How to Make a Ribbon Leaf for Christmas
August 31st, 2011 | 
Author: Christmas is round the corner and various decoration ideas are floating around. The antique Victorian style ribbon ornament decorations are the flavor of the season. This includes roses and buds as standalone pieces or collectively. No flower, natural or created, looks complete without its leaves. Since the florets are made of wired ribbons, the leaves are made of the same material. They are one of the simple handicrafts, but slightly more complex as they require a little bit of stitching. Therefore, it is advisable that the grownup kids or adults handle this part.
Steps for creating simple, yet beautiful Christmas ribbon leaves:
• Supplies:
- 1 to 1-1/2 inch wide green ribbon with a length of almost 6 to 9 inches
- Sewing needle or machine
- Green thread – try to match the color with that of the ribbon
- Pins
In the case of ribbon, you may choose wired style or the one without wire. The wired option is better for maintaining the shape of the piece, while the other one is somewhat easier to make. Similarly, sewing loose stitches with thread and needle is better than using a machine.
• Shaping:
- Step 1. Take the piece of wired ribbon (6-9 inches long) and pull out the wire completely from one edge. Be careful that the fabric does not become ruffled. This step is omitted in case of a ribbon without wire.
- Step 2. Fold the strip into half.
- Step 3. Twist one corner downward, such that it touches the other edge of the ribbon. The overlapping portion will look like a small triangle. Now, pin this in place. Use the wire-free part for this purpose.
- Step 4. Repeat Step 3 on the other side.
The final structure will be a trapezium that should resemble a flat base bowl or boat.
• Sewing: Sew continuously along the perimeter and as near the edges as possible. These stitches will form the midrib of the leaf.
- Step1. The stitches should trace the shape along the side, where folding is done.
- Step 2. Remove the two pins.
• Finishing:
- Step 1. Start pulling the loose end of the thread from one end and at the same time, gathering the cloth towards the other end. The end, where the thread is pulled will look slightly rounded as compared to the other. Shaping the leaf will be easier with the wired ribbon variety.
- Step 2. Open the leaf along the unstitched side and flatten it.
Annette Labedzki received her BFA at the Emily Carr College of Art and Design in Vancouver, B.C. Canada. She has more than 25 years experience. She is the founder and developer of an online art gallery featuring original art from all over the world. It is a great site for art collectors to buy original art. Is is also a venue for artists to display and sell their art. Artists can join for free and their image upload is unlimited. Please visit the website at http://www.labedzki-art.com
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