Every obsessed bride knows that somehow or other you will want ribbon for something or other in your wedding. For me, it is for my favors and my invitations – all of which I made by hand. When purchasing ribbon for my wedding I was determined to find the best price for the most amount of ribbon. I also wanted a source that was reliable so that I could buy more ribbon if needed.
First Step – the stores
Joann Fabrics seemed like the ideal place to buy ribbon, at first. They have isles filled with different shades, designs, and widths of ribbons in every color! I browsed various Joann’s, a few Michael’s and some other random stores to find that they just were not offering what I wanted. I found some ribbon that came close in color and width, but it was only sold in 30 yard rolls. I already measured and knew how much I needed for each each favor box I was making, which means I could only make 12 favors for each roll of ribbon…. plus we all know that mistakes happen and ribbon would be wasted. In addition, I was not about to walk out of there with 11 overpriced rolls (each roll was 13$) . I knew there was something better out there.
Second Step – the web
I knew there was something better because my sister had bought 100 yard ribbon rolls for her wedding, and told me she only paid 4$ a roll! I searched the net and eventually found crafta.com through Yahoo Shopping. I’ve always found stores that are on Yahoo Shopping to be reliable so it was off to the site to see if they had what I needed.
Third Step – decisions, decisions
Crafta is more than just ribbon, but it is one of the top items on the site which sells “Crafts, Silk Flowers, Ribbons & Special Occasions”. Clicking on Ribbons brought me so many choices that after awhile of clicking, I decided to narrow it with a search. I was specifically seeking yellow 1/8″ ribbon in 100 yard rolls. So I searched for “yellow 1/8 100” and after a page or two I found a winner! “Satin Ribbon 100% Polyester 1/8 – 100 yds. Canary $3.99”
Do you see that? Under 4$ for 100 yards of the stuff! The picture was very clear even without enlarging it, but I was able to click it to make it extra large just to be sure it was what I wanted. With barely any hesitation I added 5 rolls to my cart knowing I was just about to save a bundle of money.
Fourth Step – finalizing the order
Checking out took me to Yahoo Stores which is great because I feel they handle business pretty well. I just had to fill in one simple page of info. I really liked that I could pay through paypal since that means they wouldn’t have to know my credit card number. It takes an extra step to check out with PayPal, but the slight inconvenience is not bad when you consider the extra security you are getting. They added in 8$ for shipping, which seemed high but I was still paying less than I would if I bought the ribbon at Joann’s so I confirmed and the order was placed.
Fifth Step – keep in touch
The store was very good at keeping me updated on my order. I ordered very late on a Tuesday night and had a confirmation email when I checked the next morning. I also received the standard email from PayPal saying the funds have been spent.
However I was very surprised the next day when I received another email from Paypal stating Crafta was sending me $5.02. The note from Crafta stated “Thank you for your order with Crafta.com. Your shipping cost has been reduced.” Sweet! That brought my total down to $23.22 for 500 yards of ribbon! I couldn’t imagine a better deal.
Later that day I received an email that my order had been shipped, however the tracking links did not work. I was slightly discouraged and emailed them for correct tracking links. I never got a response, however the product arrived on my doorstep on Saturday morning – only 3 days later.
Sixth Step – using the product
I had my favor boxes already started so I got to work and tested out the ribbon. The rolls were very easy to use, the ribbon looked very nice, and I loved the effect it added to all my favors and invites. No one is going to know that I only spent about 5 cents per yard except those of you reading this review. If I end up needing more ribbon I will not hesitate to shop with Crafta.com again!
Seventh Step – repeat over and over again!
After ALL of that, I returned to Crata at my first sign of crafty needs. I was seeking yellow tissue paper to be used inside my favors. I could have bought a million packs from a gift shop like hallmark at 4$ a pack but not only would that be really expensive, all the tissue would have creases in it – that’s not good. So I went to crafta and found a roll of yellow wax tissue paper that seemed perfect! The 30yd by 20″ roll came in about a week. It was only 10$ but with shipping it was 17$ – still a good deal considering.
Don’t let the word “waxed” fool you, the tissue is actually soft and flexible and a little bit see through. This was the perfect final touch to my favor boxes. Now I have 2 recommendations from this site – ribbon and tissue!
Conclusion
I’m into crafts a lot, and was excited with all of the neat products I saw in passing on Crafta’s website. So far, I’ve only needed ribbon and tissue, but I will be visiting this store again to see what else they have to offer. The store is quick, reliable, and the final product looked no better or worse than the items I had made using Joann’s products. When it comes to weddings, you shouldn’t be dropping a bundle on favors – everyone is just going to rip them open for the candy anyway. If you are looking for a cost friendly solution for your ribbon needs, Crafta is the place to shop!
