Shabby Chic Wreath DIY – How To Easily Make Yours

The inspiration for this beautiful shabby chic wreath came from Jessica at Two Shades of Pink.  While she made her wreath with circles of fabric, I chose to make this one of squares.  (I made a beautiful white felt wreath with circles awhile back.  You can find the directions by clicking here► felt wreath.)

I started this 18″ wreath with one queen-sized flat sheet.  That sheet did not make enough squares to finish the wreath.  I had to cut up another one.  If you make a smaller one, a queen or king-sized sheet might be large enough.  In retrospect, I might not have had to place the squares so close together but I love the look all the same.

The finished diameter of the wreath is 23-inches.

 

Directions For The Fabric Wreath

Supplies needed

• You will need an 18″ foam wreath.  (You can use a smaller wreath but you might want to slightly adjust the size of the fabric squares you use.)
• Fabric squares 3.5″ x 3.5″. You’ll need a lot of these.  This 18″ wreath took almost  2 queen-sized sheets.  (You don’t have to be obsessive about cutting these little squares.  If they are not perfectly square, it is not a problem.)
• Crochet hook sized 3.5 to 3.75 mm, (Boye E or F), for pressing the fabric into the foam wreath form  (Brainstorm!  If you don’t have a crochet hook, a knitting needle with a blunt end, or you may have something that works equally as well.  You will just want something that is blunt on the end, not sharp.  You don’t want it to pierce the fabric but force it into the foam.)
• Scissors
• Ruler

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You can choose any color of fabric you like.  An old sheet works well for the shabby chic look.  I’ve seen some lovely autumn-colored print fabrics used for a knotted wreath.  A wreath made this way would be gorgeous in those colors, too.  A plain muslin fabric would work well, too.  I think cotton or cotton-polyester fabric would work best but you could prove me wrong.

Cut The Fabric Into Squares

For this wreath, I used an old off-white sheet.  First, cut the sheet into 3.5 – inch squares.  Fold the sheet in half lengthwise and lay the fabric on a flat surface.  Using a ruler, measure and cut a strip 3.5 – inches wide across the folded fabric.  Repeat until you have cut the entire sheet into equal strips.

You can also use a rotary cutter and a cutting mat to cut the squares.  (We are an Amazon affiliate and may receive a small percentage of any sales through these links at no cost to you.  Thanks for supporting this website.)

At this point, I realized there were folds in the sheet that might show.  Out came the ironing board, the iron, and I ironed the strips.  It is a lot easier to iron the strips before they are cut into squares.  (I figured this out quickly.)

 

Next, stack a few of the strips and cut every 3.5 – inches creating several squares at a time.  Continue cutting until you have cut all of the fabric strips.  I stacked these in stacks of 25 so I would know how many are needed.  This wreath ended up taking 850 squares.  Obviously, a smaller wreath would take less.

 

To Make The Fabric Wreath

First, take a fabric square, place your crochet hook in the middle of the square, pull all four corners up along the sides of the embroidery hook.   Then, push the fabric square into the foam wreath with the embroidery hook.  Force it into the foam about 1/4″ deep.  When the embroidery hook first penetrates the foam, it will go through pretty easily.  Stop about a quarter of an inch into the foam when you will feel resistance. 

The square will fold inward, creating a cup-like shape, where all four corners will stick up and outward.  It will look similar to a partially open trumpet flower.  

Pull the embroidery hook straight out of the foam and the fabric.  Do not twist!  The little hook will catch the fabric and pull it out of the foam.  Don’t rock the hook back and forth!  You’ll make the hole too big.

 

 

Apply another square about 1/4 to 1/2-inch from the first one.  (Remember to start on the inner side instead of the top like I did!)

 

You can see how pretty this is after just 25 of the squares!  I love the textural quality!

Repeat this process until you have the wreath covered.  I did not cover the backside.  Ultimately, I only applied the squares about 2/3 of the way down the outer edge of the wreath.  The flower-like squares laid down and completely covered the outer edge.  Unless the wreath will be hung where the back will show, it is not necessary to cover the back.  If you are planning to place it in a window, you will want to completely cover the wreath, front and back.

Trials You Might Have

If the embroidery hook slips through the fabric and makes a deeper hole, don't worry.  Pull the hook out and remove it from the fabric square.  Turn the hook upside down, line the end up alongside the hole in the fabric square.  Use the blunt end to push the square back into the original hole.

 

A little tip here, start applying the squares to the inside of the wreath first.  At first, I started at the top and it was a little awkward and tedious to lift the top ones and push the next one into the foam below it.

 

When you have the wreath covered, step back and look at it.  If there are any gaps anywhere, you can easily fill them in with extra squares.  If not, you are ready to hang it.

Hanging The Wreath

To hang the wreath, loop a wide ribbon around the top of the wreath and make a knot.  You can add a bow if you like.  You could just use a wreath hanger if you like.  Another alternative is to add a ribbon, twine, or a wire loop to the back of the wreath with a florist pin, which is what I intend to do.

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