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Monday, February 27, 2012

{diy} st. patrick's day garland

We're kinda proud of our sliver of Irish heritage in this house.  St. Patrick's Day is Brian's favorite holiday.  He's a big fan.  We're going to be in the middle of moving for this year's St. Patty's Day, but you will usually find us at a parade, wearing green, with beer in hand.  Yep, even when I'm pregnant (but without the beer of course...mostly).
And usually that parade is in Chicago, the best city (outside of Dublin) to celebrate St. Patty's Day.  Don't argue with me, you Bostonians.  Just don't.

Wow, I got wildly off track of the garland, but here we go.  I made garland this year for our mantle, and thought I'd share how I made it.  It was super duper easy!
First I went through what I already had, and I STILL have a ton of scraps from that drop cloth I used for my Christmas tree skirt.  So that is what I used for the little pennants.  You'll also need the following:

Green fabric scraps (or like mine, green patterned)
Green yarn
Green felt stickers (or you could glue small shamrocks if you can't find stickers)
Embroidery needle
Tape
Scissors and/or rotary cutter
1. Cut your fabric to the size pennant you would like.  I did about 3x4 inches.  First I cut vertically with scissors.
2.  Then I cut horizontally with the rotary cutter.  But you could do that with scissors too.  I was not very exact in the measurements, I just did them roughly the same. 
3.  I ended up with 16 rectangles, then cut little triangles out of the bottom to make them pennant shaped.  Is that the right term for them?  I know pennants can be triangles, too...
4.  I gathered up the rest of my garland making items!
5. I stuck these little felt stickers on each pennant.  I found them in the dollar section at Jo-Anns and knew I'd think of SOMETHING, so I bought them on a whim.  Yes, I am the person that marketers target when they place dollar bins near the checkout.  Guilty.
6.  Cut your green scrap fabric into strips.  Mine are roughly 1 to 2 inches wide by 4 to 6 inches long.  I was not exact at ALL. 
7. Tape the end of your yarn so that you can thread it through the embroidery needle.  Cut off the taped end when it's been threaded through.
8.  Sew the yarn through your pennants.  I did only an entry and exit stitch, but you could stitch all across the top if you have a lot of time to kill.
9.  After all your pennants have been strung, tie your fabric scraps between each pennant.  I only did one knot each so that I could slide them on the yarn to arrange them once they were hung. 
Hang them anywhere in your home that needs an Irish touch!  These were really quick and easy.  And I think they are as cute as can be for the effort.
Enjoy!  And don't forget:  everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day!

6 comments:

  1. These are great for creating those Irish smiles.

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  2. As usual, so adorable. :) I think I'm possibly 1/87th Irish, so if Second Baby is here by St. Patrick's Day, you can bet your britches that I'll be drinking a beer. ;)

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    1. Thank you! Hope you can tilt one back this year!

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  3. Love it! So fun and festive. I am very much Irish and I love St. Party's Day. I can't deal with the craziness of the celebrations in Boston these days but beer and my grandpa's soda bread recipe always make an appearance. Those green wigs are too funny!

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    1. They can be crazy! And since having kids we have to keep it a little low-key and stick to smaller town parades. But I do miss the craziness a little :) Oh, feel free to share that soda bread recipe, m'kay?

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  4. So darn cute! The fabric scraps were a really great touch!

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