Organization: Ribbon Storage Part 1

One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries.

A. A. Milne

I never knew how much I loved ribbon until I sat down to organize it. Left unchecked, ribbons run rampant in The Paper Palace!

Wide ribbon untouched on their original rolls.
Cute rolls of printed mini ribbon.
Ribbon wrapped neatly around thin strips of cardboard.
Ribbon rolled in baggies big and small.

Ribbon snips in envies!
Ribbon strips from kits!

Ribbon in glass jars!

Recycled ribbons from gifts and product packaging!

I have tried many solutions for ribbon storage over the years, but none has worked as nicely for me as these little boxes of ribbons. I love the look of glass jars but found retrieval of the ribbons lacking. Opaque boxes and tins are a nuisance because you can’t see what you have. Plastic bags are unsightly. Binders are too bulky. Ribbon wraps leave kinks. The list of shortcomings goes on.
So, I’ve filled several small plastic boxes with loose and mini rolls of ribbon. I love how I can open my portable boxes and see everything at a glance, and how the sections keep everything nice and tidy.
I’m still seeking the perfect solution for my large rolls of ribbon (they’re currently stored in photo boxes). I would like my ribbon to be visible, easily accessible, and kitty proof (ribbon cannot dangle in The Paper Palace!) Any ideas? One suggestion I’m thinking about is a Ribbon Basket, which my friend Marilyn uses. Another solution I love is Marie’s Tin Planters at Crafty Storage. What do you do with your ribbon stash? The Paper Princess would love to hear from you!
One final thought for the day. If you’d like to beautify your plastic, follow Helene’s lead and alter your boxes, like she did at Mummylade! Isn’t this fabulous? If you fill your boxes with pretty things, you may want to keep them clear, but if you have less attractive items in them, this is the perfect way to enjoy the best of both worlds!

18 Responses to “Organization: Ribbon Storage Part 1”

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  1. ~ Regan says:

    Ya know? I was thinking the same thing as I was organizing my craft space. I had ribbons EVERYWHERE!! I was thinking of hanging a cheap-o curtain rod and putting all the spools on that rod. I found some three dollar rods at The Christmas Tree Shop (if you have one of those near you, but Walmart had some cheapies, too!) I don't know what to tell you about the snippets of ribbon you have- I think your system is best for those! GOod luck- let us know what you come up with!

  2. Free Pretty Things For You says:

    oh my goodness! look at all the pretty ribbon!
    i cant wait to have my very own craft room to fill up with all my beloved craft tools!

  3. christina d says:

    When you come up with a good solution for ribbon rolls let us know. Right now mine are in a plastic bag!

  4. koralee says:

    Thank you for visiting me the other day…your blog is lovely. I am a ribbonaholic!!! I really need to get my act together and organize it all like you! I always have to search when I am looking for any…happy creating with all that loveliness. xoxox

  5. The Lone Dollier says:

    Thanks for visiting my blog and entering my giveaway. OOOHH Maine Coons! I would LOVE to be the servant of one LOL. My cat Rascals lives up to her name and has taken up residence on the top of my roombox. As a kitten, she loved to explore my Victorian dollhouse and I had to take what little furniture I had in there out. Now that she's grown, she can't get into it!

    Want to come visit and organize my hoard? I have ribbons and beads and paper and stamps, and kits, and, well you get the picture!

    Have a great day.
    Smiles~
    Marilyn
    http://www.DollsEtc.blogspot.com

  6. Debra@Common Ground says:

    Hi Ramona, the age-old question, "what about storage"? I have a mess on my hands with paper, old photos and the like. I'm doing a little better, but things can get out of hand so easy here! Love your kitty, such a beauty! and making things "kitty proof" is a real tough-y! Thanks for coming by. and I just joined you as a follower. I see you won one of Donna's give away! She's the best!
    hugs,
    Debra

  7. Elizabeth says:

    I purged on my ribbons a couple of years ago because honestly as much as I love them I couldn't ever use them all! So I took mason jars and filled them by color. I fit what I could in there and the rest I gave away! 🙂

    I like your storage solution though and you've got some really pretty ribbons too! 🙂

    Thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving such a lovely comment! I signed up to follow your wonderful blog!

