DIY Fabric Chain Garland

I love hosting a good party, but party decorations can be kind of expensive and a little too disposable for my budget. Which is why in college I developed a fabric chain garland that could be used over and over again for all my decoration needs. Today I'm going to share how you can make this awesome, and sustainable, party decoration for yourself. Using just a few simple ingredients and a little time. This is part two of the products I used to sell in my old etsy shop, you can see part one here.

Gather your supplies, you'll need: Liquid Starch, Fabric (I used old sheets), Fabric Glue, Card-stock, a Pen, Scissors, Ruler, an Iron, a clean sink or tub.

Your first step is to create your chain template. I like dainty, small rings so I kept my template to .75"x5.5" but really you can make them any size you want as long as they're a long rectangle. Once you've cut your template out set it aside for later.

Next, you'll want to grab your fabric and the liquid starch. You'll want to stiffen the fabric so that it will hold the link shape no matter how you hang your garland. Pour the starch into your tub or sink and soak the fabric thoroughly. Wring out any excess starch and hang the fabric out to dry. The fabric will need to be completely dry before you start the next step of the process.

Once the fabric is dry iron it flat, this should make the fabric extra stiff. Depending on the size of the fabric you're using this step could take awhile.

After your fabric is ironed flat use the template to outline your link shape. It takes about 60 links to make 10 feet of chain garland if you use my suggested size template. Once you've cut out your rectangles, you're ready to start making the links.

Using the fabric glue, draw a line of glue on the short end of the strip and create a loop so that the pattern is on the outside, and press together. You've now created your first loop. Next you'll link the chain together by threading the next fabric strip through the first loop and gluing it into a ring as well (see below). Continue this process until your chain is the desired length.

I highly recommend letting the glue set before lifting the chain garland or hanging it, as it can be a little fragile at first. Once the fabric glue is set your garland should be as strong as an ox and hang beautifully. Depending on the fabric you choose to use this garland would be perfect for a bridal shower, a fiesta, as birthday celebration, or just about any occasion. big kiss, bekuh