I Still Love Burlap!

I still love burlap. Even though it took me hours and hours and hours of time to complete  my next wedding project. We’re having a very relaxed wedding and didn’t want ushers walking everyone to their seats or have everyone picking a ‘side’ to sit on.

I also didn’t like the idea of someone ‘handing out’ ceremony programs. That’s just too much like church and too stuffy for my taste. So what to do….what to do.

This is what I ended up doing.

The measurement for each pocket was 7’’ by 12’’. Burlap has a horribly tendency to fray so you can’t handle it like you would a cotton or really any other fabric. There’s an easy way to cut burlap. Follow this link if you want to learn how http://www.ellaclaireinspired.com/2012/05/washing-and-cutting-burlap.html  I didn’t wash mine because I wanted them to remain stiff like a pocket.

If you’re going to add lace like I did you have to sew it on first before you stitch your pocket closed. Just pin in place and go slowly with your machine.

Now you’re ready to fold your pocket (I left mine a little longer in the back for stability and cuteness!) and use a ladder or zigzag stich down both sides of the pocket to hold it in place. I sewed it with wrong sides together because I wasn’t going for a neat polished look. It’s burlap, so I wanted it to fray and keep with the rustic feel of things. Don’t ladder stitch over the lace though. You’ll have to move it out of the way. This was one of the most time consuming parts but it’s so worth it in the end. What a cute keepsake right?

After the pocket was sewn up I felt it still needed something. So we used jute twine, tied bows and I hand sewed each of them onto the front of the pockets. I think it just ‘ties it up' nicely! You could easily add a burlap rosette or any other type of flower or even feathers. Possibilities are endless. 

Here’s a look at the 3 sheets we made and printed for the inside of the pocket.

Our Thank You.           Our Wedding Program & Our Wedding Party

                

 

It was a fun project that ate up my life for a few days. I’m so tickled with how it turned out. It’s one of my favorite projects so far!

~Jess