My all-time favorite ribbon for gift wrapping isn’t a ribbon at all. It is baker’s twine, the string that is now ubiquitous to craft shops and farmhouses. I am not sure when I first started seeing baker’s twine absolutely everywhere, but I’ve used and loved it for years. Its popularity does not diminish it.
Modern baker’s twine is created from two threads, often in different colors, that are twisted together to form a light but strong cord. It gets its name from the days when bakers, grocers, and pastry shops would use twine to tie paper wrapping around a loaf of bread for safe transport home. It can be used much the same way for simple wrapping, with a plain kraft or parchment paper.
Don’t get me wrong, I love a pretty ribbon, too, but it seems like ribbon spools run out quickly and they are so expensive. The same goes for many of the overpriced, teeny-tiny spools of twine that you see in craft shops—don’t buy those. You can easily find a generously sized spool online for a fraction of the price.
Last week, I purchased this large lot of Baker’s twine from Amazon in fifteen colors. It’s amazing. When I am buying on Amazon, it is sometimes so hard to tell exactly what a product is like—different sellers mean remarkably inconsistent product descriptions—so I thought I would review it in case you also need some.
First of all, this cotton twine is strong and not prone to shedding. It is not going to break when I am tying it around my packages or using it make bunting. Next, the colors are so cheerful and pretty. It seems that most stores only sell red-and-white baker’s twine, which is great for the holidays but not as useful year round. With this lot, I have every color I need. Finally, there is a huge amount of it. Each spool has about 55 yards. While I would have preferred if there was a little more (yes, I like it a lot) this majorly beats your average 10-yard roll of ribbon. After you check the price, divide by 15—you’ll see that it’s an excellent buy. All in all, if you are looking for good quality with color variety for crafting, this purchase is definitely the way to go.
Let me know what you think, and happy gift wrapping! x