polka dot garland tutorial

I promised I'd share how I made the garlands hanging from the trees at my craft fair table. They were easy and fun to make and after the show I came home and hung them in my front window and from my mantle.

Makes it feel like a party.

First you need some heavier paper. I used double-sided card stock from a collection of Amy Butler papers that I had in my stash. Using paper that has designs (or color) on both sides ensures that as the circles sway and turn, you'll always have a pretty design facing forward.

Next, cut out your shapes. I made  1 3/4 inch circles using a paper punch but you can choose any shape and cut them by hand if you desire.

(Note: if you're shopping for paper punches, avoid the kind that you squeeze like a pair of scissors. I purchased one and needed to return it because it wouldn't cut through any thickness of paper).

After you have a good collection of circles, it's time to connect them into a garland.

To do this I used my sewing machine. Simply sew through the center of your circle and once it's traveled through, grab hold of it and gently guide the circle away from your machine until you're ready for the next one.

Then continue to feed more circles under the needle. You can be very exact about spacing or be more approximate (I just eyeballed it).

Once you've reached your desired length, lift up your presser foot and pull out some extra thread and you're finished and ready to drape your garland wherever it will bring you Joy.

One word of warning, these tangle very easily, so be careful when you're handling them.