Gwen Studios – Try It – Like It

Bow Making with DIY Templates

Making bows usng a simple tempalte. #bowmaking @gwenstudios

If you struggle to make bows, you are going to enjoy this post. I am sharing with you a template for easy bow. making. The templates can be cut using my free SVG file or cut by hand. They both work equally well and are simple to make.

The links provided are for your use and may contain affiliate links.
They cost nothing for you to use.
Thank you in advance for supporting this site with its use.

Making The Templates

I used a Cricut Maker to cut the bow templates from a cereal box. To make the templates sturdier, I cut two of each size.

The cutout templates are ready to be taped together. I used double-sided tape between the two pieces.

Making the Bows

I used a variety of different spring colors and sizes of ribbons from Gwen Studios.

This project was created for Gwen Studios. You can find all the design team projects listed on the Designer Crafts Connection website. Gwen Studios products can be found at Walmart and Michaels.

It is easier to show how to make a bow than to explain it. Please watch the video tutorial for the easy way to make bows using the templates. These templates can make single, double, and triple bows. You can also combine different colors together.

Video Tutorial

Template Files

The template file is available as an SVG file or a PDF printable. The SVG file will work with your personal cutting machine. If you don’t have one, the templates are easy enough to cut by hand using the printable PDF file as your guide.

SVG file

PDF file

Making a Ribbon and Pearl Bracelet

Learn how to make a ribbon and pearl bracelet with Gwen Studios. #affiliate #jewelrymaking #bracelettutorial

with Gwen Studios

Making this elegant pearl and ribbon bracelet is easy. There are only a few tricks that make stringing the bracelet effortless that I will share in the video tutorial. You can make the bracelet in any color you desire. Wouldn’t this be beautiful for a wedding, prom, baptism, or any special occasion?

The links provided are for your use and may contain affiliate links.
They cost nothing for you to use.
Thank you in advance for supporting this site with its use.

The materials needed are basic. A pair of scissors, ribbon from Gwen Studios, pearl beads, thread, and a needle. I also used a lighter to finish off the ends of the ribbon. For the ribbon ends you could use a lighter or fray check to seal them if you want.

This project was created for Gwen Studios. You can find all the design team projects listed on the Designer Crafts Connection website. Gwen Studios products can be found at Walmart and Michaels.

To begin, leave a tail of the ribbon about 6 – 8 inches long. Using double thread, you want to sew through the center of the ribbon and then add a bead. Circle the ribbon halfway around the bead and sew through the ribbon. Continue this process until you reach the desired length.

Once you have the length needed, go back through the entire bracelet with your needle and thread.

Video Tutorial:

Here is what the bracelet looks like while wearing it. It’s very feminine, isn’t it?

Sublimating Ribbon

Learn how easy it is to create your own ribbon designs using sublimation ink pads and markers. @gwenstudios @artesprix #affiliate

Now you can create your own special designer Gwen Studios ribbon. I love how this sublimated ribbon made this gift box so special. Putting your own design on a ribbon is very easy to do using sublimation ink pads and markers. The ones I am using are from Artesprix.

The links provided are for your use and may contain affiliate links.
They cost nothing for you to use.
Thank you in advance for supporting this site with its use.

To create the image I am using a layering technique. I stamped the image and with the use of a light table, I can see the image and know where to add the color. Then I stamped the image on top of the colored work. The reason for doing it this way was to illuminate the possibility of the inks bleeding together. You can see how this was done in the video below.

I actually did the entire process twice. I started with pastel colors as seen in the first image. They did transfer but weren’t visible enough for my taste so I did it again with brighter colors as seen above. Here I am making the sublimation sandwich to transfer the image.

This image show what is referred to as a sublimation sandwich. Working on a heat-resistant surface, I have a layer of protective paper, then the ribbon faces up, the colored and stamped image face down is held in place with heat-resistant tape, and the entire thing will be covered with another piece of protective paper before heating.

Because my project is small I chose to use a craft iron instead of a heat press. With the iron set on high and no steam, I used a bit of pressure and left the iron on for a minute. Before removing the tape and image you will want to do a peek test to make sure everything is transferred.

This post is created for the Gwen Studios design team. Other projects can be found on the Designer Crafts Connection website. Gwen Studios ribbons can be found at Walmart and Michaels.

