HOW TO MAKE 29 SATIN RIBBON LEAVES [MASTERCLASS]
I only experienced fall a few times in my life since I live in the tropics where most trees are evergreen. There are a few trees that I see whose leaves would fall but not enough to call it fall. My favorite fall memory was the crunch of those fallen leaves whenever I step into one. The cold and windy days, however, are the least of my favorite memories of fall.
So to start off this golden season, I made a tutorial on how to make satin ribbon leaves on Youtube. Whenever I make a ribbon flower, it kinda feels bare if I am using just the flower in my design. Adding leaves just completes and livens up the look of my design. I made a total of 29 satin leaf tutorials so that you will have a wide variety of choices for your projects and also so that I won’t forget them if I get stuck with a design.
It took me a minimum of 5 takes and a few days to finish this tutorial. My video editor keeps on giving up because the tutorial is an hour long (edited version) and quite comprehensive. It also left my makeshift workshop into a beautiful mess from panting the ribbons to match the fall colors to the ribbon scraps I used in my videos.
The aftermath of my frantic tutorial recording. Leaves, paint, and ribbon are all over the place!
While I was shooting the videos, all I could think was… why not just upload it like 7 tutorials at a time and not the whole 29 tutorials? I would’ve released the tutorials much more sooner and those were like 4 videos in a week. But I want to take it as a challenge and go beyond my comfort zone.
The ribbon leaves you are going to learn in this tutorial would be a fantastic addition to your fall craft repertoire. These ribbon leaves are so versatile that you could make a lot of home decor projects out of these such as wreaths, pillows, garlands and hair accessories like leaf crowns.
Satin Ribbon Size Chart
Below is the size chart of this tutorial. The numbers of each tutorial corresponds to their order of appearance in my video. Remember that you can experiment with the ribbon lengths. Also, you could use just silk or satin fabric
Pin these charts as reference for your fall projects.
6 Satin Ribbon Leaves from the Video Tutorial.
Below are the 6 written versionsof the tutorials in my videos.
Ribbon Leaf 1
This tutorial can be found around the time stamp in my Youtube video.
| MATERIALS |
|---|
| 1. 4 X 5 cm or 1.6 x 2 inches Satin Ribbon 2. Lighter 3. Scissors |
STEP 1
Fold the ribbon lengthwise and then cut an outline of half a leaf. In this tutorial, I only used the basic form of a leaf.
STEP 2
Heat seal the leaf’s edges a section at a time. After you heat seal it with the lighter, you immediately twist the sealed edge ever so gently with your fingers for it to form a nice curled edge. Do this on every section you heat seal. Just a heads up, the melted / sealed part of the ribbon can be very hot after putting it into the flame so be very careful before you curl the edge with your fingers.
This is how your ribbon leaf would look like after heat sealing and curling all the edges.
STEP 3
The next thing we are going to do is to add veins to the ribbon leaves. This technique, when perfected, will help you create a ribbon leaves with more realistic veins. To begin making the leaf’s vein, you have to fold the ribbon leaf lengthwise. Make sure that the dull part of the ribbon is facing outward. I used a two faced ribbon so each of its side is shiny. When you have folded the ribbon leaf lengthwise, turn on the lighter or burner, and then run its flame through the folded portion of the ribbon quickly. Doing this will create a dent or a groove right in the middle of the ribbon leaf. When doing this, you have to be very very careful. When you let it run through the flame very quickly, it may not heat the satin enough to melt a bit and create a crease. When you let it run through the flame very slowly, you risk of burning the ribbon and creating a hole in it. What I find easy and works for me is that I run the flame through the ribbon for several passes. It is better to heat it gradually so you will have more control of it. Don’t worry, it doesn’t take much time to create the crease.
STEP 4
Create the veins on each side of the ribbon leaf. To do this, fold a part of the leaf diagonally on one side. Make sure that the diagonal fold is upward. Run the flame through the diagonal fold from the main vein going outward to the leaf’s edge. Make several of these creases on each side of the ribbon leaf.
