20 creative ways to use scraps of ribbon

Anyone who crafts is likely to acquire a bit of a stash of ribbon. If you are anything like me you just can’t throw away even the short lengths because they all have potential!

I love to save the ribbon from bunches of flowers, boxes of fancy chocolates, pretty gift wrap and even those short thin ribbons that come on garments on the shoulders for hanging. Depending on the garment sometimes they can feel like more trouble than they are worth so a quick snip and off they come - and into my box of ribbons.

We crafters often joke that acquiring craft materials and actually using them are 2 different hobbies, but in an effort to use rather than just store my creative supplies I’ve put together a collection of craft ideas for you to put that ribbon stash to good use.

Nice long lengths of ribbon are easy to put to good use. They can be easily reused for gift wrapping, for the cords in drawstring bags etc. Most ribbons can easily be smoothed by ironing them. Test first to make sure the iron is not too hot of course, but even cheap nylon ribbons can be made like new with a slightly warm iron. I usually just place the end of the ribbon under the iron and then pull it through quickly, repeating if necessary.

But what can we do with the shorter lengths of ribbon? Bits that are around 12” (30cm) or less. Are they worth keeping? I think they are, and so have collected 20 creative ideas together to use those tiny ribbon scraps. Let me see if I can convince you!

Click on any of the images below to be taken to the craft tutorial:

Scrap Ribbon Gift Tags

Tiny lengths of ribbon, a sentiment and an eyelet makes a sweet reusable gift tag

Ribbon Cross Body Bag

Sew pretty scraps of ribbon onto a base fabric to make a unique bag

Felt Gift Card Envelope

You can put a small length of special ribbon to good use with this felt gift card envelope

mixed Media Collage Greeting Card

Use up little bits and pieces collected over the years, including tiny scraps of nice ribbon to make unique collage greeting cards

Sew a simple spider toy

This “Incy Wincy Spider” toy is a perfect beginners sewing project and uses only short lengths of ribbon to make the legs

Scrappy Tassel Keyring

This tassel keyring was made from strips of fabric but you could easily substitute ribbons instead, or even use a mix of fabric and ribbon.

Ribbon and bead bracelet

A few lengths of ribbon, beads and simple jewellery findings can be used to create a pretty bracelet

Make a fidget blanket for someone with dementia

Vicky Myers Creations has a details tutorial showing how to make a fidget blanket for someone with dementia

Faux Feather Earrings

Reuse Grow Enjoy shows how to make lightweight faux feather earrings from short lengths of satin ribbon

Bow Earrings

DIY Empress has another fun earring idea which uses the tiniest scraps of ribbon

Paperclip Bookmarks

These little bookmarks could not be easier to make, Rachel Teodoro has a nice quick tutorial if you need help

Make a scrappy ribbon wreath

This beautiful wreath from Purple Hues and Me is made from one type of ribbon but the idea could easily be adapted to use short lengths of ribbon of all different colours and widths for a lovely scrappy effect

Another simple greeting card idea

This cute card from A Bit of This. A Bit of That would be ideal for almost anyone and uses tiny bits of ribbon

Hanging loop for a lavender sachet

A short length of thin ribbon is perfect for an embroidered scented sachet

Ribbon Wall Hanging

Create beautiful home decor with ribbons, lace and a tree branch, Life is a Party shows us how

Decorate a photo mount

In My Own Style has a clever idea to brighten up a plain photo mount with short lengths of ribbon

Upcycled Denim Cuff Bracelet

Use pretty ribbon to turn the waistband of an old pair of jeans into a pretty cuff bracelet

Napkin Rings

Thrifty Fun has a tutorial to turn a length of ribbon into a napkin ring

Bookmarks

If you’re making any kind of bookmark, like these card bookmarks with alphabet stickers, a short length of ribbon can finish them off nicely

Bow Hair Clips

You don’t need a long length of ribbon to make a pretty bow hair clip like this one from Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom

So there you have it, 20 creative ways to use even the shortest scraps of ribbon.

Julie

You might like to check out some more of my creative craft round ups: