Image by Altura Studio

When decorating a gorgeous venue, sometimes it can feel overwhelming trying to fill large, empty spaces. This easy torn fabric garland tutorial will show two different ways to create effective decor, and with very little expertise needed! Imagine a ceiling filled with gorgeous fluttering garlands, or an outdoor ceremony framed by your own handiwork! So simple, and so much fun to make!

You can easily tailor this tutorial to your own event theme, using different coloured fabrics, ribbons or materials. Create stunning focal points by using long pieces of fabric, or keep things sweet and understated with short pieces of fabric. However you make this DIY your own, you are sure to create beautiful decor for your next big event!

What You Will Need:

  • Fabric – I used cream cotton from Spotlight, but you could use any colour, or even ribbons!
  • Fabric scissors
  • String
  • For larger garlands, a hanging material. I used a piece of driftwood to keep things rustic, but you could use copper piping or pine dowel – let your imagination run wild!

What To Do:

Step One. Decide on the length of fabric you’d like to use, and begin to rip the pieces. You can only achieve this rustic ripped look with a lightweight natural fibre, but you could also use ribbons or cords of varying colours. To rip fabric, start with a small scissor cut, and then continue ripping. For my smaller garland the fabric pieces were approximately 20x2cm, and for the longer statement garland the pieces were approximately 150x2cm. Tie a knot at the end of your piece of string for ease of hanging.

Step Two. Begin tying your pieces of torn fabric onto the string. You can create a thick and lush garland by keeping the pieces of fabric close together, or create a simple and understated garland by keeping the fabric further apart. Depending on your theme, you can also choose to keep things neat by trimming all the ends, or keep things rustic and leave the fabric as is.

Step Three. Once you get going, you might need a strong cup of tea to keep you company! This is a fun project to make with your friends or family, especially in the lead up to a wedding or large event. Keep tying the pieces of fabric on until you’ve made enough garlands to fill your venue.

You can make these torn fabric garlands your own in so many ways! Imagine a high barn filled with fluttering strings, or your ceremony surrounded by colourful streams tied in the trees! Absolutely beautiful!

Image by Jordan Brittley

Image by Becky Lew Photography

Ms Zigzag says: I love this idea for a ceremony backdrop or even for bridal shower decoration. You can take this concept so many ways to suit the style of the wedding or celebration. 

About Ms Honeycomb  – Hi, I’m Nicola, the florist and crafter behind rubyandjoy. I’m a gardening, fabric loving, mint tea drinking, brownie baking, book obsessed maker! I love a good adventure having just moved back from five years in Scotland (with my lovely Scottish husband).