This is how the leaf would look like after making all the veins.
| NOTE: By the way, when you work with flame, make sure that your room does not have moving air. You need the flame to be as steady as possible. Also, make sure that you have enough lighter fluid or denatured alcohol in your burner so the flame is big enough. I set my lighter so that it releases the longest flame. I like it set that way because it gives me more control when I am heating the ribbon. |
Satin Leaf #2
This pointy ribbon leaf can be found around the _____ time stamp.
| MATERIALS |
|---|
| 1. 2.5 X 10cm or 1 X 4 inches Satin Ribbon 2. Lighter 3. Scissors |
STEP 1
Fold the leaf crosswise and then hold the leaf with flat tweezers. You can use your hands if you don’t have tweezers but I prefer tweezers since satin ribbons can be slippery when stacked on each other while you are cutting it and at the same time, it provides precision while you are cutting your ribbon and while you are running your ribbon on the flame. Flat Tweezers also protects your fingers from getting burnt by the flame or the hot fused part of the ribbon.
STEP 2
Cut the folded ribbon diagonally starting from the lower corner where the fold is up to the upper corner of the opposite side. This will form a right triangle.
STEP 3
Fuse the cut portion of the ribbon by running it through the flame. Make sure that every part is fused.
STEP 4
Turn the fused ribbon inside out so that the shiny side of the ribbon is showing up. This leaf ribbon is now complete…but if you want to take the extra step to make the leaf lay flatter, you just need to cut off the corner 1/2 a centimeter from the tip of the cone and fuse the cut portion with a flame.
Use a dull pointed object to help you push the ribbon to create a cone.
You could use either side of this satin leaf.
| NOTE ABOUT TWEEZERS: It is best to get those flat tweezers. Make sure that their inner parts are flat and when you pinch it the inner sides sticks flat on each other unlike the eyebrow tweezers that are usually thicker on the tip to grip the eyebrow hairs. Look for tweezers that are usually called “eyelash tweezers.” They are cheap and can be easily purchased online. |
Ribbon Leaf #3
This satin ribbon leaf is one of my favorite leaves in this tutorial. I like how puffy it looks and it gives interesting dimensions into my designs…and the best part is it is one of the easiest and most fun to make. You can find this tutorial on minute in the video.
| MATERIALS |
|---|
| 1. 5 X 7.5 cm or 2 x 3 inches Satin Ribbon 2. Lighter 3. Scissors |
STEP 1
To get started, lay the ribbon flat on your table with the longest side facing you. Begin to fold your ribbon like an accordion or a fan with your fingers. Just make little folds (about 3 to 5mm) so they will look like leaf veins when done. Don’t worry if your folding is not even. That doesn’t matter. What matters is you make proper creases when you fold.
| TIP: When I am done folding the ribbon, I make sure that the other end of the ribbon is also facing up. |
STEP 2
Hold your ribbon with the tweezer where the end flaps of the ribbon are facing up. Cut a diagonal line approximately .7mm or 1/4 of an inch. Heat seal the cut part of the ribbon with a flame to secure the accordion folds.
Repeat this step with the other end as well. The folded ribbon will form into a nice trapezoid. Make sure that the two end flaps of the ribbon are facing the longest edge of the trapezoid.
STEP 3
And now for the fun part. Hold each end flap of the ribbon and gently pull them apart. When you have pulled them apart, push the middle part of the ribbon to make it puffy. Now this ribbon leaf is ready to be used i your fall projects.
SATIN LEAF #4
This ribbon leaf can also be used as a pointed petal, perfect for making poinsettias for your Christmas crafts. You can find this tutorial around _____ on the time stamp in the video.
| MATERIALS |
|---|
| 1. 4 x 6 cm or 1.6 x 2.4 inches Satin Ribbon 2. Lighter 3. Scissors |
STEP 1
Fold your ribbon in half lengthwise. If you are using a ribbon with a shiny and dull sides, the shiny part should be facing outwards.
STEP 2
Hold your ribbon (from the fold) with a tweezer and position it at an angle where it touches the upper corner of the folded ribbon. Cut the folded ribbon diagonally approximately 1cm or .4 inches from the edge of the folded ribbon. Use your tweezers as your guide.
STEP 3
Fuse the ribbon’s edges together by heat sealing the edges with a flame to form a seam. Make sure the the seam is properly sealed. This will be the back part of your leaf.
STEP 4
Open the ribbon wherein the front part or the shiny side of the ribbon is facing you. From the bottom corner of the ribbon, eyeball another point almost halfway through the midpoint. Hold that point of the ribbon and bring it to the center.
