Short on time? This easy burlap DIY will instantly add rustic charm

Burlap says rustic to most of us, but don’t think that in any way means unsophisticated. Consider this DIY burlap garland. Garlands add festive flair to wherever they’re hung, and they’re not just for the holidays. When you make a garland from burlap, as shown here, the result is a winning, if unexpected decorative partnership.
Burlap is a tried-and-true, budget-friendly design element that always elevates, but does so subtly. The antithesis of bling, it beautifies your space in an understated way, yet offers a blank canvas of sorts if you get the urge to embellish it further. We added twinkly lights to set off our garland, but you can add real or faux greenery, glue simple accents on it like mismatched buttons, or leave it beautifully, simply plain. When hung, the garland's extravagant folds add sumptuous texture that will make your mantel worthy of a double take, beautify your staircase, or serve as a charming mirror surround.
Advertisement
Materials
- Roll of 3-inch-wide burlap ribbon
- Small bowl of straight pins
- Roll of rope twine
- Scissors
- Embroidery needle
DIY Everywhere
Instructions
1. Unroll about 2 feet of burlap ribbon. Orient it so that it’s laid out horizontally.
2. Starting from the lower pointed corner end of the ribbon, fold it, so the corner meets the upper edge. The folded ribbon will form a triangle.
3. Fold the ribbon so the triangle you just created is on the underside of it. The point at which the triangle corner meets the upper edge is where you should fold it widthwise.
4. Now repeat step 2, but fold the ribbon to create a triangle starting at the upper pointed corner of the ribbon.
5. Repeat step 3.
6. Continue this pattern, performing steps 2-5 until all of the unrolled ribbon is folded in the triangular pattern.
Note: When this is done, you'll have many layers of triangles that have been folded into the burlap ribbon, and they'll be piled on top of each other.
7. Put three straight pins through the layers of triangles to prevent the folded triangles from unfurling. Place one pin in each corner of the triangles, so the pinheads form a triangle too.
8. Unroll a couple of feet of rope twine.
9. Cut the rope twine from the roll with the scissors.
10. Thread the rope twine through your embroidery needle.
11. Put the threaded needle through the center of the triangular layers of burlap ribbon, all the way through to the last layer.
12. Tie a knot at the end of the twine to keep it from slipping through the hole the needle made in the first layer of burlap.
13. Cut the burlap ribbon length that has the twine threaded through it from the roll with the scissors.
14. Cut any excess twine from the garland with the scissors.
15. Knot the freshly cut twine end, so the burlap folds stay securely in place.
16. Hang your burlap garland on your mantel or any other space that could use a dose of earthy elegance.
Advertisement
Resources