I Love Ribbons! I have tiny scraps and
large stashes and I love them all.
My sister, my favorite crafting partner, and I were looking through my
ribbons to embellish her sweater.
That’s when inspiration struck. 
Using a few yards of
ribbon, a paper plate and a stapler you can make the cover plate of your
chandelier a focal point.
We had just picked up a
lovely pewter chandelier at the thrift store. It is in great condition and has lovely lines but it needed
a little embellishment. Ribbons to the rescue! Inspired by the Ragamuffin Garland from The Nester, I decided to tie lots
of ribbons on to the arms of the chandelier. What fun! The
more ribbon I tied, the cuter it became.
Well, we couldn’t stop
there. Next we set out to fashion
a matching ceiling medallion using the same ribbon.
Here’s how:
1. Pleat or gather the ribbon and stitch
down. You can do this with the
machine or by hand. Be sure you
have enough to make three concentric circles around a paper plate.
2. Slit the paper plate
along the radius and cut out a ‘doughnut hole’. This will curl around the opening for the wiring.
3. Beginning at the slit on the outermost edge of the plate, begin stapling the pleated ribbon. Work inward, making three circles. Take care to overlap so the stitched edge is hidden.
4. Tuck the raw edges around the slit edge to the back side and staple or glue securely.
To install:
If you are hanging your
chandelier, tuck the edge of the plate just under the rim of the cover
plate. This will hold it in place
and cover the raw edges. Take care
to trim away any excess plate and be sure it doesn’t interfere with the
wiring. We certainly don’t want to
create any fire hazard!
If your chandelier is
already in place, you can install your ribbon ceiling medallion a couple of
ways. You can loosen the cover
plate and tuck the ceiling medallion underneath, then tighten the cover plate. Or, carefully measure the cover plate,
trim your paper plate to the precise size, finish off the innermost edge with a
binding or other decorative feature. Butt the edge of the binding up against the cover place and then just tack the ceiling medallion up
using thumbtacks, glue or any other suitable method.
Enjoy your new look! What fun…
