SPRING HAS SPRUNG

A HAPPY CHRISTMAS TUTORIAL

I thought as a Christmas present from me to you I would write a tutorial on how to make a simple festive wreath to adorn your door and welcome the good times in to your home.
The best bit is you can make it all from scraps that have been left over from other projects.
So without much further ado, lets roll up our sleeves and get on with it.



1. WHAT YOU WILL NEED
Fabric. You don't need masses a max of 1/2 m of each colour. I chose fabrics that were shot or two tone, meaning they have colour different threads going across the fabric than they do going up and down. This is because when you are fraying the edges later it gives a lovely effect. It doesn't matter what shape your fabric has been previously cut in to, or that it is in several pieces. 
Wadding. Cut in to strips about 2 1/2" wide. You will need a couple of metres of this.
Ribbons and baubles for decorating.
Thread.
Pins, needle, scissors, sewing machine (optional, all this can be sewn by hand).
Wreath base. Mine is an 8" wire one, but you can get them in a variety of sizes. I bought it from a floristry supply shop. You could just as easily buy a shaped polystyrene one in which case miss out the wadding stage. Or even fashion your own one from an old wire coat hanger.



2. Wind the wadding round the base of your wreath until it is looking nice and plump.



3. When all of the base is covered secure the wadding in place with a stitch.



4. Cut strips of fabric on the cross or bias. Which means cutting diagonally across the grain or threads of the fabric. You will need about 4 1/2 m of each colour. The first colour should be cut 1" wide and the second 1 1/2 " wide. 
The reason I cut the strips on the cross is that when you fray the edges you will see both colours of the weave showing in a really nice way, you also get a fantastic lettuce leaf crinkly effect. The other reason is that when the fabric is cut this way it is more flexible  and easier to mould round the curves of the ring. 
Don't panic if your fabric scraps aren't huge you can get a surprising amount of strips from a small piece of fabric. 



5. Join your strips of fabric so you have two long ribbons.
Make sure your ends are cut with the grain of the threads, position them together like this.



6. Then lay one on top of the other and pin.



7. Stitch together, with a back stitch at either end to prevent unravelling and trim away the corners.



8. Run the blunt edge of your scissors along one edge of both the ribbons to give the frilly frayed edge.



9. Lay the two ribbons one on top of the other, unfrilled edges together and stitch.



10. You should now have a very pleasing pile of fluffy ribbon.



11. Wrap the ribbon round your base, to accommodate the curve you will need to overlap it a little more on the inside curve than you do on the outside one.



12. Keep wrapping until all of the base is covered.



13. Tuck the end back under the ribbon at the point where you first started.



14. Stitch the end in place to stop it from unravelling.



15. Stitch a ribbon loop on to the back to hang it by, then create some lovely big crunchy bows in a complimentary colours and stitch on.
Then go wild with the baubles to add a little pazzaz and glitter.
Hang on your door, put the mulled wine on the stove top, heat up the mince pies, sit back and wait for the good times to come rolling in!
Happy Christmas to you all.
If you like this tutorial do let me know, I would love to see any that you create.
Come back over the weekend for another tutorial on how to make haberdashery based decorations.
Much love and seasonal good cheer.
Nora xxxx