{create} festive garland

I have one more easy and fun holiday craft to share with you. I've been really loving garlands all year ... they just make any space so festive!And of course, what we're looking for around this time of year is festive. Simple festive.

So when I saw West Elm's simple and beautiful holiday garland, I sprung into action. I knew I needed a garland in my house, and as it turns out, I now have two! Instead of silver though, I opted for a red base to better match my other decor colors.

First, on our tree. I wanted a different look for our tree this year, and the red garland paired with silver, sparkly balls is perfect.

Second, strung across a window to add a festive vibe to our holiday party this weekend! Post party this lovely garland will most likely move to the fireplace.

How to make? It's so easy! First, I started by cutting out a million little red circles. I'm not really exaggerating. These circles are a little over an inch in diameter (traced from a small measuring cup) and I stopped cutting when I'd gone through a yard and a half of felt. (Pop in a fun holiday movie ... it makes the time go by much quicker!) I had no idea if it was enough, but figured I could add more later. Luckily, it was just the perfect amount.

Then I cut out just under a million pieces of festive paper. Okay, it was way less than that. I just wanted the paper to add touches of fun throughout the garland.

Then I just ran them all through a sewing machine, on straight stitch, one by one. You can see in the above pic that there are no spaces between the circles. I didn't want this to be a super time consuming project (you know, once the felt was all cut!), so I sewed the paper to the fabric all at one time. Sidenote: Have you tried sewing on paper? I love it! Check out the fun Christmas project I worked on last year with sewn paper. And, important to note: wrapping your garland around a toilet paper roll as you go will decrease your changes of a tangled knotted mess. Don't say you weren't warned! :)

Happy friday friends!