Creative articles about sewing

Easy instructions for sewing a decoration from paper

Dear community,
in this blog post you can find easy instructions for sewing a lovely decoration from paper – perfect for Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

Girlande im Gegenlicht am Fenster

Every year Christmas arrives quite suddenly and I find myself still without traditional decorations. If you’re the same way, this lightning-fast decoration idea in today’s Advent calendar window may be just right for you. I am brave enough to guarantee that this project will be a success. Seriously, it always works! And it is also a great opportunity to introduce children to the sewing machine without having to raid your fabric supplies…

You will need

  • Paper (a small inspiration from Upcycling or simply buy extra: construction paper, wallpaper scraps, gift wrap, old postcards/photos, paint swatches from the hardware store, …)
  • Sewing thread (color-coordinated or however you like)
  • Sewing machine
  • Branch / twig (parents of small children can simply select one from the stick collection of their little sprout, the rest of you may want to take a short walk in nature) Optional: Punching die (A circle cutter or a craft knife with triangles cut out would also work. Household scissors can also be used to cut out free shapes – just please do not use the good fabric scissors!)

Ausgestanzte Papierformen

Preparation

Got your branch picked out and paper ready to go? Then let’s get started. Grab the punch, the circle cutter, and the other supplies.
Just really let loose with the punch, because we need a lot of cut out material. 

If you want something a little more grandiose, why not reach for the glitter, color-gradated thread, and other fun items?
Use anything that tickles your fancy, as long as it is suitable for the sewing machine.

 

Sterne zur Girlande nähen

Sewing

Select a straight stitch (2.5 mm for me) and set the sewing machine at a slow pace – especially if a child will be using it! 

Sterne auf Backpapier kleben

Sew the cut out shapes one after the other into a long garland. It is important to keep a little distance between the individual parts so that the parts can move freely afterward.
Laminated paper can be glued onto parchment paper with a removable (!) adhesive strip.
Make sure that there is enough thread at the beginning or end of each garland to tie onto the branch. Maybe you would like to finish off the lower end with a small wooden bead?

fertiges Mobile aus genähtem Papier

If you would rather spare the branch, the light garlands can easily be attached to the top of the window frame with a small adhesive strip. And if you use punched out stars or snowflakes, the garland looks downright wintery. An extra long garland is beautiful stretched across the whole room and is also a great idea for birthdays and other celebrations. Those, too, somehow always sneak up on you.

Geschenke verpacken

Tiny punched stars can be sewn into a line and then wrapped around presents. 

Geschenke verpacken

When our son was a baby, I decorated the ceiling above the diaper changing table with these very same garlands. They make an interesting visual focal point to fascinate your baby! 

Wishing you a merry Christmas season and hoping you enjoy the sewing project!

 

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