How to Create Fabric Mistletoe Sprigs
Imaginative Crafts, Do-It-Yourself Projects and Video Tutorials by Robert Mahar, robert-mahar.com
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Materials:
fabric for leaves and stemcloth-wrapped floral wire stems (26 gage or similar thin wire)
card stock (or similar heavier weight paper)
ribbon (optional)
Tools:
scissors
pencil or disappearing ink fabric marker
fabric glue
wire cutters
paint brush for glue
Directions:
1) Fold card stock in half and cut out half of a leaf shape to create a leaf template. Mistletoe has elongated teardrop shaped leaves. Your leaves can be as large or small as you’d like – the leaves demonstrated in the video are approximately 3 ½” in length.
2) Cut out rectangles of fabric slightly larger than your leaf template. Each leaf requires two pieces of fabric and the sprig of mistletoe in the video has six leaves.
3) Using wire cutters, cut six pieces of floral wire – approximately 6” in length.
4) Brush a light layer of fabric glue onto one piece of fabric. Place a 6” wire onto the fabric, overlapping the fabric by approximately 3” – the wire will extend beyond the fabric to create the leaf stem. Brush as small amount of glue onto the wire that overlaps the fabric. Place a second piece of fabric on top, sandwiching the wire in the middle, and gently press the two pieces together with your fingers. Repeat this step for each of your six leaves and then set them aside to dry for two to three hours.
5) Once the fabric is dry, lay the leaf template on top positioning the base of the leaf right above the stem. Trace the template with either a pencil or a disappearing ink fabric marker. Cut along the traced line to create a leaf. Repeat this for each of the six leaves.
6) Stack two of the leaves on top of one another and twist the stems together to create a joined pair. Repeat this step to create three pairs of leaves.
7) Stack two of the pairs of leaves on top of one another at varying heights and twist the stems together. Stack the third pair of leaves on top and twist its stem around as well.
8) Cut a long strip of fabric, approximately ½” in width.
9) Overlap the base of one pair of leaves with the end of the long strip of ½” wide fabric. Wrap the fabric tightly around the base of the leaves and down the stem to the where the second pair of leaves is joined. Wrap up the stem to the base of the second pair of leaves and then back down the stem to where the third pair of leaves is joined. Again, wrap up the stem to the base of the third pair of leaves and then back down to the bottom of the mistletoe sprig stem. Overlap the end of the sprig stem with the strip of fabric and then wrap it around tightly – trim any excess fabric and secure the end with a small amount of fabric glue.
10) Reposition the leaves to resemble a more natural configuration. Consider tying a length of ribbon to the base of the mistletoe sprig stem and hang it in your doorway, hang it on your tree or top a gift box with it!