Ribbon Storage.... is there a perfect solution?

Since moving into my new studio last year I've spent a fair bit of time organising and sorting my supplies. Sometimes that has meant having to re-organise and re-sort if a system proved to be unworkable. My ribbon stash falls into this category and whilst it's not that extensive, I do seem to have enough that it's a problem to store. No matter how hard I try I just don't seem to be able to keep them straight..... I always end up in one giant tangle of ribbon. Ive been avoiding this task for a while but recently my satin ribbon got into such a state that I couldn't pull the colour I wanted out of the tangle. Once I eventually managed to unravel enough of it for my project I actually had to iron the creases out of the ribbon before I could use it! This was a definite call to action.

A quick Google search for ribbon storage brought up a plethora of storage solutions, some of which I've even tried in the past. Ribbon rings seemed like such a great idea but this proved to be such a hit with Kitty Kat who thought dangling ribbons were fair game. She has even laid claim to a couple which particularly took her eye!

I've also tried clear jars which just look so pretty when they're filled with colour coded ribbon, but they take up way too much space. At this stage I don't have enough rolls of ribbon to warrant a haberdashery store type of solution. Most of my ribbons are in 1 or 2 metre lengths or are just mere leftovers so I decided to resort to my original storage solution: individual storage boxes for each category of ribbon I have - satin, organza and wire edged/metallic ribbons.

OK, maybe that idea needed refining as they inevitably became a big tangle of ribbon again in no time at all, which is why I went searching for a new storage idea in the first place. But then it occurred to me that if they were sorted into their colours, placed in ziplock bags and then stored in the storage box that there'd be no more tangles, they'd be easy to find and they'd store really flat. Now I can easily find what I'm looking for without rummaging through a tangle.Hooray - a ribbon storage idea that actually works for me! Well at least for the time being.

My guess is that this won't be the last time I seek a new storage solution for my ribbon stash (nor will it be the last time that I sort my ribbon, I'm sure!) but at present, this idea is working for me. I guess as with all storage, it needs to evolve or expand as our supplies change but I hope that this will work for some time to come.

OK, that's the satin ribbon all sorted.... Time to get started on the organza!

'Til next time,
Myléne