Fabric Garland

I always loved the idea of making a fabric garland for the nursery.  Problem was, I managed to fill up all of the walls in Blake's new room.  I decided to make one anyway, and worry about placement later.

Fabric
I used complementary cotton fabrics, and a few lace pieces thrown in for fun.  I have seen this done so many times with lace, burlap, ribbon, etc. that the options are really endless.  The one thing to keep in mind is that a satin ribbon knot doesn't keep tight like a cotton knot, so it may come loose once you are finished.

Length
I purchased each fabric to measure 4ft long.  I wanted the garland to hang 2ft on either side, with an option to trim it once I found a place to hang it.  My best recommendation is to err on the side of caution and buy it longer than you think you need since you cant add-on length once its cut.

Cutting
After a little trial and error, I found the most efficient way to cut the fabric is to fold the fabric over into quarters.  Then lay a sample size strip on top and make your cuts.  This made the cutting step speed by. And don't stress about the strip not being a perfect straight line as it will blend in once its hung up.

Knotting
Fold the fabric strip in half over a rope.  I used a 1/4in thick white rope, but you can really use any type of rope, twine, or even a straight piece of wood.  Loop the long end of the strip thru the circular part of the fabric that is resting on the rope, and then pull the strip thru making a knot.  Make sure to pull each strip tight, and keep all knots facing the same direction.

Finished product
I brought the finished garland to Blake's nursery to see where it could work best.  First, I draped the garland over a window, but realized it covered up too much of the natural light.  I then considered hanging it on the front of the crib, but had nightmares of Blake unhooking it and choking himself with it.  I even considered rearranging the furniture and décor in his room until I realized that was just plain crazy.  After weeks of the garland collecting dust in my room, I finally found the perfect hanging spot -- the back of the door.  I hung it high enough out of Blake's reach (for now at least) and its visible from all 4 corners of his room. 

I hung some additional décor inside the garland to add visual interest.  I painted a letter B the same color as our DIY Alphabet Canvas, and then hung a cute ceramic sign from a star to complete the look.