How to fray a ribbon

Following on from last week's tutorial about tying ribbon around cards, I thought I'd also share with you my tips for how to fray ribbon. Sometimes a frayed end can be a bit softer and slightly more interesting than a dead straight end.

When I first tried to fray the ends of ribbon, I started off like I would if I were fraying the edges of fabric. I attempted to pull at the end threads, but although some came off more often than not it would all gather up into a tangled knot and I'd have to chop the end off and start again. The problem is that, unlike material, the edges along the length of the ribbon are designed NOT to fray. So whilst you may pull a few threads off the end, the edge stays in place.

After a bit of frustrated grumbling, I discovered a really easy way to fray the ribbon in seconds.

1. Cut the desired length of ribbon.

2. Cut a very small slit either side, where you want the fraying to end. You just need to cut through the edging of the ribbon, so it's only a millimeter or two.

3. Pull off the end of the ribbon. It should all come away as one piece. You may need to trim a thread or two, but you should otherwise have a perfect frayed end.