Sunday, November 20, 2011

DIY: Easy Circle Garland Tutorial



With my wedding coming up in April, I've been planning and testing out so many DIY decoration projects.  This was a little test run I did to make sure my idea of sewing the circle garland together (instead of gluing/taping) would work.. . and it did!  So easy and inexpensive and would be so great at any party. 

Enjoy!

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What you will need:
- Sewing machine
- Scissors
- Paper (the number of sheets is up to you)
- Matching thread
- Pencil
- Several objects with circular shaped bottoms of varying sizes (jars, canned food, etc)

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Step 1: Trace the bottoms of your circular shaped objects onto the paper

Step 2: Cut out the circles you traced  Tip: I found it was easiest to stack pieces of paper on top of each other while I cut, that way I'd be cutting out multiple circles at once (stacked paper shown in the 3rd photo).

Step 3: Keep cutting, cutting, cutting...  There's no set number on how many circles to cut out, it just depends on how long of a garland you want to make.  I definitely cut out way more than pictured below...




Step 4: Make sure you have your sewing machine set to a long stitch length (I set mine on 4).. A short stitch length could cause the paper to tear as you sew it.

Step 5: Pass your first paper circle under the presser foot, making sure to sew a straight line....

Step 6: Once the circle has come out from under the presser foot, continue letting your machine sew while gently pulling the paper circle out the back of your machine (3rd picture below).  This thread will be what sews your whole garland together..

Step 7: Once you feel that there is enough spacing for your next circle, go ahead and pass the next paper circle through the machine...  It's up to you how much spacing you want between each circle on your garland.  Personally, I varied the spacing and also alternated circle sizes to mix it up a little.  Keep repeating this over and over and over over over over over (you get the idea) until you run out of circles.




Step 8: After you sew through your last circle, continue to let the machine sew, to create a string for tying at the end of the garland.

Step 9: Cut the end thread to detach the garland and you're done!  So easy....  Now go hang it up somewhere!