Messing around with medieval-style fingerloop braiding (see fingerloop.org for details; also, Morgan Donner's excellent videos on YouTube of same).  I bought some red crochet thread and made some Ragi ribbons:



From left to right: "a grene dorge of vi bowes" (also known as "grain d'orge" or "barleycorn") in blue and black (a black and a blue loop each for the center section of the ribbon), then the Ragi ribbon of the same pattern, using a black loop and two loops for the red for the center section, which gave the ribbon a little more heft.  Then I went full-out and tried the "brode lace cheuron of 8 bowes" from Harley Manuscript 3230 (also described very clearly on fingerloop.org) in Ragi colors.  I had to iron that one with heavy steam to get it to lay flat (it wants to curl).  

I think silk would work better than cotton -- the cotton crochet threat I used pilled horribly -- or I'd need to wax the cotton thread (which would preclude ironing; I'd probably need to put the finished ribbon under weight or in a press and let it sit for a while).  I might try to get ahold of some of the silk-finish cotton embroidery thread and see if that works well.

There are, incidentally enough, a lot of tablet weaving patterns that I think could make some pretty spiffy hair ribbons in atevi clan colors (and they would be very fine if executed in silk).  But I am very, very far from being able to do that (at this time).

Thank you kindly!  I like playing with string. ; )