Monday, February 18, 2013

The Many Uses of Customised Grosgrain Ribbon Designs

Grosgrain ribbons are extremely popular these days. Even if the name is not so much of a household term in the industry of fashion, it is however the contrary among industries that center on the manufacture of these kinds of ribbons on top of the many other choices of fashion and garment accessories that they produce. Grosgrain is essentially a type of fabric. To us common folk, we always get the impression and the mental idea that any form of fabric is always smooth to the touch and the texture is free-flowing and gentle. However, with grosgrain, the fabric is almost ribbed and corded. These characteristics of a grosgrain fabric make it durable, strong and not easily ripped. That said, these properties and characteristics of a grosgrain fabric make it an indispensable part of jackets, formal coats, polo shirts, and other aspects of men’s formal wear.




Even in the world of evening gowns and formal dresses, the use of grosgrain ribbons is also extremely popular. Grosgrain ribbons are used to form the belt, the pleats and even the hem of a gown or dress. Since grosgrain ribbons come in different shades, colors and widths, there is a type of grosgrain ribbon fit for any designer’s project. Even outside the world of fashion, the use of grosgrain ribbons can also be seen. When companies provide lanyards to their employees so that they can hang their IDs on their necks, grosgrain, more often than not, is the fabric used to create these lanyards.

Also, with the ribbed and rigged surface of a grosgrain fabric, the surface can include some embroidery. Whether you want to incorporate the name of your company or the name of your organization, you can do so by having it embroidered on the grosgrain ribbon by a trusted professional. Aside from being embroidered with a name, the surface of a grosgrain ribbon can also be embroidered with patterns and symbols that may fit whatever occasion or event the said ribbon will be used for.

Aside from the wide use of grosgrain ribbons, the use of peacock feathers is also widely apparent. Although there are fashion designers who really make use of authentic and real peacock feathers, majority of the fashion industry today make use of synthetic ones. After all, with the existence of manufacturers who create peacock feathers that look exactly like the real thing, why would anyone bother take the feathers out of a real live peacock? Interestingly enough in 2009, Vera Wang, a known wedding gown designer in the United States, made a wedding gown that was made completely out of peacock feathers.

The color play of blue, violet and green truly made the entire ensemble a lovely piece of creation to look at. Vera Wang made use of a total of 2009 pieces of peacock feathers to complete the said wedding gown. Although it was not really worn as a wedding gown by a bride, and though it was created mainly out for display purposes, it cannot be denied that the use of peacock feathers can instantly transform a plain and mundane dress to an extraordinary piece of wonder.

Peacocks Feathers and Other Niceties

Peacock feathers truly make a statement. When it is paired with a hair clip, it can instantly transform that piece of hair accent with a whole new level of flair. The same way goes if several pieces of peacock feathers are used as accents in clothes. It can transform gown ball dresses, cocktail outfits and evening gowns into glamorous pieces of fashion. Although one might be refuted if one talks about peacock feathers on apparel to an animal enthusiast, today however, there are a number of manufacturers and suppliers that make artificial peacock feather that look exactly like the real thing.


Aside from making a statement, peacock feathers are also used as a unifying theme especially for apparel that incorporates several earth tones and colors. Dress cloths in colors such as brown, white, gray, red, beige, dirty white and green can totally take advantage of the vibrancy and variety of shades found uniquely in peacock feathers. It is of interest to note that back in the year 2009, it was reported then that fashion designer and couture expert Vera Wang made an entire wedding dress all made of peacock feathers! The said wedding dress was estimated to have been made using a total of 2009 pieces of peacock feathers to commemorate the year 2009. At that time in 2009, it was Vera Wang’s most expensive wedding piece until she designed a wedding gown for Jennifer Lopez two years after, which never happened. The famous peacock feather wedding dress was estimated to cost around 1.5 million dollars, and such wedding frock continues to be an inspiration in the entire wedding design and wedding fashion industry.

Of course, there is more to fashion and apparel accessories than just peacock feathers. A lot of clothing accessories such as beads, diamonds, stones, sequins and valuable stones are used as accents to clothing pieces. These require intricate skill and experience to have it sewn on the part where the fashion designer sees it best. Other examples of clothing accessories include laces, silk ties, grosgrain ribbons and satin ribbons to complement any piece of clothing.
For budding fashion designers, it really pays well to know how to pump up a seemingly quaint and mediocre dress by making full use of clothing accessories. Though it is true that less is more, it is also a good thought to consider to mix and match several clothing accessories to form into a new piece of art.