Video Tutorial:

Suggested Materials:

Links are Affiliates
AZ – Amazon, O – Other

Artesprix Heat Tape Shop at: AZ \| O	Artesprix Protective Paper Shop at: AZ \| O	Artexprix Project Mat Shop at: AZ \| O	Gwen Studios at Walmart Shop at: O	Oliso Mini Iron Shop at: AZ
Pastel Sublimation Markers Shop at: AZ \| O	Sewing Clips Shop at: AZ \| O	Sublimation Ink Pad Shop at: AZ \| O

Ribbon Flower Enhanced Round Box

Make a round box with a ribbon flower accent.

with Gwen Studios

A handmade round box with a ribbon flower topper made with ribbon from Gwen Studios. The round box represents a pumpkin. I originally was collaging a napkin onto a pumpkin with the intent to add the flower near the stem. The pumpkin turned out nice but it was too busy to show off the ribbon flower.

The links provided are for your use and may contain affiliate links.
They cost nothing for you to use.
Thank you in advance for supporting this site with its use.

Gwen Studios and Designer Crafts Connection are featuring Fall and Halloween projects this month. To see all the design team projects, travel over to Designer Crafts Connection.

Gwen Studios ribbon is available at Walmart and Michaels. For this project, I used Green and Orange satin ribbons in 7/8th inch.

I cut the round box on my Cricut Maker using two pieces of Solar Yellow cardstock from CutCardStock. The free box SVG file is available in the shop. [round box]

Before putting the box together, I used Distress Oxide in Spiced Marmalade to add color and visual texture to the cardstock. Doing so was to help the round box have similarities to a pumpkin.

Putting the box together and making the ribbon flower and leaves are explained in the video tutorial below.

Video Tutorial:

With the box open, you can better see the ribbon flower and leaves. The center of the flower is a button from an outfit my mom wore probably in the 70s.

Black Cat Mobile

Let’s make a black cat mobile to decorate your home for Halloween. It is so cute you can really use it year round!

with Gwen Studios

I can’t believe it is time to craft for Halloween! In this house we love cats and we aren’t afraid of black ones. In fact, we used to have a black cat. As a member of the Gwen Studios design team, I was asked to craft for Halloween or Fall. I chose to make this black cat mobile. While everything I used is black, it turned out rather cute and not scary at all!

The links provided are for your use and may contain affiliate links.
They cost nothing for you to use.
Thank you in advance for supporting this site with its use.

Gwen Studios ribbons can be found at Walmart and Michaels. To see all the projects made with Gwen Studios ribbons, make sure to visit the Designer Crafts Connection website.

Materials:

wooden cats (Dollar Tree)
black paint
Dragonfly Glaze Paint (FolkArt)
foam brush
Black Satin Ribbon (Gwen Studios)
Embroidery Hoop
Scissors
Quick Grip Glue (Beacon)
lighter (Dollar Tree)

At first, I thought all I needed was to paint the cats black – which I did. I painted them front and back and made sure to cover the edges as well. Then I decided to try the Dragonfly Glaze Paint on top of the black paint and that really finished off the look taking the flat black surface to something magical! I painted the embroidery hoop exactly the same way.

While the painting of the cats dried, I tied eight small bows from the Gwen Studios black satin ribbon. I used a lighter to finish off the ends of each bow so the ribbon doesn’t fray.

To begin the construction of the mobile, I took four very long strands of the black satin ribbon, folded them in half, and tied a knot leaving a loop at the top for hanging. At the very top of the loop where the ribbons are layered on top of each other, I used the Quick Grip glue between each layer to keep the ribbons in place.

Evenly separating the ribbon strands around the embroidery hoop, I tied and knotted, and balanced the hoop. Once I was happy with the arrangement, I secured each knot to the hoop using the Quick Grip glue.

Each ribbon strand has a cat and bow attached at random lengths. I altered the direction each cat is facing. Looping the ribbon through the hole in the cat and tied a knot. Before making the knot tight, I slipped a bow into the knot loop. To finish off the ribbon, I cut the excess ribbon off, used a lighter to seal the end, and then glued the ribbon tail up onto the long strand of ribbon.

Here is a close-up of the finished mobile cats. You can see how the cats are staggered in different lengths. When they touch each other the wood gives off a clicking sound that is subtle and pleasant.

Back to School Bookmarks

DIY bookmarks with Gwen Studios ribbon.

with Gwen Studios

Now that it is time to head back to school, I am making a few versions of bookmarks using ribbons from Gwen Studios. These bookmarks would pair well with gifting a book as well. My family often gives what we call a moment gift consisting of a good book and a bag of M&Ms. I think we now need to add a handmade bookmark to the gift.

The links provided are for your use and may contain affiliate links.
They cost nothing for you to use.
Thank you in advance for supporting this site with its use.

As a design team member for Gwen Studios, I was recently sent this great box full of ribbon samples. There are satin and grosgrain ribbons. It was fun choosing different widths and colors to work together for the bookmarks.

