I first tested this method when I made this card:
The Mossy Meadow ribbon started life as a cream color. This tutorial outlines the process, but uses white-turned-Marina Mist...
Collect your supplies:
- Craft sheet or other protective material for your desktop
- Ribbon of choice
- Re-inker of choice
- Rubbing alcohol
- Small container of some sort
- Cotton ball or cosmetic pad
- Plastic gloves
Spread out the protective sheet on your desktop, put a couple of tablespoons of rubbing alcohol into the container and add a few drops of ink (I used four drops in mine). Stir/swirl ink and alcohol to mix them fairly well. Dip the cosmetic pad into the mixture (not the whole thing, just enough to get some color on there), then lay the ribbon on the sheet and begin wiping the color on:
As you continue down the length of the ribbon, you will probably have to fold it back on itself (loosely) to keep all of it contained on the sheet, like so:
After you get the entire length colored, flip it over and do the other side, just to be safe. Since you're using alcohol instead of water, it dries VERY quickly. Also, since you are wiping the color on instead of wadding it up and shoving it into the dye, it doesn't get all wrinkly - it stays nice and smooth.
Here's the ribbon on a finished project: