Is there a blank space in your home crying out for some festive cheer? Do you need one more something that you just can't find in the stores? How about this contemporary Felt & Pom-Pom Garland: super fast, machine-sewn, and you can customize it to match your seasonal decor!
The best part of this garland is that it can be made in any combination of colors you desire! I love the idea of black & white felt with gold and sliver pom-poms for New Years Eve. Or bright colors for a birthday! Since it's that most wonderful time of the year, I've used traditional red and green with some silver and gold mixed in.
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| Two Multidimensional Garlands (top, middle) and one Flat Garland (bottom) |
Don't be concerned with the number of steps in the tutorial below, once you understand the technique the garland comes together very quickly from first cut to final stitch. There are also two versions of the garland: Flat Garland and Multidimensional Garland.
If, like me, you prefer to print out tutorials, you can download the three-page PDF file here for just $1.99! Otherwise read on for step by step directions how to sew a contemporary Felt & Pom-Pom Garland.
MATERIALS
- 9" x 12" Felt Sheet(s) *see Preparation for amount needed
- Various color ½" pom-poms (approx. 24 per one 2′-long garland)
- 2 Spools of coordinating thread
- 6-sided Die (optional)
PREPARATION
NOTE: The directions include options for flat or multidimensional felt shapes; a two-foot long Flat Garland will need 9 pieces of felt, whereas the same length Multidimensional Garland will require 18 pieces of felt. One 9" x 12" felt sheet will yield 18 pieces.
1. Cut the felt sheet into eight 1 ½" wide by 12" strips.
2. Cut each strip into three parallelograms: trim with 45-degree angles at 3 ½"-long intervals — the long edge should be 3 ½"-long. Set the felt parallelograms aside. (You will also have some small scraps of felt left over; I’ve set them aside for another project another day.)
3. Using a hand needle and without cutting the thread off the spool, thread approximately two-dozen pom-poms onto one spool of thread.
TIP: I can’t create a random look on my own, can you? To get a random placement of multiple colors, place the pom-poms off to one side and slightly behind you just out of sight. Then pick up each one without looking.
CONSTRUCTION
FLAT GARLAND
4. With the threaded pom-pom spool below the sewing machine (in my case, spool on the floor and thread up between my knees), hold the pom-pom thread — no pom-poms yet, just the thread — down the center of the felt shape, from far corner to far corner.
5. With a zig-zag stitch, sew over the pom-pom thread from corner to corner.
6. Continue sewing right off the felt shape until the threads are approximately
2 ½" – 3" long.
TIP: I didn’t measure the 2 ½" – 3", I simply sewed until the felt shape was just off the back end of my sewing machine bed.
7. Pull up a random number of pom-poms and slide them up the thread past the sewing machine foot to the newly sewn felt shape. Two or three pom-poms look best.
OPTIONAL: Once again, I can’t do random. To avoid an obvious pattern I rolled a die: even numbers = 2 pom-poms; odd numbers = 3 pom-poms.
8. Keeping all threads taught, but without pulling the space wider than 3", lay the pom-pom thread down the center of the next shape and once again sew from corner to corner with a zig-zag stitch as in Step 5.
9. Continue Steps 5–8 until your garland is the desired length.
MULTIDIMENSIONAL GARLAND
Multidimensional Garland is constructed in the same way as Flat Garland but with two felt pieces held together in place of each single piece (in Steps 4 and 8).
a. Take two felt parallelograms and flip one over.
b. Place the two felt pieces together aligning the farthest corners (as seen here in the diagram).
c. Continue constructing the garland as per Steps 5–8 above.
d. When the full garland is finished, fold each of the felt pieces away from each other.
YOU'RE DONE!
I know it’s a lot of steps for a seemingly simple project, but I promise once you understand the technique it goes very quickly. Make variegated lengths to hang across a doorway or window; or hang them straight up and down in the corner of a stairwell.
If you create a Felt & Pom-Pom Garland for yourself or as a gift I'd love to see it. Come share your projects on The Inspired Wren Share page. There you can link up images of your work from a blog, Flickr, Pinterest, or Instagram.
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You should really see all that goes into each project!
From my marathon sewing sessions, to all that I do when I #shouldhavebeensewing catch daily updates on Instagram (and Flickr) of works-in-progress. Get that behind the scenes view you’re looking for, and sneak peeks of upcoming tutorials, too.
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