Category: Tutorials and Product Advice

When most people think of ribbon rolls, they consider wrapping presents or decorating for a party or some other function. Some people, however, think “what can I do with this that will make it quirky?” Here’s an idea to get your creative juices flowing! Kanzashi Flowers!

We love sharing the way people around the world use ribbons! Kanzashi are traditional Japanese folded flowers. These flowers are made from small squares of silk, fabric or ribbon, and are typically worn by women as hair ornaments.

Kanzashi flowers are traditionally made with habotai silk giving them a vibrant color and rich texture. However, some people create these flowers with ribbon or other fabrics.

Making kanzashi flowers takes patience and a lot of practice. There are several ways to make these flowers, depending upon the ribbon type you are using and what kind of flower you are creating. Some people reinforce the flowers by sewing the petals together or gluing beads and buttons into the center of the blooms.

While kanzashi are traditionally used as hair ornaments, these lovely flowers have a variety of other uses:

Secure a flower to a pin or wearable magnet and wear it as a brooch.

Sew flowers to the bottom of a scarf or the brim of a winter hat.

Add a flower to a gift in place of a ribbon.

Sew flowers to your favorite accent pillow.

Arrange several flowers in a glass bowl for a unique centerpiece.

How To Make Kanzashi Flowers

Take your ribbon and fold it across the width to get a triangle and with that as a template cut it out into square pieces. The number of pieces you need will depend on the width of the ribbon.

Fold the square into a triangle first and bring together the corners. Now, fold this shape again along the newly formed edge and the gathered corner. Be sure to secure the cut edges using a lighter or another flame. Hot glue also works to hold the petals together.

Once you have finished all folding, you will have three folds parallel. Make sure to align them properly/evenly so that your flower petal looks symmetrical.

Now that your petals are ready, all you need to do is to apply hot glue on the sides of each flower petals and glue them together to form a ring of petals which will resemble a flower in any case.

While there are many tutorials online for making kanzashi flowers and ornaments, here are a couple of pictures to get any creative mind working at full capacity.

Add your flair to these lovely flowers using buttons, lace, rhinestones or glitter; whatever your heart desires to make this craft your own.

Candles and ribbons go hand-in-hand and can dress up any drab corner you might have.

Ribbons are a great way to fancy up those old, dusty candles you might have on your mantel or bookshelf. And, most everyone has a least one candle somewhere around their home. They can be such a fun decoration! Here are a few ways to use them around your house and make it feel homier.

Ribbon candles are perfect for creating pretty table centerpieces. Make them for birthday presents, wedding decorations or just because you want to. Candles and ribbons go great with nearly every setting. Other uses could include bookends, temporary lighting or anything you can think up!

And don’t forget the holidays!

Christmas, Easter, Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day and Valentine’s Day are all great ideas to display themed candles. Use a color theme that will help them stand out. And, personalize them with sayings, greetings or names to make them unique.

Use either scrap ribbon you already have, or order some custom ribbon rolls for any of these designs. And the great part is that any candle will look great with any ribbon we have available! Choose your favorite color or match it to a room’s existing decor. Secure each design with hot glue or small pins. Or simply tie it on!

Adding personalized or colored ribbon to any candle is a great way to add character without too much expense. From wide width ribbon to smaller widths that are layered, you can create almost any look! Choose from satin, grosgrain or even organza to customize your candle. And, add an embellishment such as a rosette or button to hide the seam or any small defects in ribbon you might already have on hand.

There are so many ways to decorate any size candle. From wrapping wide ribbon around them to adding them to a holder that has a simple bow on it, candles are definitely a fun piece to have around.