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The Ribbonerie
Category: Shopping Arts & Crafts Art Supplies Art Supplies [Edit]
3695 Sacramento St(between Locust St & Spruce St)
San Francisco, CA 94118
Neighborhood: Laurel Heights
(415) 626-6184
- Hours:
Tue-Sat 10 am - 5:30 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
28 reviews for The Ribbonerie
Review Highlights
"Amazing ribbon selection for all your project needs."
(in 25 reviews)
"The nice ladies there will spend 10 minutes helping you..."
(in 3 reviews)
"...and atttack is packed with a huge assortment of antiques."
(in 4 reviews)
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28 reviews in English
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Review from Danie G.
San Francisco, CA
7/6/2011
How could you not fall in love with this place and get lost for hours?
The first time I came here was for a corporate event I was planning and needed large quantities of High Grade Gross grain Ribbon.
The 2nd was with my niece who went back to RI with a treasure box full of ribbon. -
Review from Lolia S.
San Francisco, CA
7/14/2008
I had a terrible sinking feeling when I saw their Potrero location is now a lamp store. Thankfully, the Ribbonerie isn't gone - it just moved to the other side of town and actually to a nicer shopping area (there weren't many retail stores near the old location). I should visit more often but really, how many ribbons does a girl need?
When it comes to ribbons, there is no competition - the Ribbonerie has the best selection in town and it's the only store that is devoted to ribbons. (My second favorite ribbon source is Bell'occhio on Brady Street: http://www.yelp.com/bi...). Their stock, sold by the yard, includes the basics to ornate jacquard designs from France. I liked their room of antiques in the back of the old location as they even had some interesting antique cooking utensils. Those random antiques are gone but they still have antique lace, vintage ribbons, vintage jewelry, and dainty vintage purses (elegant beaded ones). Vintage ribbons, how divine. They share their elegant new space with floral designer (Thistledown).Listed in: Get Crafty, Be Crafty
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Review from Amy Z.
San Francisco, CA
7/12/2008
Sacramento Street is proving to be a treacherous part of San Francisco. As in treacherous for your pocketbook. I think I had passed the Ribbonerie one other time, when it was after business hours, looked in the window and said to myself "This would be dangerous for the wallet." I love ribbon and I often wear a ribbon in my hair. If I had an oak tree, I would tie a yellow ribbon around it.
As you can imagine, the shop is crammed with ribbon of various colors, patterns, widths, fabrics, and textures. They also have a fabulous rickrack and pom selection if you're into more of the kitschy vintage trends (like I am). I'm not sure if was because of the Sidewalk Sale, but the shop was well attended to by several nice ladies that were quick to offer a quaint basket and advice for using the ribbon.
Some of the ribbon here is so darned cute and inspiring that you'll no doubt want to build an outfit around it or buy new towels and glam them up with a bit of fancy ribbon or pom trim.
$22 later, I'm armed with several yards of ribbon that will adorn my hair, wrap a bouquet of flowers, and doll up some new towels. And on a lazy Saturday afternoon when I was feeling a bit down, a big smile. -
Review from jazzy l.
San Francisco, CA
6/6/2010
This place is a girls haven!
I'm looking for floral bouquet ribbon and this store has almost variety you want to have and more!
It's near CPMC hospital on California street. I think it should have easy street parking.
I'm sure prices will be expensive but I hope to find what I'm looking for tomorrow when it opens.
It is closed on Sundays. Friendly service by the owner
Renaissance Ribbons online is another place to find good ribbons! -
Review from Liz S.
10/13/2007 3 photos
I used to love vising the Ribbonerie in its former location on Protrero - a mere skip down the street from that wonderful emporium Dandelion. However, seeing them in their new location on Sacramento, I think that they have found an even more perfect home.
The Ribbonerie is one of those rare stores that you would be more apt to find in Europe rather than here in the USA. And that is because they sell only one thing: ribbons. Beautiful, imported ribbons of every pattern, color and size - you'll find wire-edge, satin, velvet, jacquards, stripes, sheers - things you wouldn't even imagine. You'll want to take some time to browse the many offerings on display - and they are well organized by type and hue so that you can absorb the assortment with ease.
