Christmas Rag Wreath Tutorial

This seriously easy DIY Christmas Rag Wreath is the perfect homemade addition to your Christmas décor collection.

It’s low cost, effortlessly simple and turns your leftover material oddments into a fabulously eye-catching decoration that’s positively packed full of festive homespun appeal!

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This is mindful crafting at its best. If you can use a pair of scissors and tie a simple knot, you can make this Christmas Rag Wreath. It honestly is that simple. 

An ideal activity to keep fingers busy whilst watching your favourite Christmas movie or to occupy the kids on a wet autumnal afternoon.

Unlike its greenery counterparts, you can keep this rag wreath for years to come.  It’ll add gorgeous farmhouse appeal hanging on your kitchen door, in the porch window, or tied to the guest room bedpost.  Or gift one to a friend –they’re sure to give you more credit than you deserve given this wreath’s hearty bang for buck and time!

Why Make A Christmas Rag Wreath?

DIY rag wreaths are a perfect Christmas decoration.  They tick all the boxes for handmade, warm, inviting, vintage, on-trend Christmas celebration style.

Full of nostalgic charm for homemade decorations with a nod to the popular cottagecore style, brilliantly cheap and perfect for giving new life to those material oddments you have lying around, and the ideal effortless mindful crafting activity to ease the stresses of everyday life.

Not to mention that wreaths are having their moment in the sun right now.  No longer just for Christmas, you’ll no doubt have seen wreath designs of anything and everything from baubles to bouncy balls, traditional greenery to candy canes.  You name it; someone’s made it into a wreath!

Christmas Rag Wreath Theme Ideas

You most definitely don’t need a theme for your wreath.  In fact, part of its charm is the mish-mash of oddments.  But if you’d like some inspiration to get the creative juices flowing, here’s a few suggestions: 

• Complimentary colours to match the rest of your Christmas décor.
• A selection of fabrics in different shades and tones of the same colour.
• Keep to a style theme such as gingham or tartans and use a mixture of these patterns in different colours.
• One or two Christmassy patterned materials alongside a selection of plain materials picking out colours from the patterns.

Choosing The Fabric For A Rag Wreath

What Kinds of Fabric Can I Use?

The beauty of rag wreaths is that fabric oddments of any kind will do!

Ideally the material should be a medium weight so that you can easily tie it to the wreath frame.  And material that frays will be harder to work with and of course tricker to keep in good condition over time.  But otherwise, the material world is your oyster!

You can purchase prepared packs of material squares.  Or upcycle a selection of odds and ends.  Honestly, choosing your material is probably the hardest part of the whole process (which is saying something)!

In terms of colours and styles, the more the merrier!  However, if you’d like to give a little style to your creation then perhaps stick broadly to 3-5 colours, tones or material styles.

As you can see, I decided to go with a montage of traditional colours with a selection of red, green and creamy white fabrics.

Examples of fabric offcuts to use

The following items should give you good fabric offcuts with which to work:

• Old Christmas pyjamas
• Festive tablecloths and napkins
• Christmas themed or coloured pillowcases and bedsheets

Alternatively, raid your odds and ends of ribbon and use these instead or as well.  Already cut into strips, don’t worry if they are different widths or you have different quantities – it all adds to the character of your wreath!

How Much Fabric Do I Need?

For a 30cm diameter rag wreath, you will need approximately 150 strips of material, each around 15cm long by 2.5cm wide – the size of a 15cm ruler.

So that’s 0.6m² of material in total. If purchasing material, I would suggest plumping for four fat quarters to give yourself a little to spare in case, and for more material variety as well.

Equipment to Make a Rag Wreath

There’s a short shopping list involved but it really is minimal, both in length and cost.  If you can rustle up your own scissors and some contribution towards the material pieces from oddments at home, then you should be able to make the entire thing for less than a fiver!

• Selection of festive fabrics. See above for more information.
• Scissors. Either standard dressmaking scissors or for a more traditional finish, use pinking shears (we highly recommend these fabulous professional pinking shears by Prym. 
• Wire wreath frame. We used a dual ring 25cm metal frame. Or if you prefer, simple bend a metal clothes hanger into a circular shape and you’ll have a ready-made hook at the top.  Perfect for attaching to door handles and bed posts!
• Ribbon for hanging, and some bells if you’d like to embellish your wreath a little.

Pro Tip:  Do not use your scissors for cutting anything but fabric and thread. That way, they will stay sharp for years.

4 Steps To Make A Christmas Rag Wreath

1. Measure & Cut

Measure and cut your fabric into strips, each approximately 15cm long by 2.5cm wide. You do not have to be exact with your measuring or cutting.  Draw around a 15cm ruler if you find that easiest.

Pro Tip: Group your cut fabric strips together into colours or styles to make it easier to add them evenly to your wreath.

2. Tie Strips To Wreath

Add your strips to your wreath by tying each piece of fabric tightly at its middle with a simple knot on the wire frame. Twist the material to show off its best side if you can but don’t worry too much – this wreath is designed to look shabby-chic!

Pro Tip: Start at the points where the wire frame joins are positioned to cover any sharper bits of metal immediately and protect your fingers as you work!

3. Pack The Knots Tightly

As you complete each knot, push it up against the ones already in place so that you get a generously packed wreath. Keep going until you’re happy with your creation.

Pro Tip: Add the fabric strips in 3s or 4s dotted around the frame so that you get an nice even spread of material types around the wreath.

4. Finishing Touches

Add a beautiful ribbon for hanging.  And to embellish your wreath even further, why not add a touch of North Pole musical magic?

Attach a couple of bells to another smaller piece of ribbon and tie that in place at the bottom of your wreath so that the ribbon gets lost in amongst your fabric strips and the bells just peak out below the wreath

And that’s it!  Your rag wreath is complete.

Remember to give it a final fluff each time you put it in position.  Then just sit back and admire your handiwork! 😊

Have you made a rag wreath for your home?   Let us know in the comments below.  Looking for more homemade Christmas décor inspiration?  Check out our other ideas.