Lettering on beautiful ribbon is one of those projects you see online & it looks gorgeous, but when it comes time to attempt it yourself, you often find a lot of ink bleeding. But…you can beat the system with these simple steps!
SUPPLIES YOU’LL NEED
Wax Freezer paper 
Paint pen
Ribbon – Honey Silks Co 1”
Iron
STEP 1 // Cut ribbon to desired size – we used @Honeysilksco ribbons in 1”

STEP 2 // Iron the ribbon onto freezer paper, shiney side down on the ribbon so it adheres. It must be FREEZER paper, not standard wax paper. Standard wax won’t work. I cut out a 6” strip and ironed on several ribbons at once to make the project go faster.

STEP 3 // Wet the ribbon – do not use too much water or the ribbon will bunch up while you’re trying to write. The water is the key to hold the ribbon steady while you’re trying to write on it & you can just gently brush it on with a standard paintbrush.

STEP 4 // Carefully write on the ribbon. Personally, the only brand I was able to get to work is this one. I haven’t been successful with other paint pen brands, but definitely try out others if you’d like!

STEP 5 // Let the ribbon dry completely, and then you can peel it off the freezer paper. If you try to peel it off while it’s still wet, the edges tend to fray.

STEP 6 // Iron the ribbon again if needed to smooth it out.
That’s it! These steps are simple enough, but make sure you allocate enough time to iron the ribbon onto the freezer paper, do the lettering, let it fully dry, etc. If you are working on these for a client, this would definitely incur some additional labor charges that should be built into your pricing. So if you charge $2.50 for standard place card calligraphy, you might charge $4 each for something more labor intensive like this. We’ve also had wedding planners handle the ribbon cutting/ironing steps and delivering it to us ready to wet & write.
Have you tried out this method? How did it go for you? Tell us in the comments!