As I reflect on crafting this Memorial Day ribbon, I’m struck by its profound symbolism.
The interplay of red, white, and blue isn’t just visually striking, it’s a tactile reminder of our nation’s values.
Creating this ribbon is more than a craft, it’s a journey through history, a moment to pause and honor those who’ve sacrificed everything.
What began as simple paper strips transformed into a powerful emblem, each fold and star a testament to our collective memory.
This project isn’t just for skilled crafters, it’s an accessible way for anyone, especially children, to connect with the deeper meaning of Memorial Day.
As I hold the finished ribbon, I’m filled with a sense of gratitude and reverence.
Before we begin, let’s check out the list of basic things you’ll need to make this paper ribbon craft for memorial day.
Step 1: Things You’ll Need To Make Paper Ribbon Craft for Memorial Day
- Craft Paper Sheets: To make the paper ribbon I have used standard craft paper sheets, however, you can also use colorful sheets of Origami paper. To match the theme you should use red, white, and blue (light or dark) craft papers.
- Scissor: You can use a standard craft scissor to cut the paper strips and required shapes.
- Glue: To stick the paper strips and other shapes together you will need glue.
- Ruler and Pencil: You can use a measuring ruler and a pencil to mark and cut the required length.
Estimated completion time: It took 8 minutes for me to complete the paper ribbon craft for the occasion of Memorial Day.
Step 2: Cutting the Ribbon Shapes
I cut all the required shapes from colorful paper, including strips, star shapes, and small circles.
Each shade i.e. white, blue, and red has its own set of strips.
Similarly, star shapes were cut from each color and set aside for later use.
To create the tiny circles, I used a regular paper punching machine.
Step 3: Preparing the Base Ribbon
With the required shapes ready, I began preparing the paper ribbon.
I kept a small section of the blue paper strip in the middle and aligned the white strips on either side.
After applying glue to their joining edges, I carefully stuck them together, ensuring they stayed straight.
Finally, I cut the two ends into a “V” shape, as shown in image 3.2 above, for clarity.
Step 4: Stick the Star and Dots
Now that the base ribbon was ready, I proceeded to adhere the white star and circle shapes onto the blue strip.
First, I aligned and stuck the star shapes, leaving small gaps between them for the circle shapes, as shown in image 4.1 above.
Next, I placed the two small circles in these gaps, as depicted in image 4.2 above.
I made sure to apply the shapes similarly on the reverse side of the blue strip to maintain evenness from both sides.
Tip: For sticking tiny shapes like the circles, I applied liquid glue to their designated spots and then carefully placed the circles over the glued areas. After letting them settle for a minute or two, I gently pressed them with my fingers to ensure they were firmly and evenly attached.
Step 5: Attaching The red Strips
It was time to assemble the red strips over the long white strip of the paper ribbon.
The ribbon consists of two white stripes and I chose the longer section to stick the red shapes.
As shown in image 5.1 above, I cut and aligned thin red strips of paper over the white portion of the ribbon.
After applying glue, I stuck them on in a slightly slanted position, ensuring even gaps between each piece of red strip.
I repeated this step on the reverse side of the paper ribbon as well.
Finally, I folded the ribbon and glued the joining edges together, following the guidance in image 5.2 above.
This completed the craft activity, but I wanted to enhance its structure (shown in further step).
Step 6: Assembling Small Paper Ribbons
With this, I’ve moved on to the final step of crafting the paper ribbon for Memorial Day.
I made three small ribbons i.e. one from red paper and the other two from blue, as shown in image 6.2 above.
I attached the two blue ribbons to the edges of the main ribbon and positioned the red ribbon above them.
The Memorial Day special ribbon was now complete, crafted using standard craft papers.
It proved to be a great learning experience for kids as well.
Video Walkthrough of paper ribbon memorial day craft
Final Thoughts
This Memorial Day paper ribbon craft guarantees to initiate meaningful conversations with children about patriotism, sacrifice, and remembrance.
Moreover, this project could expand into a community event, where families come together to create ribbons and share personal stories. I would also suggest incorporating writing activities, such as having children write short messages of gratitude to attach to their ribbons.
In essence, this craft not only creates beautiful ribbons but also serves as a powerful tool for fostering intergenerational connections and instilling a sense of civic responsibility in our youth.
Note: For your reference I have also shared the complete video walkthrough of the memorial day special paper ribbon craft on our official YouTube channel.