Today, there are a lot of outlets and manufacturers that feature these clothing and garment accessories, thus making such materials easily available for any project where such accessories may be required. By visiting such specialty shops, you can also explore other fashion and garment accessories that you may not otherwise know have you not gone to a said shop. You can have a whole new world of choices to make your design pieces truly a stand out and a coveted piece among fellow fashion lovers.  From grosgrains, ribbons and laces to buttons, peacock feathers, valuable stones and pins, there’s just no limitation to anyone’s imagination. 

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Earning Money through Your Art Using Peacock Feather


Everybody is on the lookout for ways to earn an extra buck. People try to earn as much as possible with the talents and skills that they already have. Those who say that they don't have a skill that can help them earn a bit more are looking for way to learn something new and transform it into a business that can help them achieve the financial freedom that they want. Those who can't afford to pay for a professional skills training, go to the internet for the necessary information. After all, the internet can teach anybody from all over the world new skills that can be financially beneficial for the searcher. 




Earning Money through crafts

It is a known fact that those who are artistic and creative can create beautiful products that they can sell to family and friends and even online. Those that can create something from various items can really earn a lot especially during the holidays. Just give them some beads, grosgrain ribbons, peacock feather and other craft items and they can do something beautiful and sell it to friends.



Simple hair clips can be made glamorous by just gluing a peacock feather and a couple of beads and nobody will know that the clip was originally plain. The touch of these creative people can really make the ordinary look extraordinary and it can bring in money as well. Doing craft projects can be a good stress reliever and at the same time a great money making venture as well. Just always remember that you must be knowledgeable of the current trends and what the market wants. If you think that you have an idea that is worth putting into a project then by all means gamble on your talent and trust your instinct. Just don't be overly confident in the sense that you won't listen to what the market says because you think you know what they want.

Stocking up on the necessary materials for your crafts business

Going into business, be it crafts or anything else, you need to create an inventory that will work for your favor. You can't overstock on a particular item and not have enough materials for another. The best thing to do is to be as extensive as possible by making a list of the items that should be a staple in your inventory. Some of the materials that you need to stock on would be bead of different sizes and colors, grosgrain ribbons of different colors, embellishments of all sizes among others.

Remember that your money can sleep and become unproductive if you don't take care of your inventory and stocks. Never stock up on something that will just be left in the back shelf and forgotten in the long run. As a starter in the business, you must have a little of almost everything. Then, when you make a sale then restock and increase the number of items that you have. Give your customers variety so that they won't get bored with your design and the products that you sell. Remember that they will be your worst critique or your best friend so learn to listen to what your market tells you so that you will have a business that will help you earn while you enjoy for a long time.

Creative uses for a Peacock Feather



There are lots of things that you can do with a peacock feather. The peacock is a symbol of nobility, royalty and glory as it is associated with the beautiful Greek goddess Hera who happens to be the wife of Zeus who happens to be the king of all gods. There is no denying that the peacock feather is a symbol of royalty and now it can be used by mere mortals like us for a lot of different reasons.

For one, these royal feathers can be a good corner piece for any home. If you have a vase that is tall enough, you can just put a few odd numbers of peacock feathers inside the vase and you have a home decor that is not only cheap but elegant and a great conversation piece as well. If you don't feel like putting a lot inside a vase, then you can choose to have a beautiful piece of peacock feather framed and mounted on the wall as a room's centerpiece wall decor.

You can also wear a peacock feather as a hair accessory or even a dangling earring. If you have a hair clip or a hair band that has seen better days, you can always use a grosgrain ribbon to update the look and then glue a feather on it for a chic head dress. Making your own earrings is a very easy project. Just go to your local hobby store and buy a loop and an earring chain then choose small peacock feathers as the danglers and you can start your walk towards the best dressed hall of fame.

The sky is the limit when it comes to your imagination. By just using a peacock feather and a grosgrain ribbon, you can do a lot of projects with these two already. Anything that you can see that uses a feather can be substituted by a feather from the peacock. If you are in the habit of making dream catchers, then why don't you level up and use peacock feather instead? Quill pens can have peacock feathers are topper and you have a unique quill like no other.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Peacock Feather Centerpiece the Easy Way


If you are looking for a great table centerpiece that you can use at home when you are entertaining guests or you simply want to just upgrade the look of your living room, then you might want to consider using a peacock feather as your table centerpiece. Making a centerpiece made of peacock feather is easy to do and you don't have to have a lot of materials to make it work. Just prepare odd numbers of peacock feather (5, 7,9,11,etc), long stemmed vase, grosgrain ribbons and pebbles. Once you have all these materials, you are ready to begin. It won't even make you work for over 10 minutes doing your peacock feather table centerpiece.

