Christmas ribbons are so beautiful! I love their designs, their shimmer… Abakhan, a fabric and crafts company based in the UK, sent me a roll of gorgeous Christmas ribbon this week, and I went right to work as I already had a design in mind.
Borrowing from ribbonwork concepts, I had imagined a circle of leaves made of wire ribbon. Abakhan’s ribbon was perfect for this project, as it had a green center, with extra wide gold borders, and it was very pliable, making it easier to shape the leaves (the ribbon I used is called Green Gold).
To make this Christmas wall hanging, here is what you will need:
1 roll Christmas-themed ribbon, 1.75″ wide
quilting thread or other strong thread of matching color
needle
1/2 yd cording for the center
Background fabric
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| Start by folding the ribbon, right sides together (this is how you will fold it from here on), so you will end up with a three-inch fold. Pin it as shown above. |
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| Using a running stitch, sew the ribbon from bottom right to top left, making sure to end about 1/4″ below the edge of the border. |
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| Fold the ribbon back over the seam line as shown. You sew below the border edge so you can fold back that edge and make a nice leaf tip. |
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| Make another 3″ fold next to the first leaf. You do not need to cut the ribbon after each leaf – this way you can add as many leaves to the circle as you want. Be sure to make each fold as shown above, to ensure the reverse side of the ribbon is always on the outside, and the right side of the ribbon as inside the fold. When you open the leaf, the correct side will show. |
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| Sew it as you did the first one. |
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| To ensure the leaves stay open when you are done, fold out the corner between each leaf… |
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| … pin and sew it right where it meets the leaves, using a diagonal line. |
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| Continue folding, sewing, and pinning the leaves in the same fashion until you have the number of leaves you want, or until the circle will lay flat when you set it down on your working surface. |
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| This is what the project looked like as I was working on it. Notice how I pinned the leaves so they would be keeping their shape, and would also stay out of my way as I worked. Looking nice! |
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| When you have made the needed number of leaves, cut off the ribbon, turn the project upside down, and sew together the beginning and the end of the ribbon, as you did in between each leaf. |
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| One by one, unpin the leaves and trim extra material, leaving a 1/4″ seam. Repeat for the folds in between leaves. This will help the circle of leaves to lay flat. |
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| What do you think so far? |
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| Pull the cording through the center of the circle, and tack it to the leaves as you fill the center with it. |
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| I am using contrasting thread so it will show better on the photos. However, you should use maching thread so your tacking stitches won’t show. |
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| Here it is, completed. I could have added a couple more leaves… Now, choose a contrasting background fabric (felt, wool, cotton)… |
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| … tack down the tip of each leaf and the center, frame it, finish the edges of the fabric with blanket stitches, or add a fabric border, and you are ready to hang it! |
You could make larger leaves and end up with a wreath. Add small christmas ornaments to the middle… The possibilities are endless!
Enjoy the season!
Thank you for the tutorial! I am always trying to fold ribbon and make a mess of it.