Family Style

Volume 7 Issue 2 Fall-Winter 2020
By Grady McCoy IV

rowing up, Mom and Dad made it clear that their flag business would always be there for me. But, early on, I decided that I would likely never be there for the flag business. While my parents were fixated on every flagpole and convention banner that we saw at the park or downtown or on vacation, I kept myself preoccupied with drawing, zoology, music lessons, martial arts, and youth programs. My time away from home was similar; after leaving for college, I was employed, in no particular order, as a veterinary assistant, an innkeeper, a florist, a farm hand, a barista, a church musician … all while pursuing unrelated degrees in music and agriculture.

When I moved home to Little Rock in the fall of 2018, it was still not my plan to work for the family business. But opportunity is persuasive, and maturity has taught me that FlagandBanner has a lot to give; and perhaps I have something to give FlagandBanner.

Business requires creativity in many ways, and I’d like to share with you some of the creativity that I’ve brought to the showroom of FlagandBanner.com. This ribbon wreath is inspired by my time in florist shops and flower fields, with its touch of country-chic burlap. You can buy all the ribbon I used for this project, or the wreath itself, in our downtown Little Rock boutique or at FlagandBanner.com.

If you’d like to watch me build my wreath, check out FlagandBanner.com’s YouTube Channel, where you can find loads of great content, from tutorials to the funny ads our amazing creative team comes up with. 

Happy Crafting!
Gray

PATRIOTIC RIBBON WREATH

You Will Need:

• Burlap Colored Wired Edge Jute Ribbon Burlap Colored Wired Edge Jute Ribbon– GRIBBON3221M
• Navy Blue Wired Edge Cotton Ribbon with White Stars – GRIBBON77258M
• Red and White Striped Wired Edge Cotton Ribbon – GRIBBON77253M
• Multi Flag Star Ribbon – GRIBBON140H
• Wire Wreath Frame
• A Whole Lot of Zip ties

Instructions:

Being sure to line up the edges, bring one end of all four ribbons together. Lay them one on top of the other, with the largest ribbon on the bottom and the smallest ribbon centered on the top.

Gather the end of stacked ribbons between your fingers and zip tie it to the wire wreath frame. I like to start on the second wire from the center. Once you have secured the end, place your hand underneath the stack of ribbon, putting it right up against the zip tie you secured. With the outside of your palm on the table, use your hand to create the first “loop” by tightly draping the ribbon over it. Secure the first loop with another zip tie, leaving the tie loose enough to adjust, if necessary. Continue repeating this process of measuring a loop with your hand and zip tying it all the way around the frame.

Once you have gone all the way around, trim off the excess ribbon (or leave it on and trim to your desired length to create a tail!). Flip the wreath over and tighten all your zip ties, trimming off the excess ties. Flip the wreath again and separate each ribbon from the others in every loop. Alternate the way that you separate and fluff the ribbon, this will create a more interesting texture.

Once you have “fluffed” your ribbon, the wreath is now effectively done. Feel free to enhance this design by adding flowers, miniature stick flags, or a bow made from your excess ribbon. You can also use this technique with other ribbon, so feel free to mix and match!

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