Don't forget to visit the remnant bin or clearance section - there are treasures to be found there, especially if you are crafty.
I usually make 2-3 trips to the store annually and stock up on whatever catches my eye. Then when I have a special present to give, I can wrap it in some plain paper and make it instantly special by adding a colorful or elegant ribbon. When you are bringing wine to someone's house, an ombre wire-edged bow and a gift tag makes an easy and lovely presentation.
The women who work there are very nice and will help you find what you are looking for, or, even better, let you browse at your own pace.
So, take a trip to the Ribbonerie and buy something pretty. Skip the pre-formed stick-on bow and give something special that you chose and arranged yourself - it adds a little bit of beauty and elegance back to the world when you do. -
Review from Meesh K.
San Francisco, CA
8/20/2010
Amazing ribbon selection for all your project needs.
I think Pauline is so sweet, I was so very thankful that she helped me find a very hard to find, specific ribbon that I wanted for my wedding invitations.
This is not Michael's or JoAnn's fabrics...It's literally a beautiful boutique that sells PRIMARILY RIBBONS and a few other cute crafty items. So don't expect wholesale prices (I say this because my mother nearly had a fit when she realized I ordered 15 spools of that specific ribbon)! Really cute place to have girly adventures! -
Review from Selina L.
San Francisco, CA
12/29/2009
Great ribbon store! I thought the selections is great, I was happy to see the variety color selection and different type of ribbons available. I came to get some ribbons for a wedding cake so let's see how that turns out on the cake. Can't wait.
If you need to stop by a ribbon store for your needs, this is a must go to place. I doubt I will need to come back... but if i ever do, i wouldn't mind coming back. -
Review from Katie I.
San Francisco, CA
7/19/2008
Wow. This store is beautiful. Walking in is like going back in time to the days when there were individual stores for very specific things (ribbons, paper, hats, meat, etc.) rather than big stores that sell a little bit of everything. It's quite a large space, all things considered, so the fact that it is essentially wall-to-wall ribbons is amazing. There are also some nice antiques displayed on one side that add to the old-world feel of the place. I think it would be hard to come up with a project for which this store wouldn't have the ribbon (OK, maybe something with neon), because there are just so many colors, widths, and materials.
I think my favorite part of the store, however, has to be the trunk in front that is filled with scraps of ribbon. There are short pieces of gold wire ribbon, long pieces of thin gray ribbon, and everything in between. Fabulous.Listed in: If I Were a Rich (Wo)Man...
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Review from cyndi L.
San Francisco, CA
4/26/2007
Oh yes, there's a lot of ribbon tons of it. But there's also a selection of embroidery items and decorative thingamajiggys that might be stitched into something or if you're a scrapbooker, I imagine you could glue it down. The bargain bins are indeed bargains. A good amount of quality ribbon to be had for fairly cheap but we're not talking dollar store here. I did say quality, you know. Found some lovely skinny black ribbon for $3.
You do have to be buzzed in but it's no big deal. The neighborhood is sketchy so the locked door is just security.
I know myself well enough to know that my own little holy grails are all rather fruitless forays into finding "exactly" the right thing. One of them is the perfect shade of reddish-burnt orange satin or grosgrain ribbon. Alas they didn't have anything came close. Lots of orange, a tad bright or too pumpkin-y in tone. It's no one's fault that I haven't found it yet. Like I said holy grail. -
Review from Dorothy P.
San Bruno, CA
7/8/2008
This store is super-cute. And full of all kinds of ribbon. I got desperate because I NEEDED to find ribbon to match my bridesmaids' dresses, and the regular big box craft and fabric stores were proving quite useless. However, a trip out here and I found the perfect ribbon to go with their matte red dresses.
It totally looks and feels like you are in a cute little store in Paris. I especially was impressed with a velvet ribbon spool that they had that was both embroidered and beaded. -
Review from Juliana T.
Fremont, CA
8/31/2009
Oh what fun!
If I were ten, I would have been holding a colorful lollipop in one hand while skipping into this store. Beautiful, beautiful ribbon everywhere!
I LOVED the 50% rack. I appreciate beautifully wrapped gifts as well as wrapping gifts beautifully so being able to get inexpensive beautiful ribbon will help in that endeavor.
