Belly Band for Wedding Invitation

[psychkim]

I am working on wedding invitations and am getting ready to do the "bely bands". The cards are 5 1/2 inch square. I am doing a 1 inch strip with SU! ribbon attached to the top of it. I am having a problem making them look right. Can anyone help...

-Do you glue/tape the ribbon to the entire length of the Belly Band?

-Do you "score" the Belly Band or just fold it over at the sides?

I am having a difficult time not making it too loose so it falls off or too type so it is hard to move up and down. I think all of the "enclosures" inside make it more difficult as it is pretty thick.

The ribbon seems to "buckle" and is not laying flat.

Thanks for any help as I am almost done but it seems like things never come together the way you want!!!

[RiverIsis]

Yikes! I'm no expert but you may want to consider taping the whole of the ribbon to the cardstock.

Have to say in general this one of the reasons I stay away from Belly Bands...but I hope someone comes along with some help for you.

[nancystamps]

Not sure how to advise you on the ribbon, but could you maybe instead use a thinner strip of a shimmery paper that you could adhere all the way around? Sort of like a "faux ribbon."

[psychkim]

Thanks for the replies! I know...I would have preferred the layered paper but they really wanted the ribbon and that SU! ribbon is so nice since it matches well. I will keep playing with it. I stepped away and worked on another part as I was getting very frustrated!

Thanks again

[fionna51]

When you make a belly band that goes around something thick, the layers, whether they be paper or ribbon, need to be done separately.

To make it easier for your band to be mass produced, fold a scrap strip of cs once, place it around the invite and fold the second time. Leave a bit of ease. Tape it and try it. I think I left about 1/16 inch space but try it several times until you get what you want. Then measure and score all your real cs, and assemble the bands. I would adhere the ends together while over one of the invites (or a dummy invite) so that you can't make mistakes.

Then put the ribbon on. If you do the ribbon on the cardstock while flat, it will buckle when you fold it 100% of the time. I would probably put tape center back, both sides near the fold on the back and front and not near the bow (assuming you are doing a bow here!) It could be taped all the way around as well, if you want to use that much tape.

Hope that helps you a bit.

[psychkim]

Originally Posted by fionna51

When you make a belly band that goes around something thick, the layers, whether they be paper or ribbon, need to be done separately.

To make it easier for your band to be mass produced, fold a scrap strip of cs once, place it around the invite and fold the second time. Leave a bit of ease. Tape it and try it. I think I left about 1/16 inch space but try it several times until you get what you want. Then measure and score all your real cs, and assemble the bands. I would adhere the ends together while over one of the invites (or a dummy invite) so that you can't make mistakes.

Then put the ribbon on. If you do the ribbon on the cardstock while flat, it will buckle when you fold it 100% of the time. I would probably put tape center back, both sides near the fold on the back and front and not near the bow (assuming you are doing a bow here!) It could be taped all the way around as well, if you want to use that much tape.

Hope that helps you a bit.

THANKS SOOO MUCH This sounds perfect! I actually have to do them today and cannot put it off any longer so your timing was wonderful. I don't even have to do a bow on the ribbon as I have a layered square that is mounted on top of the belly band in the middle on the front.

Thanks again for the help and for the great directions. I will be trying it in a little bit

[fionna51]

You're welcome. I did a BUNCH of those little trifold albums that have belly bands and learned quickly (well, I learned many ways that didn't work) how to make 3 layers of paper lay flat. I also did a paper image over the seam so I could cover the "mistakes" (otherwise known as opportunities for education! LOL)

Hope it goes well for you!

[psychkim]

Originally Posted by fionna51

You're welcome. I did a BUNCH of those little trifold albums that have belly bands and learned quickly (well, I learned many ways that didn't work) how to make 3 layers of paper lay flat. I also did a paper image over the seam so I could cover the "mistakes" (otherwise known as opportunities for education! LOL)

Hope it goes well for you!

Perfect directions!!! I scored everything, folded 4 of them around a sample card at a time, taped the ends of the belly band, put mono on the back of the band, attached the ribbon and used red line tape to attach it in the front that was covered by the dimensionals and square design on front. PERFECT! They lay flat, the ribbon is attached but not wrinkled and they are a perfect fit

THANKS again!!!

