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June 30, 2013

DIY Burlap Bubble Wreath with Ribbon Rosettes

DIY Burlap Wreath: Tutorial with Ribbon for Natural Fall Decor | MardiGrasOutlet.com

Great texture, easy to use and inexpensive...all of these traits make natural, woven burlap a popular craft choice right now! A bubble burlap wreath  is an easy do it your self project using this versatile fabric. The natural 4" wide jute burlap ribbon used in this wreath project easily transitions from summer decoration to fall with the addition of harvest colored flowers (roses and rosettes). The complete tutorial is below with directions for not only the wreath, but also the precious rose accents.

Supplies for a DIY Burlap Burlap Wreath from  MardiGrasOutlet.com

SUPPLIES:   To purchase these products from www.MardiGrasOutlet.com, click on the individual product link below or click HERE to see a complete supply list.

COST/TIME
The cost to create this basic burlap wreath with a single color of ribbon roses is just $20.  A full roll of 10 yard burlap ribbon is needed to fill the wreath form.  The wreath took about 30 minutes to make, and the ribbon roses took an additional 30-45 minutes.
How to attach burlap to the wreath from
Step 1- Attach Ribbon to Wreath Form
Fold the burlap ribbon in half.  Then attach to the outside of your wreath form.  You can either weave a piece of floral wire through your ribbon layers and attach the burlap by twisting the wire around the outer ring, or you can simply tie a knot in the ribbon around the wreath form.

Step Two: DIY Burlap Wreath | MardiGrasOutlet.com
Step 2- Weave the Ribbon
Begin to weave the ribbon through the wire wreath form.  To make the weaving easier, we cut our ribbon role down from 10 yards, to 4 lengths of 2.5 yards each.  Weave the end from the outside towards the inside.  Do not pull the ribbon tight, leave a small poof of burlap to create the "bubble".



Step 3: DIY Burlap Wreath | MardiGrasOutlet.com
Step 3
Weave back towards the center and again over to the right hand side, making sure that there is extra ribbon pulled upwards to create each bubble and that the ribbon stays folded in half.



Step 4: DIY Burlap Wreath from MardiGrasOutlet.com
Step 4- Weaving
Weave above the inner ring, through the center, and then below the outer ring of the wreath form.  Follow the arrows on the photo above.



Step 5: Continue weaving the ribbon on the burlap wreath | MardiGrasOutlet.com
Step 5- Continue Weaving
Each 2.5 yard length of burlap ribbon should go a little less than 1/4 of the way around the wreath form.  Keep the loops as close together as possible without bunching, their rough texture will keep the loops in place.  The loops do not need to be of a uniform size, and if you've made a mistake in weaving, once you fluff the wreath those areas will become nearly invisible.



Attach the burlap rosette-Burlap Wreath tutorial by MardiGrasOutlet.com
Step 6- Add in Flowers
When you have made it to the end of the burlap ribbon, attach it to the work wreath by either tying a knot or wiring it the form as outlined in step 1.  There should be a gap of about 4-6 inches between the beginning and end of the burlap sections where the wire wreath form is exposed.  Here you can attach accessories, floral sprays, or ribbon and bows.  We'll show you in the next few steps how to create roses out of burlap that will fill the space easily.

Creating Burlap Ribbon Roses | MardiGrasOutlet.com

Step 7- Making Burlap Roses
  1. Cut a length of wired ribbon that is between 20 and 28 inches, (a longer ribbon makes a larger rose).
  2. Pull the wire out from one side of the ribbon.
  3. On the other side of the ribbon pull the wire out very slightly, less than a half of an inch, and fold it over, (this keeps the ribbon from slipping off of the wire in the next step).
  4. At the opposite end, carefully pull the wire out so that the ribbon begins to ruffle.  Now your ribbon should be bunched towards to the end of the folded over wire.
  5. Grasping the wired side of the ribbon, hold the base of your flower while rolling it up.  
  6. Once you have made a roll of ribbon, you can glue to secure, or simply cut an 8 inch piece of floral wire, and insert it through the base of the rose directly above the ribbon's wire.  Make sure to draw the floral wire through all the layers of the ribbon.
  7. Twist the wire ends together securely at the base.  Voila!  Now repeat the process to make many roses!  This technique will make a larger, more voluminous rose.
DIY Ribbon Rosettes with Burlap Ribbon | MardiGrasOutlet.com

Back view of the burlap ribbon wreath | MardiGrasOutlet.com

This is the how the back of your wreath should look.

