Make an Easy Custom Fabric Garland

Stop! Don't throw your pretty fabric scraps away! Use them to make a pretty seasonal fabric garland. I've seen similar garlands in big box stores, but the quality and custom feel of those is lacking; plus, this version is more sustainable and will hold up to year-after-year use. 

This project is so effortless and would be a great project for the kids in your life to help with. 

Supplies:

• 1/8" Braided Cord in natural color (this one is similar to the one I used)
• Several 2-3" width scrap fabric strips
• Hooks or push pins for hanging

A note about fabric scraps: If you're new to quilting and don't yet have a fabric stash, many quilt shops sell gallon bags of quilting cotton scraps that would be perfect for this project. (Or just ask a quilty friend for their scraps...I'm sure they'd be more than happy to give them to you!)

Start out by gathering your favorite fall-ish fabric scraps. I went for a neutral look, since I'd like to keep it up for the entire autumn season; I stuck with using low volume fabrics with black, gold, and brown accents.

Next, I cut a 6-foot length of braided cord, since this is a pretty standard length for a banner. Then, I began tying the fabric strips onto the cord, using a simple knot and making sure to knot the fabric at the center of the length of the strip. The strip lengths I used varied from 9 inches all the way up to 21 inches; I wanted to add some visual interest with varying lengths.

You can choose to space out your fabric strips or push them all together so that no cord is showing (this is what I did). If you knot each strip only once, they move easily on the cord, so you can change out the spacing as you like.  If you're going for a shabby fall look, it would be cute to add in some burlap ribbon, scrap ribbon, or trim that you have in your stash.  

Once you're satisfied with the look of your garland, tie a simple loop at each end for hanging. I used simple wood push pins (linked above), since they're simple to remove and blend in pretty well. 

And that's it! I think this garland would look really pretty tied to a bedframe, too. I might try that next as Christmas decor for my kids. Let me know if you try this simple project!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Amy Mogren (@ritualquiltcompany)