Sew Cute: Festive Streamers

I’m feeling festive. Maybe because it is, at long last, officially barbecue season, or maybe because these next few months are always packed with happy events. From graduations to weddings, May and June are party central. Those bubbly, happy feelings are contagious!

I put that fizzy energy to crafty use by making some easy, sweet party decorations. I wanted to put a spin on classic paper streamers, using gently frayed fabric and pretty ribbon to create something vintage-inspired with a good dose of modern quirk. My strand of streamers uses two colors of fabric, but you could use however many you want. Imagine how cute several strings of these would be draped across a window frame during a house party, or pinned along the edge of a table at your next cookout!

Materials:

• Fabric in two colors
• 5/8-inch wide ribbon
• Scissors
• Measuring tape
• Thread in a corresponding color to the two fabrics
• Safety pin
• Ballpoint pen
• Basic sewing needle or sewing machine
• Iron and ironing board

Craft away:

• Draw 4 rectangles onto each fabric, 12-inches long by 8-inches wide. Make sure you are lining up your rectangles along the grain of the fabric. To check this, separate a thread from the edge of the fabric, and measure your lines parallel or perpendicular to that line. Cut the rectangles out.

• Fold each rectangle in half, hamburger style (short end to short end). The rectangles should now measure 6-inches long by 8-inches wide. Iron each rectangle to set the folds.

• Using a needle and thread or a sewing machine, make a straight line of stitches across each folded rectangle of fabric. Sew 1-inch down from the fold. This will create a little pocket.

• Snip a series of small slits into the bottom, un-stitched edge of each rectangle, spacing them 1-inch apart.

• Using the slits as your guide, carefully rip the fabric up to the line of stitches.

• Cut a 7 1/2-foot piece of ribbon, and stick the safety pin through one end.
• Thread the ribbon through the stitched pockets at the top of each rectangle, using the safety pin as your guide. Alternate the colors of fabric to create a pretty pattern as you go.

• After you’ve threaded all of the fringed pieces onto the ribbon, remove the safety pin.
• Ta da! A pretty, shabby-chic strand of streamers, perfect for your next celebration.