pleated projects week: pleated wreath

Here we are … at the end of the pleated projects week.  If you missed any, here’s a recap:

day 1 // day 2 // day 3 // day 4

Today’s project is my favorite. I saved the best for last.

I have a thing for book pages and wreaths {see my first book page wreath tutorial here}.

But this one is just a little different.

If you look closely, you’ll see it’s made out of a phone book. Brilliant use of an outdated publication, if you ask me. And also, it’s pleated.

Here’s how to make one:

You’ll need:

:: wreath form or styrofoam disk + cup to make your own
:: scrap strip of fabric
:: phone book {or other paper}
:: glue gun

STEP ONE: make a wreath form

you can buy a ready-made form, but I wanted a small wreath and couldn’t find a small form. I found this styrofoam disk and decided to make my own. It is about 6″ in diameter.

Just center a small glass and press down to cut out a hole. Mine was off a little bit, but it does not have to be perfect.

STEP TWO: wrap wreath form in a strip of scrap fabric.

This allows you to glue directly to the wreath form without melting the styrofoam.

STEP THREE: prepare your pages

Tear out a stack of pages from the phone book {about 8 at a time} and tear in half. If you are making a larger wreath, you could use a full page, but my wreath is a bit smaller so a half page was perfect.

STEP FOUR: fold pleats into the paper

Starting at the bottom, fold back small pleats and crease to hold in place. I did 6-8 sheets at the same time. If you are using heavier paper, this may not work, but with thin phone book pages it worked great and saved a bunch of time.

You’ll end up with this:

STEP FIVE: hold one pleated piece in place and fold up a small portion of the bottom

STEP SIX: glue to outside edge of wreath

Continue around the wreath, slightly overlapping each new page

STEP SEVEN: continue adding pleats in layers around the wreath.

You may want to tear your page even smaller as you move toward the inside to keep the layers from overlapping the one behind completely. Keep adding pleats until you finish to the center.

I glued a small loop of ribbon to the back and then tied a piece of twine to hang on our chalkboard in the kitchen.

This is my current favorite spot in the house.

I hope you have enjoyed the pleated projects I’ve shown … and hopefully been inspired to create a few of your own.

Posted by emily | 19 comments

pleated projects week: pleated dish towel

One of the best things about creating is turning humble, everyday items into something gift-worthy.

Take this dish towel, for instance. It started as a very inexpensive and readily available flour sack towel and just by adding a row of pleats to the bottom, it becomes this understated feminine dish towel.

Here’s what you need to make one for yourself {or your mom, or a friend}:

:: two flour sack kitchen towels {I bought a 4-pack at target for about $5}
:: scissors
:: pins
:: sewing machine {not shown}

You will need two towels – one as your base and the second to create your pleats with.

Begin by cutting of the selvedge of the towel you’ll use for the pleats.  Then cut three strips {approximately 4 inches x the width of the towel}.

Sew the three pieces into one long strip by stitching the ends right sides together. Fold the long strip in half width-wise and iron to hold crease.

Finish one edge of the strip by turning the fold inside out to sew right sides together.  Turn right side out to begin creating the pleats.

Beginning at one end {with the finished edge} begin hand pleating and pin into place along the bottom edge of the towel {leaving about a quarter inch overlap}.

To finish the end of the pleats, mark where you need to end, turn the fold inside out, sew right sides together and trim the end {as above}.

Sew pleats to towel along the top, back stitching at the beginning and end.

When you are finished, the result is this dainty pleated towel.

One more great thing about this project: you can do this to much more than a dishtowel. Try adding the pleated trim to the bottom of a skirt, to the edge of tablecloth or along the perimeter of a baby blanket. Just follow the steps as shown above and let your creativity inspire many new pleated projects.

Don’t forget … tomorrow is the link party to showcase your favorite pleated project.

Posted by emily | 16 comments