Gwen Studios ribbons can be found at Walmart and Michaels. To see all the back-to-school themed projects made with Gwen Studios ribbons, make sure to visit the Designer Crafts Connection website.

Ruffled Ribbon Bookmark

This first bookmark I am calling a ruffled bookmark because of the folded/ruffled green ribbon. The brown and burgundy ribbon had the ends melted with a lighter to keep them from raveling. All the layers were glued together using Fabri-Tac.

The central ribbon that appears to be ruffled was actually folded and glued. Each fold was glued twice – front and back. You could choose to sew instead of glue but I didn’t want a line of thread to show so I glued it.

Blue Fringe Bookmark

The blue bookmark was similar in that it used three layers of ribbon. All the ends were sealed with a lighter so they don’t fray except the end of the blue ribbon. One end of the blue ribbon was fringed. To do this, the very thin edge of the ribbon needed to be cut away where the fringe is. This made making the fringe easy to do.

The blue ribbon bookmark was put together using double-sided tape. The glue will also work but might seep through the light-colored ribbon so tape was used instead as a precaution.

Magnetic Bookmark

This is a magnetic bookmark. It only uses one piece of ribbon.

I stamped the yellow ribbon with bees using Staz-on black ink in a random pattern.

To use magnets, I used a thin advertising magnet that is easily cut with scissors. Since the ribbon was light-colored, the ad showed through the ribbon so I painted the advertisement side with white paint.

Once the paint was dry, I glued the magnets to the back side of the ribbon leaving a very small space between the magnets. In hindsight, the double-sided tape might have worked better.

The excess ribbon was folded and glued to the magnets creating a nicely finished folded edge. Because the magnet I used wasn’t that strong, I left a small area of each magnet exposed. It would look a lot better to cover the entire magnet so using a strong magnet really would help.

DIY a Travel Valet Tray

Make your own travel valet tray that can be used for so much more.

Have you ever seen a travel valet? They are basically a basket or tray if you will that you use to collect all your pocket items when traveling. This is a quick and easy-to-make version using a placemat from the Dollar Tree and a Snap Kit from Gwen Studios.

The links provided are for your use and may contain affiliate links.
They cost nothing for you to use.
Thank you in advance for supporting this site with its use.

The Gwen Studios Snap Kit is available at Walmart. On top of it is a cut-down piece of a woven plastic placemat from the Dollar Tree.

From the kit, you’ll need the tool with the appropriate parts installed for the snaps you are using and the snaps. An instruction sheet is included in the kit to guide you on the use of the different snaps. You can see 8 stars and 4 of each male and female parts in the above photo.

A close-up image with the snaps in place before using the tool to set them. Watch the video tutorial for detailed instructions on how to make the travel valet.

Place the tool on the snaps and squeeze tight to secure them in place. It really is easy to use.

Video Tutorial:

The finished travel valet is flat on the left and snapped together on the right. It is really handy for so much more than travel. The valet can withstand getting wet, making it work well in the bathroom or kitchen because it is plastic.

DIY a Ribbon Keychain

Follow the instruction to make your own ribbon keychain. Made with ribbons from Gwen Studios.

with Gwen Studios

This keyring craft was a reminder of times past. Did you attend summer camp and make lanyards? Well, this keychain is a version of that, made with ribbon. What a fun craft for kids to do. Why not make one for Mother’s Day? Make one yourself or teach your kids to weave a lanyard.

They’re very few needed materials. You’ll need a keyring, four colors of ribbon, and a pair of scissors. I chose to seal the ends of my ribbons with a lighter. If you choose to do this with kids, I recommend supervising them or doing the lighter for them.

The links provided are for your use and may contain affiliate links.
They cost nothing for you to use.
Thank you in advance for supporting this site with its use.

For spring, I chose to work with pastels from the Gwen Studios grosgrain ribbon pack. These ribbons are available at Walmart and Walmart.com. Look at how beautiful those colorful ribbons are. There are so many color combinations to choose from for this project.

This little nugget of weaving was made with four ribbons each 32″ in length. If you want your piece to be bigger, use longer ribbons.

Video Tutorial:

I chose to wind the keyring through this end of the weaving. If you don’t want ribbon tails, you could turn the whole thing around and loop those tails around the keyring and finish it off in the same manner that I collected the ribbon tails – what a fun alternative!

Floral Ribbon Embroidery

Learn to embroider with ribbon from Gwen Studios.

with Gwen Studios

Ribbon Embroidery is a beautiful craft, but using silk ribbons is expensive. If you are starting out or practicing, sheer ribbon can be a great alternative. I used sheer ribbon from Gwen Studio for this floral piece. I even colored white ribbon green which allowed me to make ribbon whatever color I needed. That in itself is a great cost-saving.

