DIY Paper Award Ribbons With Spirograph

We’re in the home stretch of the school year and I have end-of-the-year everything happening. So what’s a girl to do when she wants to say, “Good Job! Way to go!” to her pals in the school Math Club? I make paper award ribbons… with Spirograph designs. It is math-based after all.

And, who doesn’t like getting award ribbons? Now this multipurpose craft can also be a gift tag, gift wrap/bag ribbon, locker decoration, and card attachment. I’m sure we could think up some more uses. Here’s how to make the ribbons (sorry, no tutorial today on Spirographing).

What you need

Spirograph (or Hypotrochoid) design set
Cardstock
Left over party streamers
Scissors
Glue Gun
Ribbon
Optional: Circle cutter (Martha Stewart), X-Acto knife

Play around with your Spirograph set and choose one large design and one small design to layer. For this project, I used a black marker for the larger design and alternated between red, blue, and pink for the small design. Cut out your designs when you have enough.

If you happen to have a circle cutter, it makes cutting easier and quick! These circles were between 2-3/8″ and 2-9/16″.

You can also try cutting the profile with scissors. (It totally makes cool scraps.)

This is the challenging and colorful part. You will need anywhere between 28″ to 40″ of streamer. The more pleats you make, the more frilly and full the rosette looks. Personally, I like the frill.

Pictures from top left, reading across

1) Using your hot glue gun, adhere one end of the streamer to the back of your cardstock circle, with the rest of the streamer hanging towards your right (flip if you’re left-handed).

2) Now, begin pleating, or gathering, the streamer into your non-dominant hand (my left). It should resemble a paper fan.

3) Every fourth or fifth pleat, use your hot glue gun and adhere the streamer to the cardstock. Please take care not to burn your thumb. I did.

4) Continue pleating and slightly rotate to follow the curve of the circle. Glue sections at a time.

5) When you complete the circle, glue the tail to your starting point and trim any excess.

The rosettes are done! To turn it into the award ribbon, take 6″ to 8″ lengths of fabric ribbon and glue to the back.

I like the look of two or three ribbons, and they don’t have to match (it adds to the kitsch factor). This is a great project to use up those remnants of fabric ribbon you may have laying around the house.

All set to hand out at the next (last) meeting!