Repeat this step on the other side of the ribbon. Let these flaps overlap each other when they reach the midpoint.
STEP 5
Hold these flaps with the tweezer and then cut the edge so that it would be even on the same level.
STEP 6
Heat seal the cut edge with a flame.
Now your satin leaf is ready to be used in your designs.
Satin Leaf #5
This ribbon leaf is a classic in the French style of ribbon making. This is perfect if you are making a more romantic design. You can find this tutorial around ____ on the time stamp in the video. If you like the French style of ribbon making, there are 2 more of these tutorials in the video. They are the last 2 tutorials in the end.
| MATERIALS |
|---|
| 1. 2.5 x 14 cm or 1 x 5.5 inches Satin Ribbon 2. Lighter 3. Scissors |
STEP 1
Fold the ribbon in half crosswise. Hold your ribbon (from the fold) with a tweezer and position it at an angle.
STEP 2
Cut diagonally 1.5cm from the fold and then heat seal to join the cut edges with a flame. Make sure that the seam was sealed properly. To check that the ribbons were properly fused together, open the ribbon, hold each flap and tug them on opposite directions. Make sure that the seam that was made is not separating.
STEP 3
Hold the other other end of the other end of the folded ribbon with tweezers and cut a diagonal line .5cm or 1/4″ from the edge of the ribbon forming an acute trapezoid where one side was cut not as steep as the other one.
STEP 4
Heat seal the end of each flap of the ribbon to keep them from fraying. For me, this step is a really necessary step especially if you are working on thinner satin ribbons or else, sewing them will be a nightmare. Cutting corners is a no no for me!
STEP 5
Lay your ribbon flat with the shiny side facing up. Sew running stitches starting from one edge of the ribbon. The running stitches will go through and outline the inner edges of the ribbon. Follow the order of the stitches on the pictures below.
| NOTE: When you make running stitches, make sure that the stitches are big so that the ribbon will nicely ruffle compared to sewing smaller stitches like what people do with quilting. |
STEP 6
Pull your thread gently to gather the edges. I like doing this part because it slowly reveals the shape of the leaf. Knot your thread to secure the gathered part.
STEP 7
Finally, join the two gathered edges together by sewing them to secure the shape of the leaf. Knot your thread when you finish.
Satin Leaf #6
I like how this ribbon leaf looks like. This one is also easy to make even if it looks a bit complicated. The time stamp for this tutorial is arond ____ in my video.
| MATERIALS |
|---|
| 1. 2.5 x 16 cm or 1 x 6.3 inches Satin Ribbon 2. Lighter 3. Scissors |
STEP 1
Fold the ribbon lenghtwise. The shiny part should be inside and the dull part is facing up.
STEP 2
Hold the fold with the tweezers and cut the ribbon diagonally.
STEP 3
Fuse the freshly cut edges of the ribbon together by heat sealing it with a flame. Make sure that you sealed the seam properly or else the end result will not look good.
STEP 4
Sew big running stitches along the shorter edge of the ribbon.
STEP 5
Pull the thread until the ribbon gathers slightly. Maybe just pull up to 1/2 of a cm. Secure the gathered part by sewing a back stitch at the end and then knotting the thread. Cut the extra thread to finish.
STEP 6
On the other side of the ribbon, cut 4 small slits and then at the bottom, cut a curve sloping and ending at the point where you started sewing on STEP 3.
STEP 7
Open the flaps of the ribbon and then heat seal the edges. Be extra careful when you are running the flame into the slits or it might leave an ugly burn mark. What I sometimes do is fold it by the slit and then pass the flame under. Another way is I just separate the slits a little more wider by stretching the ribbon for a bit so the flame would catch the hard to seal corners.
STEP 8
Create veins by creasing the ribbon. Fold the leaf diagonally from the slit (shiny part inside) to the spine and then run the the flame through it to make a crease. Do this on every slit in the ribbon leaf.
Now it’s ready to be used in your projects.
Did you find this tutorial helpful? If so, PIN this project on your flower making boards or fall craft boards for your reference. Follow me on Pinterest as well
I would also love to see the projects you make using this tutorial. Just tag me @jewelboxballerina on Instagram or send me a message on my Facebook Page. I would love to feature your creations here and on my social media.
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