Crafting and Creativity: Christmas Fave #5- Occasionally Crafty

12.16.2011

Christmas Fave #5- Occasionally Crafty

Today we have a guest post from Valerie at Occasionally Crafty!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi everyone, I'm Valerie from Occasionally Crafty.

I'm so happy to be back here at Crafting and Creativity to share one of my most popular Christmas posts from last year. This shirt has been viewed hundreds of times since I made it, and I've even found it on Pinterest. Yay! It's really easy to do, and you can make one in less than an hour! You'll have to bear with me on the old photos, though- my photography skills have definitely improved since last year. So, here it is- this is my Ribbon Christmas Tree shirt:

I was browsing the jewelry at Charming Charlie's and happened upon a version of this design on a onesie. I immediately thought "How cute!" My second thought- "I could make that!" So, I came home and gave it a try. Here's how I made it.

Supplies needed: T-shirt or onesie, solid color (mine is a $5 shirt from Old Navy) Green solid or printed ribbon- I used 3/4 in. satin because I already had it, but you could use grosgrain too. Red solid or printed ribbon Sewing machine and coordinating thread, or hand needle and thread

1. Cut ribbons into 4 inch lengths and heat seal the ends. I wanted three tiers, so I cut 3, 4, and 5 respectively for each layer. Adjust for however many tiers and how full you want your tree. The thickness of your ribbon makes a difference, too. If you want a fuller tree, consider using wider ribbon.

2. Starting at the center, fold your ribbons in half, place, and pin to your shirt.

3. Sew across your ribbons to attach them to the shirt. I have sewing....issues, so after messing up the top layer I opted to hand sew the rest of my ribbons on. This required only a few stitches for each ribbon. You could even glue them on, though it probably wouldn't make it through the wash.

4. Fold the top layer back, and pin your next tier of ribbons on, and sew or glue. Make sure to place the new layer so the tops will be covered by the previous tier. Repeat for as many tiers as you creating. Note- ribbons will have some movement and play unless you stitch them tight.

5. Tie a ribbon into a simple "shoelace" bow for the top and attach it to the shirt with a few small stitches. Make sure to cover the stitches in your top tier of ribbon.