Love me some RUFFLES!

I recently came acrossed this picture of a ruffle wreath and LOVED IT.  So I tried making my own version of it using some left over corduroy fabric I had from making my kitchen curtains.  And I ended up with this beauty!!

I absolutely LOVE how it turned out.  I had fun making the flowers and was so happy that my mom sent me a burlap potato sack from home a couple of months ago and told me to see if I could make things out of it.  I loved how the burlap accents the flowers and it originated in Idaho!!

I will now try my hand out on giving a tutorial on how I made it.  Hopefully it is clear enough and you can make your own version for yourself!!

Step 1: Cut 2" wide long strips of your fabric of choice to cover your wreath.
Mine was a 12" wicker type wreath I bought at the dollar store.  Apply hot glue to your fabric a little bit at a time, then wrap around wreath.  Repeat until entire wreath is covered.

Step 2:  Cut your fabric the width that you would like your ruffles to be. 
I cut mine 4" wide and foot long. Then using a basting stitch on your sewing machine sew down the length of one side of your fabric with 1/2" allowance on the side.  You do not need to backstitch on this.  After you sewed down the one side then pick one string from your thread and pull to start making your ruffles appear.  I used two different threads to sew with for two reasons.  1. I wanted a stronger thread on top that would not break as easily when I pulled on it to make the ruffles.  2.  It makes it easier to see which thread you are pulling and then you can pull from both the top and bottom of the fabric.

Keep pulling the fabric till your ruffles look like this

Step 3:  Hot glue your ruffle around your wreath. 
Apply the hot glue to the fabric along the top and wrap overlaying your ruffles.  Repeat making ruffle fabric pieces and gluing them to your wreath till she is all covered in beautiful, fluffy, ruffles!!

Step 4: Accessorize your wreath!

I twisted the bottom of a square piece of burlap and hand sewed it to keep the twisted look in place and hot glued it on.  Then I placed three flowers and a bit of extra ribbon to put on top of that.  I made two different kinds of flowers. 

1. Fabric flowers

Using a t-shirt that I haven't worn in like forever, I used this tutorial to make the cream fabric flower.

http://emilys-little-world.blogspot.com/2011/02/how-to-make-t-shirt-fabric-flower.html

2. Ribbon Flowers

First cut a circle out of felt of the size you would like your flower to be.



Then make a knot at the end of your ribbon.  This will be the center of your flower.  Hot glue the knot  and any extra ribbon on the end in the middle of the felt circle.  Then twist the ribbon and hold while you place hot glue around the knot and then secure your twisted ribbon down on top of the hot glue.  Twist ribbon, glue, and secure all the way around till you are at a point to cut the ribbon off, and glue down the end.  I  used a match to burn the end of the ribbon so I wouldn't have to worry about any fraying then I glued it down.  And you now have a gorgeous ribbon flower to accessorize with!


Hopefully this tutorial was helpful!!  I ended up putting my wreath over a mirror I have in my living room and I get to smile at it all day now!!