Tool Time Tuesday...Ribbon Organizer

Hi Everyone! Wow do Tuesdays come up fast or is it just me? Today's TTT is from the curtain rod section of the hardware store. I'll be using a tension rod for a ribbon organizer. Do you remember this post below? I used galvanized spikes to organize my ribbon. You know me I love anything galvanized, but thought I would change it up a bit to show you another option.


Here is a tension rod. If you are not familiar with them, they narrow metal curtain rods that are spring loaded. You can untwist them to any size to fit your window.


They have small rubber cups on the ends to not only protect the surface they are up against, but to prevent the rod from slipping. To fit to your area, all you do is untwist it a little larger than your window and then push in to fit. The spring loaded tension keeps it in place.


Here is where I am storing my ribbon now! This idea would also work great on a shelf with something already on it...like the shelf to the right of the ribbon. See all those jars of buttons? I was going to store the ribbon in that unused space above them, but I had 2 rods. Just remove the rubber tip and slide on your spools of ribbon.


I added a yard stick that I cut to fit the shelf. Easy to cut the right size ribbon for any project.


I used my favorite 3M Command stickers to keep the ruler in place. The white tab sticking out onto the shelf bugged me, so I colored it in with a black marker. I know ridiculous, but it's the little things that make me happy! You can just barely see the 3M tab sticking out in the above picture at the 18 inch mark.


Always looking for your scissors? Well, not any more...I tied them (with a ribbon of course) to the tension rod, so they are always there to cut the ribbon.


This is just a close up of the rubber cups up against the side of the shelf to show how it stays up with the tension of the inner spring.


I use this for all my satin ribbons that I use for craft projects, but this would be great to hold all your ribbons for gift wrapping too. Perfect temporary organization for a gift wrap station for the holidays. If you have a shelf, cupboard or bookcase near your kitchen or dining room table, just clear it out for your gift wrapping marathon and keep all your ribbons up and out of the way while you're wrapping the packages. Then the ribbon is right there when you need it...easy to unroll just the right amount of ribbon. There are so many other uses for tension rods that I've done in the past.

Do you remember the window design wall and the doorway children's theater? Just click the high lighted links for a peek back at those previous posts.

Happy organizing and have a great Tuesday!
~Karen~