The first thing to do is to cut the peacock feather that you bought into the desired length. The height of your vase will dictate how long you should cut your peacock feather. Generally, you will have to cut off about half of the length of your feather. Again, eyeball the feathers first by putting it inside the vase so that you will have an idea of how long you should cut. When you ready to cut your feathers, make sure that you don't do it evenly. Cut the feathers in different lengths so that you will have dimension when arranging the feathers inside the vase.

After you are done cutting off the peacock feathers, put about an inch to a quarter length of the vase, again depending on how tall the vase you are going to use. The pebbles will serve as the stabilizing material that will hold the feathers in place. You can even use colorful sand instead of pebbles if you want. If you are going to use colorful peacock feathers, then go for sand or pebbles that are devoid of color so that the colors of the feathers will stand out. If you are going for the classic white feathers, then you can use white sand or pebbles or you can go for any color if you prefer.

Once you are done arranging your peacock feathers, you can use grosgrain ribbons to accent the vase. You can either wrap the grosgrain ribbon at the lip of the vase or at the bottom, depending on the kind of look that you want. You can just create a simple bow using your chosen grosgrain ribbon at the center of the vase to complete the look.

Giveaways From Your Kitchen

Giving gifts should never be a cause for you, the giver, to feel pressured. A gift is a gift that is freely and heartily given. Unfortunately the commercialism of the world has caused people to just troop to the malls to buy gifts to the people that they love and by doing so, forgetting the possibility of giving something that comes from the heart - a gift that is made by your own hands.

Even if you are not a whiz in the kitchen, you can still do something to create a masterpiece that is worthy to be given to family and friends as a gift. For beginners, baking can be quite a challenge. Baking as you know is an exact science, you can't just pour and mix anything that catches your fancy so as a beginner you might want to stay away from baking momentarily. You can start practicing though so that when the next gift giving season comes, you can give your baked goodies as gifts.




The beginner what you can do is to copy recipes from the internet and prepare the ingredients, making sure that your gift pack will not include stuff that are perishable. You can buy jars and decorative clear plastics and use grosgrain ribbons to tie the jars for a festive look. You can also line your gift box with grosgrain ribbons that is at least an inch wide and hang your gift tag at the bow. To give you a great accent for your gift box, you can even put a piece of peacock feather to pull in the package together.

If you cook, let us say pasta, and then you can cook your special sauce and buy a package of uncooked pasta and put it in a special wick basket together with a print out of the recipe of your special sauce. A bow made from grosgrain ribbon can add flair to any basket and it will add beauty to your gift.

The possibilities of giving gifts from your kitchen are endless. Even if you are not a formidable cook, you can still cook something or prepare something that will make the recipient of your gift feel that he or she is special because you gave a gift that came from your heart. You can just package it in a nice way by tying a grosgrain ribbon in the box and add a peacock feather or plastic flower or beads and that completes your gift from your kitchen to your friend’s home.

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Make some Gifts Ribbons using Grosgrain



At times the most often used material or tool can be taken for granted due to its availability, commonality, and frequency of use – a ribbon for example will just be a classic material which is usually made of cloth and at times can be made of plastic or even metal but the widely gaining popularity is the use of fabrics that are grosgrain to make ribbons.

 If we are to enumerate the uses of ribbons in every typical day to day errand or activity that we do, the list will just go on and on. No wonder it can be categorized as a decorative material but that is an understatement. We can see ribbons being used in various areas to name a few such as house decors, fashion industry for fashionable linings, basic material for crafters and hobbyists, part of wedding symbols, and some worthy awareness campaigns.

These so-called grosgrain ribbons that are wonderful and very fashionable material can be utilized in the ever changing trends we have these days but its countless useful purposes can be focused on the decorative element. How many times have you tried tying some “bunny ears” knots just to achieve the perfect loop for your ribbon in wrapping birthday gifts for instance? It might be you bought it instead? Nonetheless, there is this eye-catching factor that ribbons add to enhance the total design package for a wrapped up gift which brings such a pleasant feeling of surprise or anticipation for the recipient. 

Grosgrain ribbons come in a wide range of color schemes and designs that you just have to choose rightly to accentuate the look. Always bear in mind that the wrong choice of color combination for your ribbons can make or break the initial purpose of using it to heighten the attractiveness of the gift.