A few weeks ago, I found out that farmhouse decor is all the rage. If thereโs anything Iโve been creating my entire life – since I lived in a farmhouse as a child – is Farmhouse Chic decor. And so I went on a search to find people who were already offering instructions. I found Annieโs Kit Clubs and ordered a trial Creative Woman kit – farmhouse garland with napkin rings. Totally worth it.
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I already had an idea of how to make garland and napkin rings, but I definitely learned something new with this process. And then I went back to my way, because it is what I am used to.
Iโm so excited to teach you how to make your own farmhouse garland and napkin rings, but if thatโs not your thing, Iโve made some for my shop. Feel free to purchase what I have made, grab an Annieโs Kit, or scroll to learn from me.
What Youโll Need
There is no perfect or common length for the garland, but I have found that I like making it 47 inches, and my tassels tend to come in at 3 inches, for a grand total of 53 inches when finished. Weโre going to work with my measurements.
For a 53-inch garland, youโll want
- 53 inches of jute or cotton twine for the garland
- 350 inches of jute or cotton twine for the tassels
- 82 16mm wooden or glass beads (or both)
Or - 54 20mm wooden or glass beads (or both)
Or - Any combination of beads that you love that will give you the length of garland you want.
For 4 napkin rings with a 2-inch opening, youโll want
- 16 inches of jute or cotton twine for the ring
- 350 inches of jute or cotton twine for each of the tassels
- 12 x 4 (48) 16mm wooden or glass beads (or both)
Or - 7 x 4 (28) 20mm wooden or glass beads (or both)
Or - Any combination of beads that you love that will give you the 2-inch ring opening that you need.
For Both, youโll want
- Super glue
- Acrylic paint in your favorite colors – preferably matte (chalkboard) or semi-matte
- Paint brush
- Rinse water
- Paper towels
- Bamboo skewers or chopsticks
- Cups to act as drying racks
- #16 yarn/tapestry needle
Or - Any kind of tape to wrap around the end of the twine to make it strong enough to string beads
- Scissors
The thing I love most about making this kind of decoration is that you can inexpensively make several of them and give them away as gifts. They are also a super-easy way to spruce up your space seasonally without having to spend a lot of dough or time recovering the sofa. This entire project can usually be completed in a few hours, including dry time for the painted beads.
What I did differently from Annie
- I did not sand my beads, because I like the rough texture. Feel free to get a small grit sandpaper or emery board to sand the roughness off, if you like
- I did not use her color scheme, and chose a seaside theme instead
- I only wrapped my tassels 21 times, and I did 3 inches, not 4
- My garland is almost twice as long as hers
- I did not paint every bead. Feel free to paint or not paint as many beads as you like
Farmhouse Garland + Napkin Rings
Equipment
Supplies
- 100 feet Twine Jute or Cotton is best
- 130 16mm wooden beads
- 1 bottle acrylic paint any color
- 3 x 5 cardboard or thick object with the same approx. dimensions
Instructions
Garland
- Decide how many beads you want painted, put them on skewers and paint
- Leave on skewers, and place skewers on cup/bowl/vessel to dry
- Cut 53 inches (135 cm) twine
- Wrap one end with clear tape, with the length of the tape running down the twine, so it mimics a needle (or just use your tapestry needle)
- Loosely knot one the opposite end of the twine, about 3 inches (8 cm) from the end
- String 82 beads in the pattern of your choosing
- Loosely knot the twine on the end you used for or as your needle
- Set aside and move on to the napkin rings
Napkin Rings
- If you haven't already, repeat steps 1 & 2 above.
- Cut 4 16-inch (40 cm) lengths of twine
- Wrap one end with clear tape, with the length of the tape running down the twine, so it mimics a needle (or just use your tapestry needle)
- Loosely knot one the opposite end of the twine, about 2 inches (5 cm) from the end
- String 12 beads in the pattern of your choosing on each of the 4 lengths of twine, making sure to string back through your first bead, so that both ends come out the same side of the bead
- Loosely knot the twine on the end you used for or as your needle
- Set aside and move on to the napkin rings
Tassels
- Tape one end of the twine to the 3 x 5 cardboard
- Wrap 21 times, so that it ends on the same side as it started
- Tape that end, cut, move over a bit on the card and repeat 5 more times
To Add The Tassels On The Garland
- Tighten the knots, making sure to leave a bit of room so the beads can move around a little as they're arranged
- Wrap one end under one of the tassel wraps, and slide it to the edge of the cardboard that opposite the cut ends, and tie it in a tight double-knot, making sure the tassel is as clos to the beads as possible.
- Repeat for the other side
- Place a dot of super glue over the knots where they tie together and set aside to dry for a few minutes
- Take a 12-inch (30 cm) length of twine, and wrap it around your tassel, securing it by tying it off in a double knot. Super glue this and set it aside to dry for a few minutes
- Once the glue is dry to the touch, trim the excess string from the knots
- Use your scissors to pull the looped ends taut and clip
- After loops are clipped, trim all twine ends to similar lengths
Repeat For Napkin Rings, Except!
- To tie the napkin ring tassels on, cross the ends under the tassel and tie the knot at the top of the tassel, drawing it as close to the head bead as possible
Notes
Let me know what you did in the comments, and let me see your beautiful projects on your instas! Donโt forget to tag me and use my hashtag!
