How to Make a Felt Garland - Ruffled Rainbow Strip Garland

Steps

1. 1. Gather Felt Sheets, Thread and a Rotary Cutter

   Set out your felt sheets in every color you want. Katie has eight colors and two or more sheets of each, since she was not sure how much she would need.

   Tip: No rotary cutter? Sharp fabric scissors work. Cutting takes longer.

   

2. 2. Stack Two Felt Sheets on the Cutting Mat

   Lay one sheet on the mat and line a second one up on top of it. Cutting two at a time halves the cutting work.

   Tip: Line the felt up on a grid line of the mat. The ruler then sits square.

   

3. 3. Cut the Felt Into 1-Inch Strips

   Lay the quilting ruler over the felt with the edge on the one inch mark. Hold the ruler down firmly with your flat hand.

   Tip: Always close the rotary cutter blade when you set it down.

   

4. 4. Cut the Felt Strips Into 3-Inch Pieces

   Turn the ruler crosswise over the strips and cut them every three inches. Keep the strips together so one cut does several at once.

   Tip: Toss the cut pieces into one big pile so the colors mix as you string.

   

5. 5. Pull Off a Long Length of Garland Thread

   Pull off a long piece of cotton thread, as long as you want the finished garland plus some extra. One long piece means you never have to join two threads in the middle.

   Tip: Fold the thread back on itself a few times to keep it under control.

   

6. 6. Pinch Each Felt Piece and Pierce the Center

   Pick up a felt piece and pinch it in the middle so the long sides fold toward each other. Push the needle straight through the center of that pinch.

   Tip: Go through the fold, not near an edge, so the felt does not tear free.

   

7. 7. Keep Stringing Felt Pieces Onto the Thread

   Keep pinching and stringing, grabbing colors at random from the pile. Every few inches, slide the pieces down so they pack tight together.

   Tip: String several pieces on the needle, then pull them down the thread at once.

   

8. 8. Tie Off the End of the Felt Garland

   Once the last piece is on, pull the thread as tight as you can so the pieces sit snug. Push the needle back through that last felt piece.

   Tip: A dab of fabric glue on the final knot makes it permanent.

   

9. 9. Trim or Leave a Hanging Tail on the Garland

   Decide how you will hang it. To tie the garland to hooks or a headboard, leave a tail of thread at this end to match the one at the start.

   Tip: Leave tails about 6 inches long. That is enough to tie a bow.

   

10. 10. Measure the Finished Felt Garland

    Lay the garland along a yardstick to see how long it is. Katie's measured 81 inches from 18 sheets of felt.

    Tip: For a long garland, measure in sections and add them up.