Etsy North Georgia Weblog

Tutorial donated by CelloRaisen.Etsy.com

A “Rag Garland” is just that – a garland made out of bits of tied rags or fabric remnants.  There are lots of decorator uses for it – It can be a window treatment for any room, a holiday decoration for a mantle or Christmas tree, or you can hang it over a doorway!  “Remnants” are usually less than 1 yard (36″ or less) and will be marked 50% off of the full by-the-yard price.  I stick to the “fashion” department because the decorator fabric can still be pricey even with the discount.  (a little note about me – I never miss the remnant bin when I go into Joann’s or any other fabric store – last time I was there I scored a really cute fish print in flame-retardant fabric and made my son a pair of sleep shorts to wear now and there is plenty left over for pants in a larger size later!  Now back to our regularly scheduled blog article.)

What you need -

• Scissors, pinking shears, or rotary cutter & cutting mat

• Fabric remnants in the color scheme of your choice – go straight to the remnant bin at Joann’s and get lots of different kinds of fabric – fleece, cotton, chiffon, georgette, poly blends, charmeuse, etc.  Different textures make a really interesting garland.  I don’t recommend using heavy velvet, minky, or chenille (they shed and get little fuzzies EVERYWHERE) or materials that have a metallic thread in them because of the mess it makes when cutting and tying.  If you don’t mind the mess then get whatever you want!

• String or yarn in length of your choice – it does not matter what color since you won’t see it anyway so if you have some leftover yarn at home I would use that before buying any.

Now it’s time to get started!
1.  Lay out your fabrics and decide what order you will tie it.

2.  Decide how long and wide you want to cut your strips.  I cut them about 5-6 inches long by about 1.5 inches wide but please experiment with different lengths.  You might want to iron the fabric – it will be easier to cut straight if it’s ironed.
3.  Get cutting!  This is where a rotary cutter comes in really handy because after a while your hand will get tired using scissors.

4.  Now tie the fabric around the yarn.  Push the ties tightly together so that you can’t see the string or yarn.  This step is good to do while catching up on Project Runway episodes on your DVR.

5.  Keep tying the fabric strips around the yarn or string until your desired length is reached and then you’re done!  Tie loops on each end of the yarn if desired.

Tips -

• Get some narrow tulle (sold by the roll) to add some nice texture.
• Use different kinds of ribbon instead of the fabric strips (if you want to spend a lot of money).
• Get the kids involved in the tying.

In the end you will have a unique item to decorate with or a fun and inexpensive gift for a friend.  Happy Crafting!