How to Dye Ribbon with Spectrum Noir Markers

Custom dying ribbon and/or lace is easier than you might think. I wanted to make a gift box using the Petaloo Flowers I had left over from another project, but I could not find ribbon to match. So what does a crafty girl do? She colors her own and creates a custom colored ribbon.  I picked my favorite lace from the Martha Stewart pack and chose the Spectrum Noir markers to match.  I wanted a soft mottled look so I used multiple colors.

Supplies needed to make the custom colored ribbon and gift box:

• Martha Stewart Ribbon
• Spectrum Noir Markers
• Petaloo Flowers
• Ink It Ink Pad Gold and Lavender 
• Pearls
• Scissors
• Fabri-Tac
• Paper Mache Box

Choose the marker colors that coordinate with the look you are going for. I tried several combinations before I found the perfect one for me. It is all about making a custom colored ribbon right? These are the colors I ended up with:

Place your ribbon on a protected surface. I use a cutting mat on my work table, or sometimes I use plastic grocery bags – I like to recycle them for a crafty purpose.

Color small portions of the ribbon in each color, slightly overlapping them as you go.

You want to keep it smooth and flowing yet random.  Allow the ribbon to dry before you use it.

For the box decorations, I started out with a blank paper mache box and covered the box using a purple ink pad, with long smooth strokes.  Once the box was covered, I  decided it was not quite the right color.  Using a paper towel, I rubbed the gold ink over the purple and used another paper towel to wipe the gold ink off.  It left the lavender color looking slightly distressed and with a tiny bit of gold shimmer.  The shimmer does not show well in the photographs.  But, trust me it is there.

Once the ink was dry, I adhered the ribbon around the bottom of the lid using Fabri-Tac. While that was drying, I glued the flowers on the front of the lid, along with pearls.  I started the pearls where the flowers ended so that I did not have to use more than needed.  The Queen & Co. pearls already have an adhesive on the back, but I used Fabri-Tac on them, too to make sure they were secure.

There you have it, custom colored ribbon on a very pretty gift box. It might sound like it takes a long time, but if you work different pieces during dry times, it goes really quickly. I usually make a few at a time. It is great to have them on hand for that last minute hostess gift.  I hope you had fun learning how to dye ribbon and hope you will try it soon!