Some links are affiliates and provide a small amount to support this site.

Your local Walmart stores carry Gwen Studios products. I am on the Gwen Studios design team where I am provided ribbon to work with each month.

The Process:

I first embroidered the roses with the red ribbon. My original plan was to use green satin ribbon for the greenery but it presented too thick for my fabric.

The white sheer ribbon is made green by applying Marabu Fashion Spray (see how it was done in the video tutorial below). This worked really well. Now I have a way to create a variety of different colored ribbons as needed. I can buy a white ribbon and make it any color with paint or dye. And it was fun to be a little messy!

After making the ribbon green, I embroidered the leaves and stems. I just need to add pink buds to the stems on either side of the arrangement.

There are a few different ways to finish off embroidery work. I chose to do a running stitch around the embroidery hoop to gather the excess fabric on the back of the hoop.

Notice the modeling of the fabric? In person it is less noticable. There’s something with how the fabric was made and the lighting created really interesting modeling effects on the surface in photography and video.

To hide everything, I cover the back with felt. Adhesive-backed felt made it easy to draw around the embroidery hoop onto the paper backing. Then I cut inside my pencil line, peel away the paper, and stick the felt in place. As a final step, I chose to secure the tightening mechanism at the top of the hoop with a bit of super glue so it will not come undone.

Watch the video below to learn how to sew each stitch used for this piece.

Video Tutorial:

The close-up above shows the depth of the different stitches. Which stitch is your favorite?

Mini Rainbow Banner

Making a mini ribbon rainbow banner with Gwen Studios.

with Gwen Studios

This month for the Gwen Studios design team, we are making projects that are for St. Patrick’s Day, using Green, White, and Rainbow Colored ribbons. I chose to go with the rainbow idea and make a mini banner using the colors of the rainbow. Have you heard of ROYGBIV? This is how my daughters learned the colors of the rainbow, R = red, O = orange, Y = yellow, G = green, B = blue, I = indigo, and V = violet (purple).

Many of the items I use in posts are provided by the manufacturers to promote their products.
A special thanks to those brands who sponsor this site. Some links are affiliates, thank you for using them.

The ribbons I used are solid grosgrain ribbons and are available in a pack of 12 bright colors, 3/8″ x 36 Yards by Gwen Studios available at Walmart.

I used washi tape a few times in making the banner. Make sure to watch the video to see the tips for using washi tape, it was so helpful.

There are two different ways to seal the ends of ribbons. You can burn them as shown above with a lighter, or use a product called fray check. I used both in this project to show you the differences.

I used a variety of different tools to make the banner. The items I found helpful were scissors, a nail file, a craft knife, a cutting mat, and a white ink pen.

The ribbons are glued on top of craft foam. The foam is wrapped around a dowel rod and glued in place using Fabri-Tac. I found sewing clips were a big help in holding the foam in place as the glue dried.

Video Tutorial:

Close-up of the final banner. It really turned out so cute and my daughter has claimed it as hers!

To see all the other projects created by the Gwen Studios design team, visit Designers Craft Connection. [just click the logo below]

Suggested Materials:

Links are Affiliates
AZ – Amazon, C – Cricut, SSS – Simon Says Stamps, SB – Scrapbook, O – Other

1/4″ dowel rods Shop at: AZ \| O	Craft Foam Shop at: O	Cricut True Control Knife Blade Shop at: AZ \| C	Fabri-tac Shop at: AZ
Fray Check Shop at: AZ \| O	Gwen Studios at Walmart Shop at: O	ribbons Shop at: O	Sewing Clips Shop at: AZ \| O
Xyron Sticker Maker Shop at: AZ \| SSS \| SB

Artesprix Heat Tape Shop at: AZ \| O	Artesprix Protective Paper Shop at: AZ \| O	Artexprix Project Mat Shop at: AZ \| O	Gwen Studios at Walmart Shop at: O	Oliso Mini Iron Shop at: AZ
Pastel Sublimation Markers Shop at: AZ \| O	Sewing Clips Shop at: AZ \| O	Sublimation Ink Pad Shop at: AZ \| O

1/4″ dowel rods Shop at: AZ \| O	Craft Foam Shop at: O	Cricut True Control Knife Blade Shop at: AZ \| C	Fabri-tac Shop at: AZ
Fray Check Shop at: AZ \| O	Gwen Studios at Walmart Shop at: O	ribbons Shop at: O	Sewing Clips Shop at: AZ \| O
Xyron Sticker Maker Shop at: AZ \| SSS \| SB