A New Stampin' Up catalog year brings new accessories, and one of my favorites is ribbon! This year I finally decided to purchase these stacking ribbon holders Stampin' Up! started carrying last year because I was running out of ribbon storage space (can you sympathize with me here?)!! I wanted to segregate my current ribbon from the retired (and add new!) and keep it within easy reach, right on my desk top since I'm always getting it out for just about every project.
These plastic containers seemed innocent enough when I started assembling them. They went together quickly and easily -- they are shipped flat and just bend and snap together. But before you can snap the final piece in place (the front part that has the logo on it), you have to be an acrobat to get all the spooled ribbon to stay inside the semi-enclosed box while you insert the included figure-8 piece that locks two or more of these containers together, then snap the final piece in place. And then try to do all that again with the next unit you want to stack and attach to the first!
One nice thing about these containers is that the ribbon rolls fit in snuggly (top to bottom, when the proper size of container is selected for your ribbon roll) but when full, you must open the front of the container in order to change an empty roll or take one with you. And somewhere in the assembly process, I ended up with a thin paper-type cut on my thumb from the edges of the plastic -- owie!
That being said, I like how well these containers stack and they seem plenty sturdy. I wouldn't suggest stacking more than three of them though. I tried stacking all four of these together but it was a little too wobbly for my peace of mind. I also like that the ribbon is well-contained but easy to unroll -- some of my other non-SU containers have such tight fitting lids that the ribbon won't unroll easily. Other bonusus included in your purchase are the black rubber bumpy "feet" you can stick on the bottoms of these boxes to prevent slipping/furniture scratching and a plastic insert to fill any horizontal empty space so your spools won't fall over.
I have two large units stacked on the left and two mediums on the right. The Stampin' Up catalog suggested the medium box for its new double-stitched ribbon but I found it fit a bit too snug (top to bottom) to be able to still turn/unspool easily, so I put it in the large container. Maybe that's also the reason the SU catalog photo shows the double-stitched ribbon in the large container, too <wink>!
So if you have (or want) all the Stampin' Up ribbon and want it to fit nicely into these containers, these are all I would suggest. I don't see a need for the small units, as the catalog says they will only hold the new taffeta ribbon.
TIP: Designate one pair of paper snips as your ribbon-only scissors (by tying a piece of ribbon around the handle) and do not use them for anything else. They'll stay sharp and cut your ribbon beautifully!
Now hopefully I'll still have room left for that yummy wide satin ribbon (chocolate & pomegranate) and metallic (gold & silver) elastic cord we Demonstrators just got to preview in the upcoming Stampin' Up Holiday mini catalog! It will begin mailing to customers around August 15 (you can begin ordering from it Sept 1), so watch your mailbox!
Great tip about the scissors - not pretty when I try to cut ribbon with sticky, dull scissors. Love my SU ribbon holders - and LOVE the new SU ribbon.
Posted by: Sue | July 18, 2007 at 04:53 AM
I too adore the SU ribbon keepers however I have no problem putting them together and then inserting the spools after they are put together. You do have to kind of turn the spool on its side to get it in there but it will fit just the same. I love how organized ribbon looks in these!
Posted by: Crystal | July 18, 2007 at 07:20 AM
Sharon, I wasn't too thrilled with the ribbon keepers when I first got them. The ribbon seemed to flop around in there and get tangled too easily. So, I took all the ribbon out and took my Crop-a-dile and punched holes in the front--one for each spool of ribbon and threaded each color out a hole. Now the ribbon doesn't get tangled or accidentally slip back inside the holder. :-D
Posted by: Terri Honz | July 18, 2007 at 07:32 AM
I have a love-hate relationship with my SU ribobn holders...the ribbon always got tangled and I could never find the edge...but I really like having all my ribbon in one place. I will have to try out the crop-a-dial idea...
Posted by: Colleen | July 18, 2007 at 11:27 AM
I have a love-hate relationship with my SU ribobn holders...the ribbon always got tangled and I could never find the edge...but I really like having all my ribbon in one place. I will have to try out the crop-a-dial idea...
Posted by: Colleen | July 18, 2007 at 11:27 AM
Thanks for the info, looks great!
Posted by: Misty | July 18, 2007 at 04:01 PM
Your new storage looks great! I have some of these, and haven't assemble them together (I know...what a waste). I'm thinking of getting another Craft Locker...shhh!
Posted by: Rose Ann | July 18, 2007 at 06:34 PM
Looks great Sharon! :D
Posted by: trudee | July 18, 2007 at 10:17 PM
Love the designated scissors idea. Thanks for sharing that tip.
Posted by: Ali | July 18, 2007 at 10:18 PM
methinks you need more ribbon!
i give you permission to BUY BUY BUY!
Posted by: Beth | September 11, 2007 at 04:15 PM