Tired of fairy wreaths that fall apart after your child has worn them twice? Make your own wreath that won't fall apart.
Supplies
- felt, fleece, quilt batting or some other non-fraying material
- sewable Velcro
- a variety of widths and colors of ribbon
- fake flowers
- jingle bells
- buttons
- scissors
- pliers and/or wire cutters
- needle
- thread
- thimble
- fabric glue (optional)
Directions
- Cut a strip of non-fraying material 4” wide and 24” long. This will be the headband. You may want to adjust the length to suit the person you are making it for. However, 24 inches adjusts nicely for most head sizes.
- Cut 10-20 pieces of ribbon to between 12 and 24 inches. Vary the lengths.
- Cut a 1” by 3” wide piece of Velcro (both the hook and loop closures).
- Fold the headband in half the long way to create a crease. Unfold.
- Sew the hook closure to the left-hand side of the headband on the lower half of the band below the fold. Sew the loop closure to the right-hand side of the headband on the upper-half of the band above the fold.Note: When attaching the Velcro, leave enough room for a narrow end seam on both sides.
- Cut a small square of non-fraying material into an inch square. Fold it in half. Insert the ribbons into the fold. Sew back and forth over the ribbons several times sandwiching them in the fabric. Trim excess ribbon from the top edge of the sandwich.
- Fold the headband in half the long way. Place the ribbons inside the fold beneath the loop closures. Be sure it is snug against the fold. Sew a 1/8” seam approximately all the way around the headband. Capture the ribbon sandwich in the top and bottom seam if possible.
- Dismantle the flowers by pulling off the stems and the plastic pieces that hold them together, keep the petal circlets and leaf groups. Discard all plastic material.
- Stack flower circlets until you have a nice flower. Place a few leaves beneath the flower. Start at one end of the headband and sew the flowers to the headband using the buttons as the center of the blossoms. The buttons will help anchor the flowers and leaves.
- Cover over the ribbon closure with leaves and a cluster of jingle bells.
- For extra durability, use fabric glue on the undersides of the flowers and buttons to secure the thread and stabilize the flowers.
Helpful Hints and Suggestions
- Jingle bells could be used for the centers of the flowers if you want louder tinkling from your wreath.
- Another tactic for the bells is to sew tiny flowers (with bells as the centers) amongst the larger, feature flowers. A jingle bracelet is easy to make with tiny flowers.
- Always start the sewing from the top/outside of the wreath and knot underneath the flowers so that the only sewing inside the headband is the stitching. This prevents the knots from rubbing and irritating the wearer’s head. It also makes it possible to hide most of the sewing and to secure the stitches with glue.
To make a complete costume, read How to Make a Fairy Costume.
Copyright Melissa Howard. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.
Melissa Howard - I am a stay-at-home Mom. My college education was in English and History and my last job was as a Technical Writer. Now that I ...
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