How To Curl or Kork Ribbon - Free Tutorial

Today I'll show you how to curl, often referred to as "kork", ribbon. Korking works best on 100% polyester ribbon such as Grosgrain Ribbon. Korked ribbon has many crafting uses. It can be used for hair bows (often called "korkers"), gift wrapping, or in this case it'll be used in a ribbon sculpture.

For this project I am using:
* 1/8" grosgrain ribbon by Offray
* 3/16" dowel - works best with this skinny ribbon. If using 3/8" ribbon, I like to use a 1/4" dowel. You can experiment with different sizes to achieve the curl you'd like to have.
* A couple of wood clothespins
* Baking Sheet
* Aluminum foil
* Oven


Step 1:
Preheat oven to 220 degrees F.

Step 2:
Attach the ribbon to the end of the dowel by securing with one clothespin.

Step 3:

Wind the length of ribbon down the length of the dowel or for as much length as you'd like. Be sure to keep the edges together but do not overlap. If spaces are left, the curl will be looser.

Step 4:

Secure the end of the ribbon with the remaining clothespin.

Step 5:

Place dowel onto a foil lined baking sheet and place into the preheated oven.

Step 6:

Bake for approximately 20 minutes.

Step 7:

Allow to cool on the dowel, then remove clothespins and slide or unwind the ribbon off of the dowel.

Your ribbon is now ready for your craft! This particular ribbon is used in the tutorial for the Expecting Mom and Baby Ribbon Sculpture Tutorial that will be released very very soon!

Tips:

•Since all ovens vary, test on scrap ribbon to get the right temperature and timing for your oven. A rule of thumb for lighter colored ribbon is to use the least amount of time and temperature to avoid turning the ribbon brown.

•For stiffer ribbon, spray with a fabric stiffener or spray starch after wrapped but before baking.

Enjoy and let me know if you have any questions!