring can add a great punch.

• The red will draw the eye and people will need to pick up that book!

Materials used: papers - Daisy Bucket, book - Maya Road, alphabet - American Crafts,  embellishments - Queen & Co.

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One way to hold the tree shape book together is to “tie a yellow ribbon…”

• Get creative.

• Use your ribbons!!!

Materials used: book - Creek Bank Creations, paper - October Afternoon.

Click here to view details on this week's "Crafting With Ribbon" contest!

Blog Posted by:  Leah Farrar-White

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Those big, fluffy, multi-layered, 5-ingredient bows that billow up, out, and stay poofy looking? No wired-edge ribbon was used. Want to make these attention-grabbing, cake topping, show stopping bows?

 Layer , Stack, and Assemble

3 separate bows are stacked one atop of the other. Each bow graduates in loop-length. Like a tiered cake, the smallest bow is stacked atop the middle bow, which is then layered to the largest bow on the bottom.  Use an odd-number of elements, layering a narrow ribbon over a wider ribbon. In this sample, five May Arts Ribbons were used:

• 3/4"-wide Grosgrain Solid (Fuchsia) QH22

• 1.5"-wide Woven Check (Pink/Brown) KB93

• 3"-wide Sheer (Light Fuchsia) C23

• 1.5"-wide Grosgrain Solid (Brown) QH33

• ½"-wide Leaves (Burgundy) BY25

(ribbon lengths are determined by the required end size of bow)

•  2  12" twist ties. (I prefer pipe cleaners when stacking bows)

• 1-piece of 3/4"-wide Grosgrain Solid (Fuschia) to tie Bow3.

• Adhesive Tape (if wrapping a gift box)

• Sharp Scissors

Gift Box straps:

• 3/4"-wide Grosgrain Solid (Fuchsia) QH22

• 1"-wide Grosgrain Ric Rac (Brown) 330-33

Step 1

Make Bow-1; a 4 loop florist bow with 2 ingredients.

Layer 3/4"-Grosgrain (Fuchsia) centered over 1.5" Woven Check. Secure center with a 12" twist-tie.

Step 2

Make Bow-2; a 10 loop florist bow with 2 ingredients.

Layer 1.5"-Grosgrain Check ribbon centered over 3"-Sheer (Light Fuchsia), making loops longer than Bow-1. When your Grosgrain Check ribbon stops at 4 or 5 loops, finish making the rest of the 5 loops with 3"-Sheer. Secure center with a 12" twist-tie.

Step 3

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Make Bow-3; a 6 loop florist bow with 3 ingredients.

Form a very large, oversized 2 loop bow with the Leaves, allowing the tails to fall, one on each side of the bow. Set aside. Layer 3/4"-Grograin Fuchsia centered on 1.5"-Grosgrain Brown. The 1.5"-Grosgrain Brown will only make 4 loops; finish with 2 more loops with the 3/4"-Grograin Fuchsia, leaving long tails. Be sure this bow has loops that are longer than Bow-2. Center Leaves over Grosgrain bow. Secure with a length of 3/4"-Grosgrain Fuchsia with a "Chef's Knot".

 (Instructions for a Chef's Knot appear in the June 8 2009 blog post)

Step 4-Assemble

Secure each bow to the other, in graduated-size order. Add half-knots on the ends of 3 tails for added dimension. Secure to box with existing twist tie from bow. Tuck or cut twist-ties.

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You did it! This layer and stack technique works for all sorts of ribbon combinations. Here's another example.

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If attaching bow to a gift box

Strap gift box with 3/4"-Grosgrain (Fuchsia) in one direction only. Along side Grosgrain, strap box with 1"-Ric Rac (Brown) in same direction. Adhere with double sided tape. Secure bow to grosgrain strap using the twist tie on the back of the bow.

 Tip: If making a window or centerpiece display, use straight pins to attach your bow to your gift box. You'll be able to re-purpose the bow or easily disassemble it.

 
Re-Use!
After your party guests have all gone, save your ribbon and bows for a re-run!

Tip: A curling iron or blow dryer will remove wrinkles from ribbon, being careful to test temps when working with sheers.

Blog Posted By: En-May Mangels

Click here to view details on this week's contest to win Free Ribbon!

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We had several fantastic entries on the contest this week.  Everyone at May Arts had a lot of fun reading them all.  We hope it helped all of you find new & creative ways to use your ribbon!  Of course, it was difficult to choose just one winner!  But, as always, it must be done!

This week’s winner is Daiva: 

"I tie ribbon around wine glasses rather than use charms. It's easy to change around and can be easily tailored to fit the occasion. You can even put ribbon around other glasses and make it stick with glue dots. That way, everyone can find their glass."

Daiva, we thought this was a great twist on a traditional idea!  Congratulations!  We always love to see pictures, so please feel free to send us some photos at sales@mayarts.com!  We will gladly post them for everyone to see!  Please forward your shipping information & your ribbon selections to the email address above!

If you didn’t win this week, be sure to keep coming back for more chances to win free ribbon!  There’s always a new contest running on the May Arts Blog!

Click here for this week's "Crafting With Ribbon" contest!

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When I graduated from college and entered “THE REAL WORLD”, I decided I needed some REAL ART. No more posters for me.  I would go to a gallery and buy some paintings for my apartment.   I soon found that the cost of real art was not yet in my budget.  Ebay was not an option, yet, so I settled on a few framed prints from Pier One…basically posters.

Word must have gotten out about my desire for art.  A neighbor I didn’t know gave me a framed poem she had written with an illustration of a cat and a heart.  Forgive me: she was NOT a poet or an artist.  That same week, a good friend gave me a gift she had gotten on her recent trip to Thailand.  It was a scene of a fisherman -  A fluorescent fisherman to be exact- in Hot pink, lime and a yellow I really can’t even begin to describe.  My living room color scheme was beige, tan and ecru.  Let’s say the picture didn’t really speak to me.  Rather, it SCREAMED…take me off the wall!!!  It was then that I decided that taste in ART is a very personal thing.  And I decided never to give anyone art for their home…without their approval!

When I married my husband, I became co-owner of his art collection – an eclectic collection of religious characters, farm scenes and fishermen.  He was allowed to hang it in the garage…we called it the GALLERY!  For our first anniversary we picked out a painting together.  A Parisian street scene. 

Lately my framed prints come from my pre-schooler and my first grader.  They make some fabulous ART…sorry, but it puts that cat-heart lady to shame!  I have also come to understand that REAL ART doesn’t have to be a painting.  I don’t do oil paintings on canvas, but there are a lot of other things a crafter can do on canvas that can show her artistry.  Now, along with a few more paintings my husband and I chose together, and pre-school art that warms a mother’s heart, I display my own --created by my own hands-- art work.  Something that young girl w/ the beige sofa would never have done!

Make Something…it is good for the soul.

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(For this canvas I used Alene’s tacky glue -applied w/ a paint brush to adhere my May Arts Ribbons and a brown sakura micron pen for the writing.)

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(I used Acrylic Paint, Golden Gel Mediums Molding Paste, Foam Stamps, Ribbons, Brads, Bling & Buttons! )

Blog Posted By: Leah Farrar-White

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