5 Reasons Why Ribbons Make Fabulous Embellishments

This year I turned 29...  And you know what?  It actually sorta feels like I'm either still 16 or turning 16 again.  Turning 29 made me realize (well, actually, scrapbooking and journaling about my 29th birthday made me realize) that I am still basically the same girl I was at 16.  I still want frozen yogurt at 10:00 a.m.; I still sing when I'm alone in my car.... At. The. Top. Of. My. Lungs.; I still paint my nails blue, blue, blue; and I still cry like a girl, just because I can.

And you know what else?  Using pretty ribbons and sparkly sequins as embellishments makes me feel pretty good, too.  Here are my TOP 5 reasons why ribbons are a fabulous embellishment.

1. Ribbons can act as a photo/title frame... and you can frame the whole thing, or just a few sides like I did here (for adhesion that doesn't show through this type of transparent ribbon, I used a Dot Roller by Scotch).  To prevent fraying, cut the end of the ribbon diagonally, rather than straight across, with sharp scissors.

2. Subject-specific ribbons can add personality and humor.  Here, I used paw-print ribbon to draw attention to Bunny-licious.  When it comes to ribbon, there are a billion different materials, colors, widths, etc... so go ribbon-wild.

3. Make-shift ribbons can be created using a little improvisation.  I had a loooooong strand of gold sequins and cut it up into similar lengths as the ribbon from #1 to create a similar border.  (For added flair, try layering two or three different ribbons together.)

4. Ribbons are inexpensive... if you hunt them down.  Craft stores usually have a lot of ribbon because, well, they are craft stores.  But don't get fooled into buying yards and yards... it adds up quickly.  Instead, ask the clerk to show you their selection of ribbons specifically for scrapbooking.  These come on tiny spools and are about one yard in length.

5. And my very favorite reason why ribbons are fabulous: You can add even more embellishments on top of the ribbon for tantalizing texture beyond measure (wow, that sort of rhymed!). 

Beginner scrapbooking tip: Remember repetition!  It helps to balance pages and tie the whole thing together, especially when dealing with a two page spread.  Re-use of the same transparent gold ribbon, paper flowers of the same colors, black buttons, and use of the gold sequins as a border and flower centers takes this "TAKE 29" to another level... TAKE 30, perhaps?  No, not for another year, thank you very much.

So readers... what is YOUR favorite way to use ribbon?

And here are the pages up close, if you'd like to duplicate the layout or other techniques: