Tied ribbons are fun elements to add to your scrapbook pages and they actually are not too difficult to make. There are a lot of steps but if you take is slowly and carefully then your finished ribbon should look great. I do hope that you enjoy the tutorial.

1. First we need to create a new file so choose File>New>Blank File: 1000 pixels x 1000 pixels 300 resolution, RGB with a white background.
2. I changed the color of the background to a pale blue to make it easier for you to see. If you wish to follow along with me then just change your foreground color to ‘e3e3fd’ and fill the layer. (Layer>Fill Layer)
3. Create a new layer—Layer>New>Layer—call it “Back” and then, using the Polygonal Lasso (L), make a selection something like mine below:

   

4. Change your foreground color to ‘a0a0f6’ and fill the selection (Edit>Fill Selection) with the color, but do not deselect yet.

   

5. Create another new layer (Layer>New>Layer) and call it “Back Stroke.”
6. Change your foreground color to a darker shade of blue (mine is ‘8181f7’) and choose Edit>Stroke Selection. Stroke the selection with a 9-pixel setting, and the Location set to Inside. Click OK and then deselect (Select>Deselect).

   

7. Now select the Eraser tool (E), make sure that you are using the block setting and erase the bottom edge of the stroke. This is where the ribbon would fold over so the colored edge would not be visible.
8. Take a look at my next image and use that as a guide for where to erase. Once you have erased the excess then you can merge the “Back Layer” and the “Back Stroke” layer.
9. To do that just go to the Layers palette, click on the “Back Stroke” layer and do Layer>Merge Down. The new layer will automatically be called “Back.”

   

10. Next create a new layer, Layer>New>Layer, call it “Front” and then using the Polygonal Lasso make a selection something like mine.

    

11. Next change your foreground color to ‘a0a0f6’ and fill the selection (Edit>Fill Selection), but do not deselect yet.

    

12. Create another new layer and call it “Front Stroke.”
13. Change your foreground color to the darker shade of blue that you used before (mine is ‘8181f7’) and choose Edit>Stroke Selection. Once again, use 9 pixels, Location: Inside; click OK and Select>Deselect.

    

14. Next select the eraser tool and using my next image as a guide erase the bottom edge of the stroke.
15. Then merge the Front Stroke” layer and the “Front” layer. Just use the same method that you used before. Go to the Layers palette, click on the “Front Stroke” layer and do Layer>Merge Down. The new layer will automatically be called “Front ”
16. Next create a new layer Layer>New>Layer, call it “Knot” and then using the Polygonal Lasso make a selection something like mine.

    

17. Change your foreground color back to a0a0f6 and fill the selection. Edit>Fill Selection but do not deselect.

    

18. Create another new layer. Layer>New>Layer and call it “Knot Stroke”
19. Change your foreground color to the darker shade of blue that you used before, mine is 8181f7 and do. Edit>Stroke Selection. Choose the same settings 9 pixels, inside and then deselect. Select>Deselect.

    

20. Choose the eraser tool and using my image as a guide erase the two side edges of the stroke.
21. Once you have done that then merge the “Knot Stroke” layer and the “Knot” layer, by going to the Layers palette, clicking on the “Knot Stroke” layer and choosing Layer>Merge Down.

    

22. Next we need to use the Burn and Dodge tools to add shadows and highlights to the ribbon, making it look much more realistic.
23. Go to the Layers palette and click on the “Back” layer to make it the active layer. Then select the Burn tool (O) with a 150-pixel soft brush and set the Range to Highlights and the Exposure to 30%. Use the image below as a guide to where to burn in the shadows,

    

24. Next select the Dodge tool (O) with a 125-pixel soft brush and use the same Range (Highlights) and Exposure (30%) settings you used with the Burn tool. As you can see in the image below, I lightened the right side of the ribbon.

    

25. Go to the Layers palette and click on the “Front” layer to make it the active layer. Then select the Burn tool with the same settings you used before and add a diagonal shadow.
26. Then select the Dodge tool and add a highlight below it. Once again use my next image as a guide.

    

27. Next go to the Layers palette and click on the “Knot” layer to make it the active layer. Then select the Burn tool again with the same settings and add a shadow over on the right side.

    

28. Now we need to add a little texture to our ribbon. Choose Filter>Texture>Texturiser, select Canvas and use the settings: Scale, 200; Relief, 2; and Light, Top.
29. Once you have done that then use the same filter with the same settings on the “Front” layer and then on the “Back” layer.
30. Finally merge your “Knot,” “Front” and ‘Back” layers and add a drop shadow (from the Effects palette) to your tied ribbon.

    

31. I made another tied ribbon with dots; here is how I used it on a scrapbook page.

    

I do hope that you enjoyed following the tutorial and don’t forget that there are so many different things that you can do with your tied ribbon. Try using different colors or use a scrapbook paper and why not try adding different textures but most of all, as always, do remember to experiment and enjoy.

Wendy “;