Satin ribbon is a great material which comes in various sizes, colours and of course finishes and this allows you to use it for a wide variety of both personal and craft items that you may be making for yourself or others e.g. decorations or weddings. The ribbon you are using may be made from synthetic or natural fibers but they all have one common problem, and that is, unfortunately, something called fraying. Fraying is when you cut the ribbon and if any movement is caused by the fiber weaves parts become loose and noticeable, this can lead to entire sections becoming loose and ultimately spoiling your creation.
Fear not though, there are three simple solutions which are readily available to you. Before using any of these suggested solutions we recommend that you have a good sharp pair of scissors, I personally use a pair of ‘Fiskars General Purpose Scissors‘ and a ‘Fiskars 1000812 Sharpener Clip-Sharp Scissor‘ accessory and whilst these aren’t super cheap you will find when working with ribbon it’s more enjoyable and the finish is consistent which in my experience is important when you are making anything and especially if it’s for a craft business you may have.
Method 1, Nail Varnish:
Before attempting any of the below methods I strongly recommend you have sharp scissors as it’s quite important. The first way that you can stop and keep ribbon ends from fraying is to use nail polish believe it or not, firstly start with by cutting your ribbon at a 45-degree angle then using a good quality clear nail polish apply some to the edges of the cut ribbon and leave to dry whilst ensuring the ribbon edges don’t touch any other surfaces e.g. your workbench so just hold it up for a few seconds or however long is needed for it properly dry.
Method 2, Super Glue:
The next method is the same as above if you don’t have any clear nail polish around is to use a clear super glue, of course, you will want to apply this with something like a cotton bud and keep it well away from your hands as unfortunately super glue tends to stick fingers together quite well, you can use a small brush but just remember the super glue may ruin it unless you use some sort of paint cleaner but really the cotton bud option is just better. Once again allow to air dry and don’t allow it to sit on a surface.
Method 3, Heat:
The final method in our article is to use heat, you will need to once again cut the ribbon at the 45-degree angle with your sharp scissors as discussed above then very quickly run the ribbon edge near the flame being careful not to burn yourself or to allow the ribbon to catch fire which is easy to do so this method has its pros and cons.
I hope those three methods are going to help you, they are basic and you can invest in various other tools such as a hot knife etc to cut and seal ribbon which is what I do but the methods above are cheaper and work well on a small scale. If you have any questions or comments about how you do or can seal satin ribbon then please leave them below.
If you do make your own craft items we can supply you with personalised sew in satin ribbon labels that are available in several sizes, printed in full colour if needed, do not fade, are made from high quality ribbon and are also pre-sealed and cut to prevent fraying. We’ve already helped hundreds of customers with name labels for children and branded labels for business and craft projects etc.