Fluffing the burlap loops on the ribbon wreath | MardiGrasOutlet.com

Forming Bubbles- 
When you've finished constructing the wreath and adding flowers, the burlap will need to be fluffed.  Pull the ribbon outwards so that it is no longer in half.  
Natural  Burlap Wreath with burlap rose accents  | MardiGrasOutlet.com
This burlap wreath can easily translate from season to season. Use this method to create decorations for patriotic, rustic summer and natural fall harvest styles.

DIY Burlap Ribbon Wreath: Tutorial  | MardiGrasOutlet.com

Burlap Ribbon Wreath- Perfect for Fall Decor! | MardiGrasOutlet.com

Check out our upcoming post on how to make this ruffle style bow with 10" wide burlap ribbon.



June 10, 2013

Chevron Pattern Stencil: Free Printable

Printable Chevron Pattern Stencil and Ombre Tutorial by MardiGrasOutlet.com

We love chevron stripes! This new printable stencil allows us to add this fun zigzag pattern to any surface we want. Just imagine the possibilities!  Paint fabric, ribbon, table runners, gift bags, walls,  letters or any thing you can imagine using this easy stencil. Keep reading to see how easy it is to use this Chevron patterned stencil. We updated our plain burlap bunting banner with a chevron pattern and customized plain wooden decorative letters with a ombre chevron pattern. 

Chevron Stencil Tutorial:
Free Printable Chevron Pattern PDF

CHEVRON PATTERN PRINTABLE 



STEP 1: Download and Print Chevron Stencil
Click the link above to download the free printable Chevron Pattern stencil. You will need a PDF reader to open this file.(Click HERE for a free PDF reader from Adobe) 

Print out the page, using your desktop home printer or bring the file to a copy or print center. You can print them using regular copy paper or card-stock paper, which may create a better stencil.

For our Chevron Stripe project, we are going to make a no-sew burlap pennant banner with an ombre painted pattern.  For directions on how to make the banner, please see our previous post, DIY Burlap Pennant Banner.

Step Two- Free Printable Chevron Stencil Tutorial by MardiGrasOutlet.com
Step 2
After you have printed out a copy of the chevron pattern, place it underneath one of the burlap flags and make an outline with a dark marker.

Step Three- Free Printable Chevron Stencil Tutorial by MardiGrasOutlet.com
Step 3
With a small craft blade, cut out your stencil.  Be sure to have cardboard or a self-healing mat beneath the paper to keep your crafting area free from scratches.  Using the outline as a guide, cut out the stripes so that they reach out a little further than your marker lines.  Cut out the black stripes to create thin lines, and cut out the white stripes to create thick lines.

Step Four- Free Printable Chevron Pattern Stencil Tutorial by MardiGrasOutlet.com
Step 4
Once you have cut out all the stripes, place the stencil on top of your flag. Before you begin painting, make sure you have something underneath your flag and stencil to prevent paint from leaking through onto other surfaces.

Painting the Chevron Pattern Stencil - Tutorial  by MardiGrasOutlet.com

Step 5
Apply color!  You can either paint all of your stripes the same color or use an ombre effect (see below for a how to create an ombre color palatte).  Be sure to push down on the stencil or tape it to your surface of the burlap so you do not get paint under the stencil.  
 
If you are using solid colors, you can make each flag a different color or use spray paint to make the painting process even faster. Allow the paint to dry before hanging.
Completed Burlap Chevron Patterned Bunting- Tutorial by MardiGrasOutlet.com
 
 
Chevron Pattern Burlap Bunting using a free printable stencil from MardiGrasOutlet.com
Perfect for indoor parties and backyard gatherings, the basic burlap pennant banner is versatile and easy to personalize!  
 
Chevron pattern ombre stencil on decorative letters by MardiGrasOutlet.com
Here we used the same technique to paint a chevron pattern on our wooden decorative letters.  We used varying degrees of color, a technique called ombre. Using the chevron stencil, start off at the top zigzag stripe with the darkest color and move down to the lightest tint.
 
How to make an ombre color palette- Chevron Stencil Tutorial by MardiGrasOutlet.com
Ombre Effect: 
To create varying tints of paint, we used only two colors, one main color and white.  On your paint mixing surface, create 3 areas of your main paint and one of white.  Add a few drops of white to two of the paint dollops, one with a few more drops to create a lighter color and one with less.  Add just a tint of color to your white paint dollop and then you have created 4 shades of color in varying degrees, from dark with no white added to a light hue.

For more styles of decorative letters and numbers to paint, click here.

Custom painted decorative letters with ombre chevron pattern using free stencil from MardiGrasOutlet.com
Are you as in love with the chevron stripe trend as we are?  What are you going to paint with this Chevron Stencil Pattern?