Burlap (hessian) wreath tutorial–long post!

I have been admiring Christmas wreaths these past couple of weeks and love all the natural materials that are in vogue at the moment.  Having some left-over hessian ‘ribbon’ (for want of a better word) from my gardening pursuits, I thought I’d design my very own wreath.  Would you like to make one too?

It only took a couple of hours to make with limited supplies and very little sewing!  I finished my wreath off with a purchased decoration, but the opportunities are endless.  At the end of this tutorial I will give you some ideas for finishing the wreath in different ways!

Vikki’s Hessian ribbon wreath

Finished size:  22inches (56cm) round

Here is what you will need:

Note:  I purchased the 2in-wide hessian ‘ribbon’ (I’m not sure of its official name) from Bunnings (garden centre).  It is used for tying trees to posts, etc.  It cost in the region of $10-$15 Aussie dollars and came on a 25m roll.  The terms Hessian and Burlap mean the same thing – so for the purpose of this tutorial I will just refer to it as hessian.

Doll needle:  You don’t necessarily need a doll making needle for this project, I have used one for the tutorial as it is more visible in the photos.  You will however, require a needle of sufficient length (2in or more) to travel through several layers of hessian at a given time.

Metal ring:  I purchased the 12in (30cm) ring from Spotlight in Australia, but I’m sure they are available in most craft stores.

Let’s begin!

I placed a sheet of white paper beneath my quilting ruler to show the markings more clearly.  Unroll the burlap ribbon and place the raw edge at the ‘start point’ as pictured.  Measure to 5in then fold the ribbon back over on itself and back to the start point.

Then, fold the ribbon on top of itself again and measure to the 3.5in mark.

Repeat the same process for the final time, measuring to the 1.5in mark.

Carefully hold the folded hessian on the innermost-curl (see photo below), and place the metal ring between the outer and middle ‘curls’.

I will now refer to this folded hessian strip as a ‘leaf’.  Secure it to the ring as follows:

Tip:  You will need a really big knot!  I used doubled thread in my needle just because I didn’t have any stronger thread at the time.  If you are having trouble with your knots pulling through – try this method:  Thread the needle with a long length of thread (14in is a good length).  Double the thread by matching the two ends; knot the tail end.  Then…

Okay, so you have made and secured your first ‘leaf’.  Now to make another 17 more…

Maybe its time for another gingerbread latte and mince pie????

All 18 leaves attached – the hard work is done!  Now to give some fullness and structure to the wreath…

Snip each raw edge evenly just a couple of times, it helps the hessian to splay better.

Unroll the hessian ribbon and begin threading it through each middle curl.  Continue until you return the start, then overlap and make a cut.

Overlap the two ends and tuck the uppermost raw end in to the closest ‘curl’.

Make a few holding stitches with needle and thread…

Now repeat the same process and thread another round of hessian ribbon through the outermost curls in the same manner.

Once you are done it is time to attach a hanging loop to the top back.

Embellishing!!

I personally love a red and white colour scheme with neutrals.  For a quick and easy embellishment you could raid your button stash to decorate.

Try out different layouts until you find one you like.  I’m loving the white!  Ooh – snowflake buttons or scrapbook cut-outs would look amazing in little clusters!

Perhaps you love the country look and opt for stitching or gluing on a berry garland to the centre?

Or if you’re really short of time, hang a favourite ornament from the top centre of the inner circle?

If you sew (as opposed to gluing) objects on to the wreath, you have the option to remove them and change your design each year!  That’s what I plan to do!

Happy crafting! 

I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial? Please send in photos of your finished wreaths as I’d love to see them!  If you decide to share this tutorial or post pictures on your blog, please link back to this post.  Thank you!

Design and tutorial © Vikki Collumbine, SEW Useful Designs 2014

I have two other Christmas tutorials you may enjoy!  Just click on the images to take you to the tutorials

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