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DIY $3 Ribbon Storage & Dispenser

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First things first…I was asked to be part of the True Value DIY Blog Squad! YAY! I’ve been sitting on that news since May, and now I’m finally announcing it. I am going to be doing about 8 posts for them between now and February, and this is my first one. I hope you enjoy the DIY tutorials, and thanks again to True Value for the honor! I love True Value hardware stores because they’re locally owned and you can find a lot of unique things that you don’t see in other hardware stores.

Now let’s talk ribbon.

What if I told you I had a way for you to store 20 spools of ribbon for about $3? You’d probably say: “I love you, Monica!” OR “Why do you have that many spools of ribbon, Monica?”

I’m fine with either of those. I’m a ribbon hoarder. I love to buy pretty ribbon on clearance and in dollar bins. Problem is I don’t really have them all organized or easily accessible.

#DIY $3 Craft Ribbon Storage with Built In Dispenser

The majority of my ribbon is the smaller 1/8” to 1.5” kind of ribbon. While shopping at True Value, I saw a variety of Sterilite storage bins and inspiration hit. I also bought two 3/8” dowels and clothespins. My grand total was about $3 plus tax for everything.

When I got home, I cut down my dowels to about 1 foot pieces and I grabbed all of my smaller ribbon (1.5” wide or less) and clothespins.

#DIY $3 Craft Ribbon Storage with Built In Dispenser

DIY Ribbon Storage & Dispenser (For 20 ribbon spools)
-2 Sterilite containers as seen above
-4 dowels (3/8” thickness cut to 12” pieces)
-16-20 clothespins
-20 spools of ribbon

Step 1: Stack 5 spools of ribbon together making sure they unwind in the same direction (this is where you can pick if you’re an over or under kind of person). Also, put more difficult to work with ribbon at the top spot or bottom so it’ll end up at the end with 3 holes. My hounds tooth & damask satin ribbon are hard to control, so that’s why they will be on the ends. (This will make sense in a moment)

#DIY $3 Craft Ribbon Storage with Built In Dispenser

If your ribbon is unruly, feel free to secure with some sewing pins.

#DIY $3 Craft Ribbon Storage with Built In Dispenser

Step 2: Thread the dowel into the 2nd hole on the side and put the spools on the dowel.

#DIY $3 Craft Ribbon Storage with Built In Dispenser

Step 3: Once all your spools are onto the dowel, use clothespins facing downward to act as spacers. This will keep your spools aligned with the hole that the ribbon will be coming out of. If you have wider ribbon, you should need 4 clothespins. If your ribbon is more narrow, add one at either end for a total of 5.

#DIY $3 Craft Ribbon Storage with Built In Dispenser

Step 4: You have 2 options for how to set-up your dispenser/ribbon storage.
You can have the ribbon loose at the ends, with the ribbon in spots 1 and 5 being a little more secure by doing an over-under-over thread.

#DIY $3 Craft Ribbon Storage with Built In Dispenser

Or, you can tuck all the ends in. I’m an option B kind of gal.

#DIY $3 Craft Ribbon Storage with Built In Dispenser

Step 5: Rotate your bin and repeat on the other side. Repeat this process on any additional bins. Stack and enjoy!

#DIY $3 Craft Ribbon Storage with Built In Dispenser

What I love about this craft ribbon storage solution is that it’s portable. You can take this with you to another room, to your BFF’s house, etc. Plus, if you organize by ribbon color or type, it’ll make your life easier. You could even put it on a lazy susan to make a SPINNING ribbon storage dispenser.

Mind. Blown.

I put my bins in my new bookshelf, and I hung some scissors on a dowel for easy access.

#DIY $3 Craft Ribbon Storage with Built In Dispenser

A small glass holds gift tags and twine…and very large paper clips.

#DIY $3 Craft Ribbon Storage with Built In Dispenser

Hopefully I’ve inspired you to head out to your nearest True Value to pick up 3 items that can make a HUGE difference in your craft storage.

#DIY $3 Craft Ribbon Storage with Built In Dispenser

So, tell me…am I the only one with a ribbon obsession?

I was one of the bloggers selected by True Value to work on the DIY Squad. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program as well as writing about my experience. I have also been compensated for the materials needed for my DIY project. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.

Alvina Castro

Saturday 16th of August 2014

Congratulations on being a part of the True Value DIY Blog Squad!!! What exciting news. I cant wait to see the following post. I think this idea of using the mini crates for the spools. its super cute and simple!

Vanessa

Friday 15th of August 2014

That is a good idea.

Monica @ MonicaWantsIt.com

Friday 15th of August 2014

Thank you! I love having all my ribbon in one place now. I bought some more ribbon at JoAnn's yesterday, so a 3rd bin is imminent. :) xoxo!

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