[buggainok]

Originally Posted by fionna51

When you make a belly band that goes around something thick, the layers, whether they be paper or ribbon, need to be done separately.

To make it easier for your band to be mass produced, fold a scrap strip of cs once, place it around the invite and fold the second time. Leave a bit of ease. Tape it and try it. I think I left about 1/16 inch space but try it several times until you get what you want. Then measure and score all your real cs, and assemble the bands. I would adhere the ends together while over one of the invites (or a dummy invite) so that you can't make mistakes.

Then put the ribbon on. If you do the ribbon on the cardstock while flat, it will buckle when you fold it 100% of the time. I would probably put tape center back, both sides near the fold on the back and front and not near the bow (assuming you are doing a bow here!) It could be taped all the way around as well, if you want to use that much tape.

Hope that helps you a bit.

Fiona, I'm not making anything like this but read this thread anyway. Wanted to give you a big Hooray for writing such clear directions, and solving the poster's problem just in the nick of time.

SCS is just full of wonderful people like you who are willing to help anyway they can.

[nancystamps]

psychkim, I'm glad your invites worked out fine, I hope you post them in your gallery, because all of your other cards and favors are awesome! Fiona, thanks for those instructions, I just started graduation invites with a belly band, so your advice will be very helpful AGAIN!

[yooper46]

Not to appear too dumb, what is a belly band? Thanks - Joan

[klpt58]

OMW, I just looked at your gallery. I want to be your friend, take care of your grandma or whatever it takes to be on your gift list! Your favors are just so cute. Having been a nurse (in a hospital) for 20 years, I know that the workers at the nursing home where your grandma lives really appreciate your work. Just to be remembered by family is the highlight of the staffs day.
Nice job on everything in your gallery.
Kathy T in SW IN

[psychkim]

Originally Posted by klpt58

OMW, I just looked at your gallery. I want to be your friend, take care of your grandma or whatever it takes to be on your gift list! Your favors are just so cute. Having been a nurse (in a hospital) for 20 years, I know that the workers at the nursing home where your grandma lives really appreciate your work. Just to be remembered by family is the highlight of the staffs day.
Nice job on everything in your gallery.
Kathy T in SW IN

Thanks! You are very sweet. I LOVE the nurses who work with my Grandma and am SO thankful for all they do. I am sure the families you worked with felt the same about you

[psychkim]

Originally Posted by yooper46

Not to appear too dumb, what is a belly band? Thanks - Joan

No such thing as "dumb questions" Someone will most likely be able to explain this "clearer" BUT a belly band is a strip of card stock that goes around the card/box and is taped/glued together. It is NOT taped to the actual card/box so that you can slide it up and off of the card/box. You often see them around square cards or matchbook boxes as they hold the item closed and are slid off. Hope this makes some sense

[psychkim]

Originally Posted by nancystamps

psychkim, I'm glad your invites worked out fine, I hope you post them in your gallery, because all of your other cards and favors are awesome! Fiona, thanks for those instructions, I just started graduation invites with a belly band, so your advice will be very helpful AGAIN!

You are right...her directions were AWESOME. I was so stressed and ready to "give up" on this belly band idea but with her directions they worked like a charm. I will post them in my gallery soon...I have 150 of them finished and tonight and Sunday I will be working on putting all the enclosures inside, putting them in the envelopes and addressing them. They go postal on Monday

[psychkim]

Originally Posted by buggainok

Fiona, I'm not making anything like this but read this thread anyway. Wanted to give you a big Hooray for writing such clear directions, and solving the poster's problem just in the nick of time.

SCS is just full of wonderful people like you who are willing to help anyway they can.

I agree....she did a fabulous job!!!

I have been BUSY with these invites and had not "checked in" for awhile but Fiona was wonderful

[yooper46]

Originally Posted by psychkim

No such thing as "dumb questions" Someone will most likely be able to explain this "clearer" BUT a belly band is a strip of card stock that goes around the card/box and is taped/glued together. It is NOT taped to the actual card/box so that you can slide it up and off of the card/box. You often see them around square cards or matchbook boxes as they hold the item closed and are slid off. Hope this makes some sense

thanks - I get it now.

[scrappymoodnz]

Cool ideas, a friend of mine is thinking through ideas for her invitations this will be a great help, thanks ladies