    Have a great week!
    e.

  8. Janee says:

    What wonderful ideas (and inspiration)!
    Thank you, you have a lovely blog.

    ~Janee
    (Blinkles Boulevard)

  9. Susan Dupre says:

    Hi Ramona! You won my little dress form for the 3 way mfg blog!! I see you have an adorable fur baby too – just precious! Please contact me at susanintheuk@hotmail.com with your full name and address!

  10. Rose Works Jewelry says:

    Love all the ribbon! I'm like that – only with beads 😀

    For your bigger rolls – most craft stores I've been too sell bigger boxes that have at the least clear sides. Hope that helps…

  11. Kate says:

    Fun blog, Paper Princess! Can't wait to check out all your links and read into your archives. Come by and visit me at http://www.deliciousaspie.blogspot.com.

    Kate 🙂

  12. Estee says:

    What a great blog!! 🙂

    I store my ribbons according to colors in clear jars. I think they look pretty that way. 🙂 Have a wonderful day!

  13. Laura - Layers of Color says:

    I love storing and displaying my large colorful ribbon rolls on recycled paper towel holders (the verticle free standing type). They stack the ribbons neatly, make it easy to get what you need without taking it all apart, and they are pretty! I find wooden or metal holders at the second hand shops and paint them colors to go in my studio. Try it, you'll like it!

  14. The Paper Princess says:

    Wow, ladies, I'm so excited that I am not the only ribbon junkie out there! By the way, welcome to Create With Joy! 🙂

    Laura – that is an absolutely fabulous idea – I have not seen/heard/thought of that before! I used to have one but hubby (of course!) got rid of it – it was a nice heavy duty wooden one but we don't have much free-standing counter space in our kitchen. How I wish I had it now! I will definitely keep that in mind!

    Estee, I LOVE the look of clear jars with ribbons, but found that didn't work for me because it drove me crazy when I had to dump out the jars to retrieve them! So, the few jars I currently have in The Paper Palace house flowers (I still have to dump them, but at least the flowers don't tangle, and the fur angels don't hunt them!) I also love little jars of buttons but they don't work for me for the same reason – I guess I need the right combo of pretty & functional! 🙂

    Kate, I'm so delighted you found us! I hope you have fun exploring – as you can see, I love meeting people and discovering amazing blogs, and I'm a total resource junkie!

    Rose, thanks for the tip on the clear boxes! I'm a tad embarrassed to think of how many of those boxes I would need to house those rolls! Believe it or not, I've been following Elizabeth's cue and regularly share ribbons with others – I just somehow ended up with more than I realized!

    I have to run, I will be back to chat more in a bit! 🙂

  15. Vintage Junky says:

    That idea is great… I just have all my snippets all thrown together in a little tin box.

    Thanks for visiting me and becoming my #500!

    Smiles~Michelle

  16. Di says:

    Hiya! Told you this morning I'd be looking for storage ideas on your blog! Oddly enough similar to how I store my ribbons. Am not sure if you can get Really Useful Boxes and the divided inserts? This is how I organise my ribbons using those – posted mid- February on WOYWW.
    http://pixiescraftyworkshop.blogspot.com/2011/02/woyww-89.html

    Di x

  17. SueLovesCherries says:

    Hi, I'm Sue from Rednesday! I am a ribbon/lace addict, too. I keep them in a 3-drawer chest (a little bigger than a night stand)that I got at a yard sale. It's hand-painted in pretty pastels, flowers, and stripes! I bet one of those jewelry or lingerie chest-of-drawers would work for these and other things like your blings!

    I saw on a blog last year someone used one of those hanging fabric shoe holders for their hand-held punches.

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