YouTube | blip.tv | MP4 | Subscribe in iTunes

This week, Etsy How-Tuesday presents Cary Walker aka littleloveblue. Cary shows us how to make a holly leaf and berry garland out of felt. This simple but elegant project makes a great gift or a holiday decorating project to do with family and friends.

Materials Needed:

• Holly leaf pattern
  •  Download it here, or draw your own
• Green wool felt (or felted wool from sweater, etc. as long as it's fairly sturdy)
• Red wool roving
• Felting needles
• Felting pad
• Scissors
• Pins
• Thread (red for the berries, and a color to match your ribbon choice)
• Sewing needle
• Tape measure
• Ribbon (at least 2 yards)
• Small bells (optional)

Steps for Making Felt Garland

1. Cut out your leaf pattern from the paper.
2. Pin the pattern to your wool felt and cut out the leaf.
   
   • Repeat this step until you have 12 leaves.
3. Pull off a small amount of wool roving and then roll it into a ball about the size of a berry.
4. Using a needle felting needle, poke the ball many times over a needle felting pad, until it holds together firmly in the shape of a berry.
   
   • Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you have 18 berries in total.
5. Thread the red color thread onto a sewing needle and sew three of the berries together, leaving the needle and thread attached to the berries (for now).
6. Gather two holly leaves and overlap them slightly at the top. Take your red thread through the two layers of leaves, attaching the berries to them. Bring the thread back and forth through the each berry to secure them well.
   
   • Try to come through the same place in the back of the leaves each time, to make it neater.
7. Knot the thread in the back of the leaves and cut the thread.
   • Repeat steps 5-7 until you have 6 sets of leaves and berries.
8. Measure at least 2 yards of ribbon. Starting about 12 inches from one end of ribbon and using the thread that matches, sew a set of leaves and berries onto the front of the ribbon.
9. Continue attaching each set, about 8 inches apart on the ribbon, knotting and re-threading your thread and needle for each one.
10. Make a 2 inch loop at each of the ribbon and sew those in place as well. You can make more sets of leaves and berries, and use longer ribbon to make your garland as long as you like.
11. Hang your garland and enjoy!

Watch more how-to videos and check out these how-to projects too!