Fabric Art - Ribbon Crimp Charms
Fabric Art - Ribbon Crimp Charms
Ribbon crimps aren’t just for finishing bookmarks—they’re a simple way to add a touch of metal to fabric or paper projects. These findings make it easy to create charms, scrappy dangles, and layered embellishments. The built-in loop works perfectly for attaching beads or charms, or for hanging your creation from a bent paper clip. In minutes, you’ll have a bit of fabric art ready to clip into a journal or planner.
To get started, gather:
- Ribbon crimps
- Paper clips
- Fabric scraps
- Jeweler’s pliers
- Jump rings
- Needle and thread
- Embellishments of your choice
- Fabric glue (optional, but helpful)
Arrange your fabric scraps however you like. Secure the layers with a few hand stitches to hold everything in place. Then embellish with decorative stitching, buttons, beads, lace, or tiny charms to create texture and personality.
Using a thicker fabric as the base of your cluster makes attaching the ribbon crimp easier. If your fabric is thin or frays easily, consider stiffening the edge with a small amount of glue before crimping. Once ready, slide the ribbon crimp over the edge and gently close it with jeweler’s pliers, pressing firmly but carefully.
To turn your fabric cluster into a clip-on charm, bend the bottom wire of a paper clip to form a loop. This loop will hold a jump ring, allowing your ribbon crimp to dangle like a jewelry charm. For a more sculptural look, you can create two loops in the paper clip—but one works just fine. If you’d like to add extra beads or charms, use two ribbon crimps: one to hold the fabric and another for decoration.
Want to make wearable art instead? Swap the paper clip for a standard safety pin, a coil-less safety pin, or a kilt pin. Simply attach a jump ring to the ribbon crimp and you’ll have an instant charm ready for clothing.
Experiment with different sizes of ribbon crimps to create scrappy dangles using fabric, lace, or ribbon. Smaller crimps work well on petite clusters and can be attached to small paper clips or bulb pins for embellishments.
Ribbon Crimp Paper Charms
Don’t feel limited to fabric—paper works nicely too. As long as your paper is sturdy and not overly fragile, you can attach a ribbon crimp and embellish it just like fabric.
Dress up your journal, planner, backpack, or clothing with ribbon crimp fabric or paper charms styled your way. Mix textures, metals, and colors to make each piece uniquely yours.
(video coming soon)
Happy paper crafting!