Ribbon Storage No 2 - kitchen roll or loo roll inner tubes

It's an emergency - you need ribbon or lace storage in a hurry, but don't have anything to use for those odd little bits that always end up tangled and creased. Make a quick cardboard winder from kitchen roll or loo roll tubes!

Personally, I don't like the idea of bare cardboard (card liners, ubes, cereal packets etc are made from a cheap grade of card, obviously) so it really needs sealing in some way. I'm using craft acrylics, but you could easily glue scrapbook papers etc (use PVA - white - glue).

 I've used the inner tube from a kitchen roll here.

Flatten the roll - use a bone folder if possible.

If using a really long roll, you might want to cut it in half...

Cut in about 1cm down from the top and bottom edges, and cut in about the same amount (you don't need to be exact re measurements). Roughly half an inch-ish. Then cut away the little chunks, giving you this spool shape.

 

Either cover with scrapbook papers (I use PVA glue) in which case you might want to cover the roll before making your cuts - it's much easier. Or use craft acrylic, chalk paints etc, to paint the tube on both sides. 

You might like to stamp on top - I used white craft acrylic and an old foam stamp I had in my stash. Big bold designs are best as you really aren't going to see much of the design (it will be covered with ribbon or lace).

You'll be wondering why I've left the slits on the sides open - this is so you can tuck in the ends of the ribbon when you start to roll up (helps to grip it) and then you only need to use a pin to secure to finish.

Quick and easy, maybe this won't last forever, but good enough to use in a pinch - and stops all your odd bits of ribbon and lace from tangling. You could also punch a hole at the top if you want to hang them up.

Provided you've stuck in a pin (or piece of tape) to secure the wound ribbons, you can thrown these into a shoe box with confidence. There, all tidy!