Making a Ruffle Style Burlap Bow with 10" Ribbon

The beautiful way fabric looks gathered inspired us to combining two of our favorite things: ruffles and bows.  This new ruffle bow technique that can be used with wider ribbon and mesh creates a simple, pretty ruffled bow that shows off the natural burlap texture and uses less ribbon than traditional looped bows. The tutorial below shows you how to create this bow using a rich red that is perfect for fall or Christmas. This bow can be made in any ribbon or fabric for any season as long as the fabric is at least 9" wide.

SUPPLIES (click on the product name to purchase at www.mardigrasoutlet.com)

1.  9.5" Faux Burlap: Rust
2.  Wire or string options-

• Metallic Tinsel Roping
• Natural Jute/Twine
• Deco Flex Tubing Ribbon

3.  Scissors

 COST/TIME
The total cost  per bow would be about $4 each. This cost will depend on your supply choices. You can make about 3-4 bows from one 10 yard roll of burlap ribbon, depending on how full you make the bow loops and the length of the bow tails. The bow shown below is about 12 inches across and nearly 2 feet long.

Blended Burlap
Blended Burlap is a faux burlap material that is a great choice for outdoor decorations or for use with wet arts and crafts media. While natural burlap is made of jute and can not withstand the elements with out falling apart, this synthetic burlap is made with polyester and is safe to use outdoors.

You can follow these same steps, but use different colors of Deco Mesh or Burlap to make a custom bow for any holiday or occasion. Click here to see more color and pattern options in Burlap.

STEP 1
Cut a length of Burlap about 20-24 inches long.  Lay it lengthwise on a flat surface.

STEP 2
Begin to pinch and pull the burlap towards you, being sure to pinch the fabric tightly at the center.

STEP 3
Continue to pull the burlap towards you until you get to the end, making sure not to bunch.  You want a nice, even, ruffled effect.

STEP 4
Pinching the center tightly, secure the middle of the bow.  We used Tinsel Roping in Metallic Red because it is so easy to tie in other accents directly underneath or on top of the wire, and it adds a little extra shine to your project.  Be sure to leave yourself a few extra inches of tinsel roping on each end to making tying easier.

STEP 5
Add the tails to the top of the bow by cutting a length of burlap twice the length you would like each tail.  Then simply tie the center of the fabric underneath the center of the bow with the same tinsel roping.

STEP 6
Now you can trim the tails.  We folded our burlap in half and then cut upwards at a diagonal from the outside corners in order to make a split-tail style bow.  You can also simply cut the bow upwards at a diagonal from inside to outside to make a tail that is an angle cut.

This diagram shows you a few possibilities on how to trim your bows tails.

The finished Bow- Ready to hang!

Here we've used the bow on a burlap bubble wreath.  We trimmed the tails a little shorter and added some floral accents.  The tutorial on how to make this wreath can be found by clicking here.   

 

We would love to see how you use this burlap bow style in your decor!  Email us at ideas@mardigrasoutlet.com with your creative pictures.  Happy Crafting!

DIY Burlap Bubble Wreath with Ribbon Rosettes

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

• Box Wire Wreath Form: 16 Inch Round
• 4" Burlap Ribbon: Natural
• 2.5" Faux Burlap Ribbon

• 2.5" Faux Burlap: Fresh Green

• 2.5" Faux Burlap: Cream

• 2.5" Faux Burlap: Orange

• 24 Gauge Paddle Floral Wire: Gold, (optional)
• Scissors
• Hot Glue Gun

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.

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 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

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- 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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.  

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.

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

Easy DIY Deco Mesh Sunflower Wreath

 

Summer sunflowers are here along with warm, sunny days. We couldn't resist decorating our front door with a new summer inspired creation... the Deco Mesh Sunflower! This simple, pretty flower is easy to make and doesn't require any form! Keep reading to learn how to make one.

 

The pretty sunflower on our door as a alternative to a summer wreath!

