How I Made It - Scrap Fabric Wreath {Tutorial}

I always like to give credit where credit is due.

Since yesterday's blog didn't allow for it, 

I wanted to take the time to tell you where I got the idea for my 

Patriotic Scrap Fabric Wreath.

Last week, Fox Hollow Cottage hosted a Pool Noodle Link Party and one of my absolute favorite link-ups was this awesome wreath from The House at Bluebird Lane.

I absolutely adore it!

So, when I was trying to figure out a wreath to donate for the 

Retrieving Freedom Dinner and Auction, 

my mind automatically went back to this one.

I'm not sure if Sharla's wreath is a smaller one or a large one, but holy smokes!  

Mine was a large one and it was a process, that's for sure.

Sharla gives great picture instructions HERE of how she created her wreath.

Me?

I'm going to tell you how I did it, 

which wasn't nearly as pretty or as easy as she makes it sound.  

(Of course, my forte is furniture, not crafting.  LOL!)

Keepin' it real peeps!

What you'll need:

- Straw Wreath form
 - 1/2 yard of 5-6 different prints - Calico is GREAT! And Burlap, if you like it.
- Dollar Tree Pool Noodle (I used yellow, so you couldn't see it through the linen.)
- 1 yard of Linen
- Twine
- Mini Glue Gun/Glue Sticks
- Straight Pins
-Scissors

Directions:

1.  Cut up your pool noodle into 1/2 inch slices.

2.  Take the linen and tear it into long strips, a yard in length, and wrap it around your straw wreath.  You'll pin each strip at its starting point with two straight pins, and at its end.  Overlap the linen, so you cover where you start and end each strip.

2.  Take your calico fabric and tear it into long, wide strips.  You want to be sure that the fabric is wide enough to wrap around the width of the pool noodle and then some.  And then, tear it into squares, again making sure you have plenty to wrap around the pool noodle slices.  (You can always tear a little off to trim it, if you have too much of a poof.)

3.  Fold your fabric square in half and then in half again.  Take your scissors and snip a very small amount at the outside corner.  This will put a hole in the center of your fabric.

4.  Center your pool noodle hole over the hole in the center of your fabric.  Working around the the slice, using your thumb, push the fabric through the hole, turning the slice as you work your way around.

(Optional Steps)

5.  Realize that your fabric isn't wide enough to have a large enough poof, but do 15 more anyway, thinking you can make it work.

6.  Realize after the 15th one, that it isn't going to look right.  Thank God you didn't tear all the squares or use up all the pool noodles.  Feel like smacking yourself upside the head.  DOH!

7.  Realize that the problem is that you cut the noodle too thick.  Be glad that you bought 5 pool noodles, instead of just the one that you needed (Even though the boys are in the living room beating each other to death with the other four).

8.  Snatch pool noodle away from closest son and cut thinner slices.

9.  Get frustrated, watch a movie on TNN, and go to bed.

10.  Wake up the next morning, determined to get it done.  After church, take a nap, and then decide to start on it again.

(Feel free to skip steps 5-10  LOL!!!)

12.  Repeat Steps 2-4 enough times to amply fill your wreath.  You want it to look full.

13.  Using the hot glue gun, glue burlap ones on first, staggering them around the wreath in a uniform pattern.

14.  Fill in areas between the burlap pouf with calico rosettes in a random pattern.  Be sure not to place same patterns near each other.  Be sure to minimize gaps between pouf.

15.  Take the narrow fabric strips, left over from making pouf (or whatever you want to call them) and tie a knot in the center to resemble a bow.

16.  Fill in areas where the linen is visible between poufs by dabbing a small amount of hot glue on the knot and push it in between the them. (If the colors you've chosen are close to the color of the linen, you won't have to do this.  My pattern colors were darker, so it was more noticeable.)

How to make a Burlap Bow:

1.  Cut a piece of burlap and a piece of calico into a rectangle.

2.  Layer the calico over the burlap and pinch in the middle.

3.  Wrap the twine around the area you've pinched a couple of times.  Tie it in a knot and let the ends hang.

4.  Cut two narrow rectangular strips of burlap.  Fold one end into a triangle and glue to back of jute twine.  Repeat with second strip, to form the tails of your ribbon.

Embellish the bottom of the wreath however you choose.  

I chose to hot glue/straight pin a burlap strip across the bottom and frayed the edges.  I then glued rustic iron numbers to the burlap.  Tying small knots of jute through the holes to camouflage them and give them a more prim look.

All in all, I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out...

and I plan on doing another few that are more to my taste, 

within the next couple of weeks to sell at

The Changing Season.

Thanks to Sharla at The House At Bluebird Lane 

for the idea and the inspiration!  

You rock!

If you're local, maybe you'll have a chance to stop in The Changing Season 

during the month of July and check them out!

The Changing Season is located on East Bremer Avenue in downtown Waverly 

and is open the first Saturday of every month, and every Thursday.  

Stop by and say "hi" to Carrie!

(and buy some stuff!  LOL!)

XO,