If you think bows are just for little girls, think again. As a ribbon addict, I'm always looking for ways to use grosgrain, silk, or printed ties to add some spice to my home without making it look like Holly Hobby took me hostage. Leave it to the Etsy artists to color me a world of flowing ribbons. Come check out my favorite bowtastic items for this week's edition of Etsy Finds!
Who says shower parties should be reserved for brides and mommies-to-be? You can have your own party in the shower with this festive Garnet Hill Ribbon Shower Curtain ($54, reduced from $78). Made from streamers of vibrant grosgrain ribbons, this shower curtain has all the celebratory style of a b-day fiesta, short of a piñata. Choose from a bright multistripe palette or cool blue sea glass stripes, or use both and throw a wild and crazy bash every time you lather up. Why not drink and rinse while you're at it? A glass of wine in the tub never hurt anyone.
When you're no longer stuck on stick-on bows and curling ribbon doesn't make the cut, spend a few bucks on the DSharp Letterpress Buckle With Ribbon ($7.50). This large oval belt, comprised of letterpress red striped printed paper, will replace your fussy bows in a cinch. The buckle arrives with ribbon, and that's all you'll need to dress your gifts: Just slide through and pull. No tape required! We all know a belt can easily transform a basic outfit, so why not use one to dress up your solid gift wrap or some brown packaging? Instant style.
You might not be the type to go all out this Halloween with cobwebs, fog machines, and yard decorations that heckle at passersby. But you can still be festive with a simple yet darkly gothic wreath. Wreaths are the ultimate non-decoration for any festivity; they're not fussy or complicated but they do give your front door some holiday curb appeal. To make this black grosgrain ribbon wreath from The Long Thread, all you'll need is a 12-inch foam wreath form, 24 yards of 1 1/4-inch black grosgrain ribbon (yes, that's a lot of ribbon!), scissors, and a measuring tape. To learn the steps, read more
Since the grass is green, the weather warm, and I recently broke out my bikini, Spring picnics in the park are constantly on my mind these days. PartySugar has me covered with a delicious Spring picnic menu to fill my belly between rounds of Frisbee and catch, and I came across a wonderful DIY for cheerful placemats to go along with her all-American apple pie bar and fried chicken recipes. The no-sew DIY is just too cute to resist, and easy as apple pie bars, so I had to share.
Supplies:
To learn the steps, read more
Lucky for us, former book editor and Gen Art Fresh Face candidate Elizabeth Yarborough left the corporate book world and started her own jewelry line, Yarborough, in 2006. This collection of Silk Satin Ribbon Jewelry (call for price info) from the Spring/Summer '08 collection is just delightful. Each piece would instantly doll up any drab outfit and make you look as adorable as a ribbon-tied gift. If gold is not your color, request them in pale pink, champagne, black, olive, silver, or pale blue.
I'm all for colorblocking because I think it adds dimension to a look. But this Grace Sun Ribbon Dress, $245, looks like it's unfinished. I am not a fan of the one black sleeve; it looks awkward. It forces you to focus on only one side of the dress instead of taking in the whole thing. Does it float your boat?
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