Checking my calendar to find out when I will be able to come here again... I can't wait!
WARNING: This store is not for the typical big, burly man who is not in touch with his feminine side. He would find it as boring as the girliest girl would if she were standing in the nail aisle at a hardware store. -
Review from Alex T.
San Francisco, CA
7/11/2008
I think this actually might be my favorite San Francisco secret.
More exotic ribbon than you know what to do with and a "backroom" of antiques and treasures. I found a cake topper for my wedding of a vintage bride and groom - that I found without looking for it. My favorite way purchase things.
The staff are lovely and incredible helpful. -
Review from Amy E.
San Francisco, CA
7/12/2005
Normally, I would think that a store that sold nothing but ribbon would annoy me by its very existence, because of its preciousness. For some reason, though, the Ribbonerie gives me a happy feeling. Like, even though it seems the world is going to hell, how can that be possible when an innocent thing like a ribbon store exists, on Potrero of all places? The nice ladies there will spend 10 minutes helping you find the perfect ribbon for your project.
Listed in: Craft Project Time
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Review from Melissa W.
Belmont, CA
2/24/2006
Before turquoise became a big trendy splash in recent years I wanted to use it as an accent color in my wedding, all I really needed was some ribbon. I couldn't find it anywhere. And then I finally visited this store and found the sexiest ribbon I'd ever seen in the perfect shade. I asked the lovely ladies of the store if there was a discount for buying a whole spool and they said they'd take 10% off, I then asked for two spools and they proceeded to take 20% off!!! I could hardly have been more satisfied with my trip to this store.
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Review from Janet S.
San Francisco, CA
1/17/2009
I've never heard of a store that only sold ribbons... and I didnt believe it exist until I went here. They have all types of ribbons and granted they are a little more pricey, but its about the variety and choices. The owner there was super nice, I told her that I needed to replace the ribbon for one of my dress and she was able to figure out how much I need and she even taught me how to cut the ends. Next time I need ribbons, i will come back. But... im not sure when I will ever NEED ribbons again...
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Review from Froggy V.
San Francisco, CA
6/13/2008
Ribbon... ribbon... ribbon... sounds rather froggish, dontcha think??
So I was at the tail end of a night/early morning hop through the Presidio. The day dawned clear and warm, with a light breeze. I was walking through the Laurel Heights neighborhood when I saw it, right on the corner of Sac'to and Spruce. A ribbon store??? And since it was getting to be late-ish morning and the store was open, I decided to hop in. A rather small space - but if they sell only ribbons, it doesn't need to be very big, does it? Colorful ribbons, spools and spools of them, were everywhere - on high shelves, low shelves, open bins and some even behind glass in locked display cases. Browsing there brought back memories of growing up in Russia, where the custom is to tie up little girls' hair with ridiculously huge, puffy bows on special days like birthdays and the first day of school. Every family with a little girl had a special box in a special place in the closet reserved for ribbons for just such occasions. I don't know where they got the ribbons, because they certainly didn't have a ribbon store like this back in the day. If they did, I suspect there'd be a little girl baby boom going on wherever it opened.
There was a very nice lady behind the counter; we exchanged some friendly chit-chat, and since I wasn't there to buy ribbon, we didn't exchange anything else. And even though the whole idea of a store selling nothing but ribbons seemed rather... what's the word... MaryPoppinsian? Wait, there IS a word for it - supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! That's it! Well, despite all that, or rather because of it, I am tempted to give it four stars just for the sheer useless supercalifragilisticexpialidociousness of its existence. That, and because going "ribbon... ribbon... ribbon..." is very fitting for a froggy. -
Review from C D.
Walnut Creek, CA
12/16/2006
eh, I guess I overestimated my interest in ribbon...there was a lot of it, but I'm sure there is another place that has more varieties of ribbon. I was not impressed with this store, especially having to ring the bell to be let in the front door.
Listed in: Avoid these places
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Review from Colleen B.
