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Easy Crepe Paper Ruffles

Crepe Paper Ruffled Garland

There are thousands of how to’s and tutorials on making crepe paper ruffles.  But really it is easy to make this gathered garland.  Each tutorial out there offers many good tips, like gather foots, pleating etc.   But in reality if you can thread a sewing machine (or con someone into threading it for you) and press the foot you can get a ruffle.  You don’t really even need to be able to sew straight.  It is that easy.  Plus who isn’t thinking about feminine ruffles and dainty pink items on Valentine’s day?

So if you want to make these crepe garlands follow along:

Crepe Paper Ruffled Garland

 

Supplies

  • Crepe Paper Streamers
  • Thread
  • Sewing Machine
  • Wine/Beer/Mixed drink (Just a suggestion for most crafts)

Step 1

Grab some extra crepe paper streamers.  Especially if you have hand-dyed yours, use some extra at first because you will need to play with two settings on your machine.  One is the length of the stitch and the second the thread tension.  I set the length pretty long and the tension high.  When you get it right the paper will come out the back automatically ruffled as you sew.  The tension will also make your ruffles tighter or looser.  Just pick what you like.

Sewing Machine Settings
I bet this is the most exciting picture you have ever seen in a tutorial.

Step 2

Start the crepe paper a little past the presser foot.  You waste a little paper but it keeps it from getting stuck in the feeders.  Then “Sew, Sew like the wind” (Please tell me someone else is a fan of the Three Amigos).  The last picture demonstrates how to hold two different colors together and sew off the roll.  Doubling the crepe paper makes a thicker ruffle.  I like to mix a light and dark color together.  Yep, it really was that easy.

Creating crepe paper ruffles
Easy as 1, 2, 3.

Variations On The Theme

While, it is very easy to make these ruffled crepe paper garlands.  You still have the option of adding some variation to them.  Here are two different options Fringed Ruffle Garland and Twisty Ruffle Garland:

Fringed Ruffle Garland

Take the completed ruffle garland and fold it in half.  Make tons of tiny snips down each side making sure to leave the middle intact.  The ruffles will cause some little pieces to be snipped out but it adds an overall fluffiness to the crepe garland.  You can see the completed fringed garland in the first picture, the top one in pink.

Creating Crepe Ruffled Fringe
Yeah those are some awesome fringing scissors. If you are doing more than a few feet they are totally worth the $12 investment.

Twisty Ruffle Garland

Simply move the stitches back and forth as you sew.  This makes the garland automatically twist around when you hang it.

Twisty Crepe Ruffle
This is a good one to do if you happen to not be able to sew straight or you imbibed any of the wine listed in the above supplies.

 

See it really was easy.  No pulling threads or special presser feet.  Just crepe paper, wine, and someone to thread the dang machine.

Want to see what you can do with all this crepe paper?  Check out the inspiration for this tutorial in my Spring Garland Post.

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This post was submitted to 504 Main. Where you can find more create crafts, DIY, and recipes.

 

 

2 thoughts on “Easy Crepe Paper Ruffles

  1. So pretty! I love these!

    1. Thanks for stopping by!

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