Tuesday's {Tip} My Test--Colored Seam Binding

Okay, so last week I shared several sites showing you how to color seam binding so that you can make your own matching ribbons. If you missed that post, you can see it here. Well, my Hug Snug arrived, and I went to work. Here is what I found.

First, I used WAY too much water and not enough ink in this first batch. I used old wine glasses that are not used. I wasn't sure if the ink would stain so I didn't want to use anything good. I filled each glass about 1/2 way full with water and added 6 drops of ink. Sure looked dark enough but after an hour in the water, my seam binding was still colored just lightly.
I pulled them all out of the water, squished them in paper towel and started to let them dry. The SU Ruby Red and SU Not Quite Navy were the only two that came out acceptable. The SU Close to Cocoa came out as a soft shade of pink that I did not like, and the SU Garden Green was just too light.
Then I decided to spritz them with Glimmer Mist and/or my own ink that I created using Mini Misters, ink (2-3 drops), and water (bottle half full).
Here is how they looked after spritzing:
The only one "not spritzed" in the photo above is the original SU Ruby Red binding on the upper right hand side. Notice the SU Not Quite Navy binding is missing? I ended up spritzing it with grey Glimmer Mist. The ribbons in the picture have truly been through a lot as I experimented but I was able to figure out what I love and how I will color them in the future.

So, after all of this experimenting, what did I conclude? I concluded that I love spritzing the seam binding best. I will not soak them in glasses again. Spritzing them is the fastest way to color the binding, and you can easily mix colors. You also can immediately see what happens to the ribbon. Also, the interesting part is that the seam binding soaked in the ink is very soft. The seam binding "spritz" with Glimmer Mist is much stiffer.

And a quick note about spray bottles. In my Copic Certification Class, I learned about a new spray bottle that I LOVE even more than the Mini Misters. They are called "Mist-It." They come in pink or clear, they are longer than the Mini Misters which makes them much easier to hold, and they come with cute labels so you can label them as you fill them. Marianne Walker brought these to class, and I really liked them!
So, I hope this is helpful to you as you start coloring seam binding. It really has been fun. I think I might color a bunch more today! :) Have a blessed Tuesday!