NettleAndSilk
Announcement
I'm back! Orders are again shipping in 3-5 business days.
Thank you for visiting! Expand for more shop details below 👇🏻
Next day shipping is often available. Please feel free to ask.
I make naturally-dyed ribbons in silk and bamboo as well as table linens in silk and cotton by hand in my little studio on a flower farm. If you're looking for a luxurious, eco-friendly touch to add to your wedding, home, photoshoot or styling kit, you've come to the right place! My shop is a one-woman business that's grown from a side-hustle to the way I make my living.
Orders ship within a 3-5 day production window. Everything is handmade.
Standard shipping is USPS First Class or First Class International. If you would like to upgrade to Priority Mail or Express, please let me know and I will be happy to add that service.
Everything in my shop is made by hand, by me in small batches, using only natural, non-toxic fabrics and dyes.
My colours and fabrics are sourced from suppliers that share my values of sustainability and stewardship of our natural world.
I'm commited to running an eco-friendly shop, including biodegradeable, recycled and reused packaging as much as possible. Etsy now also offsets carbon emissions associated with shipping.
Pro tip! You can search for any colour or fabric in my shop using the search bar just under the featured items and to the left (if viewed on a computer), or in the centre of the screen, just under 'featured items' if viewed on a phone.
If you're looking for larger amounts of ribbon or fabric than appears available at the time, please ask; I can almost always manage a larger order and generally within a few days.
Free shipping on orders over $35. Please see my shipping policies for more details.
Items
Featured items
All Items
Reviews
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danigugas on Sep 27, 2022
5 out of 5 starsVery pretty and as pictured. Excited to use it on our wedding invitations
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Sarah on Jan 21, 2023
5 out of 5 starsI love these and can’t wait to use them for my wedding invitations and flat lay pictures!!
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Updates
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About NettleAndSilk
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all natural color from plant dyes -
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1/2" silk ribbon is perfect for invitation binding. -
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narrow silk ribbon, perfect for invitation bindings and delicate craft or floral work. -
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dozens of silk ribbon types in every color
How I fell in love with colour.
Once upon a time I was a floral designer who adored flowers and made a lot of pretty botanical bouquets for brides. One day, frustrated at the quality, sustainability and colours of ribbons available locally, I decided to make some of my own and stumbled upon the art of natural dyeing on silk. Magic happened! Discovering that such beautiful colour could come from things already in my kitchen, or from plants and soil and wood pulp, was like stumbling across a kind of alchemy.
I experimented for a long time, using my training as a painter as I learned how to mix and layer dyes rather like watercolours. One day a friend suggested that I might try selling some and before too long I was making so much ribbon that the floral design business, to my surprise and delight, became a ribbon company.
Today I continue to play and experiment with colour every chance I get; always thrilled with each new magical discovery.
I’m so very grateful that I’m able to make my living this way.
My ribbons are made by hand in small batches in my studio using good quality silk, plant fibre and only natural dyes. I dye with colour that comes from leaves, wood pulp, beans, teas and even earth. All of my sources for colours and materials are non toxic and as sustainable as possible - for instance, in the case of rarer wood I only source dye from companies that harvest twigs and branches, or collect sawdust, rather than felling entire trees.
I'm proud to run a business with deeply eco-friendly values and I find that the natural colours are far richer, more beautiful and more nuanced than conventional, artificial dyes. I recycle, compost and reuse packaging and paper as much as possible. I also buy recycled and compostible packing products when I can.
Nettle & Silk's textiles have been featured on wedding and style blogs like 100 Layer Cake, Green Wedding Shoes, Ruffled and Perfect Palette.
Each batch is a lovingly made, unique work of art.
The store motto is 'Handmade with Love' and every part of every order really is.
Shop members
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Susanna
Owner, Maker, Designer
I've always loved to make beautiful things. After a degree in art I worked in animation for many years before starting a floral design company. This became Nettle + Silk when I joined my love of colour + textiles with a need for beautiful ribbon.
Production partners
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Craft supply
San Francisco, CA
A craft supply company with eco friendly roots.
Shop policies
Natural dyeing is an art and a science. It takes time. Some of my colours take quite a lot of time, with many separate dye baths and time for air-drying between. I'm also a one-woman business, meaning that I do all of the making (including all of the wooden spools), packing, shipping, book keeping, correspondence and coffee shop runs myself. Please be patient with my little shop! Something special is worth waiting for ;)
Plant dyes lend a beautiful, subtle glow to fabrics that come alive in natural light. It really is a great joy to work with these colours and I love discovering and adding new hues all the time.
A word about that colour.
I was trained as a classical painter and illustrator, I've studied colour all my life and have taught colour theory at college level. No two people see colour the exact same way. And no two digital screens project it the same way.
My photographer and I have done our very best to portray my ribbons and linens colours as true to life as we can, but it's not possible to control for all variables. In addition to this, natural dyeing is an art of immense subtlety - no two batches are ever exactly the same and to me, this makes the silk more special. I do my best to duplicate the colours portrayed on my pages here but there will always be subtle differences.
My work is particularly suited to customers looking for a uniquely beautiful natural touch to add to their wedding, special event or photoshoot. It is not, perhaps, well-suited for those seeking a Pantone colour match for another product.
Plant dyes also vary a little bit from batch to batch, making each purchase unique and special. If you need a large amount of matching ribbon - for wedding invitation sets, for instance - please contact me and I'll be happy to make a batch just for you. ♡
I source all of my raw materials from suppliers and stores that have sustainable business and environmental policies. This is important to me; I want to prove that it's possible to thrive as a business selling high quality, luxury products without doing undue damage to the planet; I'd like to leave it a better and more beautiful place because I was in it.
My company motto is "Infused with Love" and I approach every aspect of my work with that in mind.
Accepted payment methods
Returns & exchanges
Cancellations
Cancellations: not accepted
Please contact the seller if you have any problems with your order.
Privacy
I am not, however, responsible for the policies of Etsy, of which I am unaware.
More information
Frequently asked questions
When will you ship my order?
Orders are currently shipping in 5 business days from the date the order is placed. If you need your order more urgently please contact me and I will do what I can to ship it sooner.
Can I upgrade my order's shipping to Priority?
Absolutely! Here's that listing:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/845348681/priority-mail-shipping
Can you get me an order next day?
Possibly! Please reach out to me to check. I can often manage a next day order if I have sufficient stock on hand and I get the request early enough in the day. Next day shipping and processing is $35.
How big is a sample?
It's just a little scrap from my leftovers box - usually an inch or two - to get the look and feel in person.
Wholesale availability
Due to the volume of orders I'm currently receiving and the handmade nature of my work I cannot currently offer wholesale prices.
How much ribbon do I need for bouquets?
The length you'll need will depend on the look you're going for. If you want to just wrap the stems, one yard per bouquet will be enough. If you'd like longer streamers, two to three yards, depending on how flowing you want them to look, will work.
Can I get ribbon longer than 3 yards?
Yep! Please reach out with a message - I can usually manage custom lengths, depending on the type of ribbon you'd like.
Do your ribbons come on spools?
Yep. Unless you choose 'no spool' from the dropdown menu when you add ribbon to your cart, all of my ribbons come on a handmade wooden spool.