Make sure your pretty ribbon is right where you need it with these Fun Ribbon Storage Ideas!
On the hunt for Fun Ribbon Storage Ideas??
Thanks to frugal friend Kathy in Connecticut for sharing this creative Ribbon Storage Idea!
I’m always picking up fun new ribbons to make Ribbon Hair Clips, Crafty Clipboards or whatever other crafts I’m working on, so I absolutely love this fun way to store them!
Ribbon Storage Ideas
What You’ll Need:
- A thick plastic container with a lid {or a sturdy cardboard box}
- 5/16” wooden dowels
- A 5/16” drill bit and drill
- Either wood glue or hot glue… or both. {Tip from Kathy: I didn’t have the patience to let the wood glue set before loading the dowels up, so I also glued around the outside of the dowel with hot glue.}
- As many ¾ inch, wooden, screw-hole plugs as dowels {alternatively, Tinker Toys may fit these dowels. I think they would be adorable on both ends but glued on only ONE end.}
What You’ll Do:
- Using your 5/16” drill bit, drill holes in the wooden screw-hole plugs but not all the way through. Put some glue in the hole and attach your dowel. It should be a very tight fit. You can sand the dowel a little to make it fit if necessary {but it shouldn’t be ~ use some muscle!}. 😉
- While your glue dries, measure a dowel to fit your container’s width so that they extend about one inch or so beyond the outside of the box.
- Cut all dowels to your measurement. {they’re small enough that you can simply use a serrated knife to score around the dowel and then just snap it off}
- Measure and mark the spacing of the holes for your dowels on the box with a Sharpie. On each side of the box, the holes should be approximately 2.5” from the short end of the box, approximately 2.5-3” down into the depth of the box, and a minimum of 5 inches away from each other going down the length of the box. Use your ribbon spools to gauge the exact distance you would like them placed, just be sure that they match up on the opposite side. Depending on the size of your box, mark as many holes as will fit dowels. {I used three dowels}
- Using your 5/16” drill bit, drill the holes according to your marks.
- When the glue is dry on your dowels, push the dowel through a hole in the box and load ‘em up with ribbon spools! When full, put the dowel through the second, corresponding hole.
Ribbon ends can be secured to the rest of the spool with either a small tab of tape or a sewing pin.
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How do you store your craft supplies or ribbon?
Got a tip or trick?? Leave a comment & share!
Rebecca says
April 21, 2014 at 4:30 amThe best part about this storage idea is that you can store your glue gun, ruler, scraps, etc in the bottom. Put the lid on and it stays dust free! Genius!
Christine says
March 29, 2014 at 12:04 pmlooks really great but could it be done without need for drilling for those of us nervous of such tools?. I don’t have a man to ask. Lol Sturdy shoe boxes with string or Dowell threaded through might do similar thing, for smaller amounts of ribbon.
Can always cover the box with pretty paper. Ps I’ve not tried so just wondering. Also make a box whereby the ends of the rolls of ribbon are packed tight in and the end of each roll is poking out through a slot in the box so you can see it and just pull the ribbon and cut it to size. Would that work?
Rachel says
February 28, 2013 at 8:37 amI saw another good idea at lifehack.com about organizing wrapping paper (which is the bane of my existence – even in those neat plastic storage bins the ends always unroll!) – take a used paper towel roll (just the cardboard) and slit up one side. Then wrap it around the wrapping paper roll and voila – it keeps the ends from flying free!
gomugirl says
April 3, 2012 at 2:44 pmI did this for my yarn only I rolled the scrappy leftovers of yarn on toilet paper rolls and put them on dowels in a box.
Karen says
March 29, 2012 at 10:14 amVery cool idea thank you for sharing…
LDix says
June 26, 2011 at 11:02 amI cannot wait to make this. I also have the wire rack (mine form walmart), but I like the idea of this being portable. Sometimes late at night I craft in my bed while watching movies. This can go anywhere in the house.
Thanks
Samantha says
June 12, 2011 at 6:02 pmLOVE THIS! For someone like me who runs a flowershop and has ribbon of all sizes and designs coming out her ears this is the most perferct way i have EVER found to organize me ribbons! Let me tell you when i say i have tried everything i mean it!!! Thank you so much for this for idea. Love this website!!! 🙂
Nicki G says
April 27, 2011 at 5:19 pmI love this idea, it is soooo creative. I have a blog for busy moms and I would love to share this on my blog with your premission of course. Can you email me if that is ok. Thanks!!!
Susan says
March 29, 2011 at 1:51 pmThis is a great idea, but I like one I use for ribbon, too! Take a coat hanger that is meant to unclip for slacks, undo the clip, slide ribbon spools on the rod, clip back and put hangers wherever you want them! (Like the closet or a hook near your crafts…) I like the wooden hangers but they also have metal ones. They are getting harder to find, but you can still locate them at Thrift shops, yard sales, and specialty closet-type stores…
Bonnie says
February 26, 2011 at 4:17 pmLove the idea..going to get to the store and make one..so tired
of ribbon everywhere..what a kewl solution…Thanks for sharing it.
Kathy in CT says
February 25, 2011 at 6:38 amI made this for about six dollars and am going to make another one soon (I’m not sure where all the ribbon comes from, I think it multiplies in the closet when I’m not looking!).
Thanks for all the nice comments!
Cindy says
February 22, 2011 at 8:26 pmI LOVE this idea. I’m going to have my husband mount one to the wall in my craft room. With the snap on lid it should be no problem. I also just saw in Better Homes & Garden Feb 2011 page 79 a great Gift Wrap Organizer the hangs on the back of a closit door. They utilized a wire pantry rack that only cost $29.00.
Kari says
February 22, 2011 at 2:14 pmLove this idea. right now, I am using baby wipes containers in a drawer. But, I am starting to run out of room! So, this is a great idea!
Jill Armentrout says
April 9, 2011 at 9:10 amI have mine in a shoe box! It seems to work petty good and is easily stored/stacked!
Kathy says
April 9, 2011 at 6:52 pmI used to keep mine in a shoe box UNTIL I had more spools than would fit in the box. Necessity is the mother of invention!
Ashley Rice says
February 22, 2011 at 1:32 pmI saw at a store they hung ribbon on a piece of ribbon from the ceiling. So they were all stacked on top of each other. I plan to try it soon
Terry Schultz says
May 18, 2011 at 2:05 pmSo easy! Both of these ideas make it a piece of cake to pack and go to a crop, too! Thanks for sharing your find 🙂
Tonya says
February 22, 2011 at 2:18 pmOh I love this idea..the only thing that would make it better is to find boxes with flat ends to stack on top of each other.
Melissa B says
August 25, 2011 at 6:13 pmWouldn’t file crates work? They stack and you could put the dowels through the sides.
Jamie C Haas says
February 22, 2011 at 1:53 pmI cannot wait to make this for my home… I have been trying to come up with some easy, inexpensive ways to organize all of my craft supplies since I don’t have an extra room for them. I think I’m going to get a container that is shallow enough to slide under my bed but still deep enough to hold the ribbon, that way I can just slide it out for easy access. THANKS!!!
Melinda says
February 22, 2011 at 1:47 pmThis is an awesome idea!
Jayme says
February 22, 2011 at 1:28 pmFINALLY – a simple and inexpensive way to organize all of the bags of ribbon I own! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! 🙂
Toni says
February 22, 2011 at 1:21 pmLove this idea…definitely will be sharing it with my fellow thrifty crafty chicks!