Supplies

• 21" Poly Mesh Roll: Yellow
• 10" Poly Mesh Roll: Brown
• 3-4 Tinsel Ties w/50mm Balls: Brown
• Floral wire- We used 24 Gauge Floral Paddle Wire: Gold
• Scissors

Optional Supplies

• 21" Poly Mesh Roll: Brown and Gold
• 21" Poly Mesh Roll: Metallic Apple Green for the stem

Cost/Time

The basic one color Deco Mesh Sunflower costs $21, and there will be product left over, (about 8 of the tinsel ties and most of the 10" brown mesh.  The Deluxe version of the Deco Mesh Sunflower costs under $34, and you are able to make 2 sunflowers by using both the solid yellow mesh and the two-tone brown and gold.  Each sunflower took about 30 minutes to make.

Deco Mesh Sunflower Wreath Tutorial

Step 1- Cut the deco mesh petals

Begin by measuring out 24 inches of yellow mesh. Cut here and repeat. These curls of mesh will become the sunflower petals. To make an entire sunflower you will need 12 sections of 24" mesh.  The Deluxe Sunflower Wreath has  6 yellow mesh petals and 6 petals of brown  gold mesh.

Step 2- First layer of petals

Stretch each mesh petal at a diagonal to form its shape.  When you have 6 stretched out, grasp them in all in the center, and wire them together with a 9" length of wire.  If you are making a Sunflower with only one mesh color, then repeat the process so that you have two bundles of mesh petals.

 Step 3- Making More Petals 

We wanted our background petals to have a slightly different shape and dimension, so when we  created our darker mesh petals, we rolled the mesh at a diagonal, (instead of stretching it like we did for the bright yellow petals).  Cut 6 more lengths of mesh, each should be about 24" long, and roll them up.  

Step 4- Second layer of petals

When you have rolled up all 6 pieces, cut a long piece of floral paddle wire, about 18-24 inches, and twist it around the bundle of petals, then twist the ends of the wire to secure.  Do not trim the extra wire.

Step 5- Layer the two colors of petals together

Stack the two bundles of mesh on top of each other. The bottom bundle should have the extra long wires.  Bring the bottom wires up and over the top bundle, and twist to secure the two mesh colors together.  Leave the wires pointing upwards so that in the next step you can secure the center of the flower to the petals.

Step 6- Make the center

1. Cut 5 sections of mesh from the brown 10" wide roll. Each section is be about 9 inches long.
2. Roll up the mesh so that you have  short tube.
3. Twist an 8" length of floral wire around the center of each roll of brown mesh and twist to secure.
4. Grasp the wires of all 5 rolls and twist them together tightly.  This is now the Sunflower's center.

Step 7-Tinsel ties attach the center

Lay down 3-4 tinsel ball ties across the paddle wire coming out from the top of the sunflower- as shown.  Use the floral wire on the flower petals to secure the tinsel ties in the middle. Bring the paddle wire back underneath the sunflower, twisting the ends together one last time to make sure the entire sunflower is wired together.  Place the brown mesh curls in the middle of the tinsel ties.  Bring the tinsel ties up to the center of the brown mesh and twist them together in pairs.  This attaches the Sunflower's center to the petals.

 

What are tinsel ball ties? 

 

Tinsel Ties are a pair of metallic ball ornaments attached on each end to a flexible wire tinsel tie. Sold in sets of 12 ties, they come in an assortment of sizes and colors. They are great for adding in accents to wreaths, garland or Christmas trees. Here we use them to simulate the center seeds of a sunflower.  Click HERE to see all the styles of tinsel ties available.

 

Step 8- Create a stem

The final step is adding a stem, the "tail" of your wreath, which is optional.  Begin by cutting a length of the Metallic Apple Mesh, about 24" long.  Pull it at a diagonal to stretch out the mesh the same way you made the bright yellow petals.  On the underside of your sunflower should be the ends of paddle wire you used to secure the layers of your sunflower together.  Twist them together to form a circle.  This circle will give you something to hang your sunflower from.  Now pull about 8 inches of your "stem" through the wire circle, and tying a knot.  Cut one more length of green mesh, about 18 inches long, and tie it around the center of the stem.  It looks like leaves on the stem, but it also stops the stem from unfurling.

The finished Sunflower!

The Deco Mesh Sunflower Wreath is perfect for your front door, office decor, or to hang from gates and fences at home.  Deco Mesh will not get soggy in the rain, so its the perfect decoration to leave outside- even during summer showers!

Burlap Oval Twig Works Wreath Tutorial: 3 Wreaths in One!