San Francisco, CA
2/17/2006
Sometimes you are walking down the street and you see a specialty store that just calls out to you. I am not a very crafty person, but the ladies that work at the Ribbonerie think I am. So I go in just to appease them. I buy, you guessed it, ribbon, great, beautiful ribbon that I have no use for, but it's pretty. I also buy random stuff made by people who are clearly craftier than I, like itty bitty ribbon butterflies. I've decided to make cards with these ribbons and some glitter. My carpet is now as sparkly as Tiffany's, my cards look like they were made by a 7 year old, but hell, I like to think the recipients look at the quality ribbon and smile.
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Review from Wendy H.
San Francisco, CA
8/13/2010
OMG....I LOVE this store. I could spend hours in this store. The price is a little expensive, but worth it for beautiful will made ribbons. The best go to ribbon store. I use ribbons on all my crafts from gift wrapping to scrapbooking. This is the place to be for all your ribbon needs.
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Review from JJ C.
Oakland, CA
8/4/2006
Superb selection of ribbons, beautiful sewing accoutrements and gifts. These ladies know their craft well. Looking for information on embroidery work with ribbons?How to make rosettes? Antique buttons perhaps? The Ribbonerie has all that and more. A definitive shop for the bride to be in serach of that special shade of blue.
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Review from Cicie W.
7/24/2008
One of the florists I talked to recommended this place to look for the sash for my wedding bouquet. The store was quiet when I got there late in a windy Saturday afternoon. Nevertheless, the store felt very warm and cozy. They have great selections on all kinds of ribbons and they can special order things if they don't have it in the size you want. The sales lady was very nice and gave me a sample of the color I liked, even though I didn't buy anything. I'm coming back to get the ribbon I wanted in a few weeks.
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Review from Casey W.
San Francisco, CA
9/16/2005
Such nice ladies, here - and beautiful ribbon in lots of great colors and a range of prices. Great spot for inspiration - love the often visting dachsund, Toby, too.
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Review from monika w.
Los Angeles, CA
11/21/2009
This shop is amazing! So much ribbon! And all of it is actually pretty! There are so many varieties to choose from and when I went in there was a christmas ribbon section up in the front (maybe part of an ongoing seasonal ribbon display) and there are tons of bargain rolls, simple delicate ribbons and intriquate wired ribbons. LOVE.
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Review from Cathy T.
San Francisco, CA
6/21/2009
Beautiful ribbons in every shade, texture and width you could imagine. I came here to find ties for my curtains and the lady was so helpful going through all the shades and combinations that might work. When she couldn't exactly match what I was looking for she offered to order me new ribbon but I just went with another shade. They also have tons of cute knick knacks, handkerchiefs and jewelery to look through as well.
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Review from babsie g.
San Francisco, CA
6/10/2007
Pretty amazing place...the best part is that you feel like you're stepping back in time. The ribbons are showcased on antique ribbon merchandising boards, and there's oodles and oodles to select among. I needed some unique ribbon for a project and stumbled upon The Ribbonerie on the Web -- when I found out it was actually a local joint, I hightailed it over to Potrero. While I had exactly what I needed in mind, I trolled around the treasures in this store for 45 minutes, just amazed at the variations around ribbon that exist. From french silks to synthetics. Note - they also have a bargains bin.
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Review from Porfirio R.
San Francisco, CA
10/14/2006
The shop specializes in ribbons but has an amazing collection of sewing memorabilia and button up front. The back and atttack is packed with a huge assortment of antiques. This is place really is amazing, definitely go if you have any fond memories of the collections long lost with your grandparents.
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Review from J.D. H.
San Francisco, CA
8/19/2008
Honestly, ribbons just aren't my thing, However this store has an amazing selection of orchids. They have some of the weirdest and most interesting blooming orchids displayed throughout the store, but most notably displayed in the front window. Not only am I a sucker for an unusual orchid but the sales ladies know exactly what kind of orchid they are and how to take care of them. I was shocked to get a 5 minutes spiel on how to care for my new blooms. This store is totally worth the walk to check out the new plants each week!
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Review from erin f.
San Francisco, CA
5/5/2010
this place is seriously amazing!!! i have been to many of the great ribbon/millinery shops in NYC and this place is just as good. the lady who gave these guys 2 stars is nuts!! there is not another place that has more varieties of ribbon in the bay area. this shop has more selection than any fabric or floral supply store put together.