Who says wreaths have to be round? Decorate your door with an unexpected oval wreath.This fun oval wreath is the perfect shape for a door.  From the basic oval burlap wreath, we created multiple looks, creating three wreaths from one. This gives you lots of options to bring you through spring and into summer with one basic wreath. 

Our wreath form. We used a 25" oval twig works wreath form. The twig works wreaths are basic wreath forms with twine like ties already attached so you can create natural looking door decorations. The ties and form are covered in mossy texture so they blend well with natural textures. These forms can be filled with poly deco mesh, burlap, ribbon, fabric or greenery (either real or silk). Click here for the complete selection of Twig Works wreath forms.

New poly burlap mesh.The new poly burlap "mesh" was the perfect companion for the twig works form. The natural texture of the vine form works well with textured fabrics like burlap and sisal. Poly burlap looks like natural jute burlap, but it is water resistant and safe to use outdoors. Traditional burlap will disintegrate over time in the sun and water so it is not well suited for outdoor wreaths. Poly Burlap is a good alternative.

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.

• 25" Twig-Works Oval Wreath Form
• 21" Poly Mesh Roll: Burlap
• Scissors

Optional accessories:

• 6" Sheer Two-Tone Organza Ribbon: Green/Blue
• 30" Peacock Eye Feathers
• Maidenhair Fern
• 3" Angel Vine Mossy Birds Nest
• 1.5" Lime Green and White Houndstooth Ribbon
• Sheet Moss on a roll.
• 4.75" Feather Butterfly Assortment
• 6" Sheer Two-Tone Organza Ribbon: Orange/Coral

COST/TIME

The cost of the basic poly burlap wreath is approximately $34. This does not include the optional accents shown below. Almost a full roll of mesh is used to fill the oval twig works wreath form.  The basic burlap wreath took under 30 minutes to make. With added accents, it should take less than one hour.

 Step 1- Gather the the Poly Burlap Mesh
Grasp the poly burlap on both sides and  gather toward the center. Make sure to gather and not bunch the mesh for fuller poofs.

Step 2- Attach the Burlap

Attach the poly burlap to the inside ring of the twig works wreath form by placing it into a wire tie and twisting.  The above animation shows how to twist the wire ties.

Move down the burlap mesh about 9".  More length will create more voluminous poofs, less length will create shorter, smaller poofs. Gather from each side again and insert this section into the next wire tie.

Step 3

Continue around the inner ring of the form- creating poofs and twist them into wire ties. Fill the entire   inner ring of the twig works wreath form.

Step 4- Transition to the outside ring

When you have attached the burlap into every wire tie and are back at the first set, move to the outside ring of the wreath form without trimming the burlap.

Step 5- Outer Ring

Repeat the same process of gathering and making poofs. Continue along the entire outside ring of the wreath form.

Step 6- Trim

When you get to the last set of wire ties, trim the burlap, leaving a few extra inches of length from the wire tie.  

The Finished Wreath!  Now its time to add accents!

Peacock Wreath 

Elegant accents layered on the rustic burlap create a pretty, peacock wreath. Add a bow made out of this sheer  Two-Tone Organza Ribbon in a turquoise-blue shade. Matching 30" Peacock Eye Feathers are layered in on the opposite side. 

  

Spring Wreath with Fern

Realistic looking lacy Maidenhair Fern adds a touch of spring time green to the natural burlap. A mossy
Angel Vine Birds Nest nestles in among the fern fronds. A bright lime green and white houndstooth printed ribbon competes the spring scene.

We love a monogram! Add your initial to your cute spring wreath creation with the new wood decorative letters and numbers that are available here. They can be personalized in tons of unique ways to coordinate with your decor or theme! Check back for our next blog post to learn how to make this fun spring moss decorative letters made with sheet moss on a roll (available here).

 Fluttering Butterflies Wreath

Bright butterflies alight on our natural burlap wreath for welcome pop of color. These Feather Butterflies come in an assortment of summer colors that match the sheer Organza Ribbon in a coral color that is woven through out the wreath.

Which burlap wreath is your favorite? 

Send a photo of your burlap wreath creations to ideas@MardiGrasOutlet.com. We would love to share it with our Pinterest or Facebook followers.