Festive Garland with Gelli Arts® by Johanna Lawson

Happy holidays monoprinting
friends! Jo Lawson here! Get ready to deck the halls with this festive gel printed garland!

For this project, I was
inspired by the upcoming holiday season, but this garland can be adapted for
any occasion! It is also a great way to use the prints
you have laying around. I used a circle punch for the garland pieces, however
die cuts with an area large enough to sew would be beautiful as well. 

Use
this tutorial as a guide and then make it your own! Get creative!I provided a video for you to create along with me.

Step One – Create a Background

Choose a stencil, ephemera, or cardboard pieces that will
cover your entire plate. Bubble wrap creates a pattern and texture that works
with so many tools. It is especially fun to use in a project because the colors
continue to build up on the wrap, causing new and unexpected results!

Throughout the project, be sure to print on BOTH sides of your
white card stock.

Continue to create backgrounds
in your favorite colors, patterns, and textures!

Step Two – Add Details

Use smaller stencils and tools to add details to your backgrounds.
Because this garland is made up of circles, I chose to use the 3” round plate
with my stencils. Don’t be too concerned with the layout and composition; most
of the paper will be cut into smaller pieces.

Step Three – Punch Away!

Create the pieces of the garland using punches or die cuts. Vary
the sizes and shapes to add interest. For this project, I used 2.5”, 1.5”, and
1.25” circle punches. Turn the punch upside down and use it as a viewfinder
before you punch.

Step
Four – Sew it All Together

Move
to the sewing machine and pick thread that compliments your monoprinted pieces.
This is a great opportunity to try some of those decorative stitches you have
been dying to use!

Leave
a tail before you begin. Sew straight down the middle and DO NOT cut the
thread. Leave about two inches between each piece. Be sure to pull the thread
taut between the monoprinted pieces or the garland will not hang correctly.

Use
10-12 pieces for each garland and don’t forget to leave a tail at the end. Knot
each tail when finished sewing and trim if desired.

Step Five – Embellish!

Keep them simple or
go all out! These garlands are versatile and always turn out elegant and
unique.

Head on over to my Instagram, Youtube, and Facebook pages – @smallbatchcards
– to see more of my tutorials and art. Order cards, prints, stationery, and
other paper art gifts at www.smallbatch-cards.com

Materials

– Gelli Arts® Premium
Acrylic Paint – Cosmic Blue, Freshwater, Snowbound, Deep Jungle, Kiwi, Chili Pepper

– Gelli Arts® 4” Roller

– Gelli Arts® 3” Mini Round Plate

– 5” x 7” Gelli Arts® Printing
Plate

– 5 Half sheets of 8.5” x 11” Cardstock

– Bubble Wrap

– Circle Punch – 2.5″, 1.25″, and 1.5″

– Mandala or Snowflake
Stencil

– Christmas Words
Stencil

– Glue

– Snowflake Die Cut

– Scissors

– Acrylic Block

– Jewels

– Thread

– Sewing Machine

We hope this inspires you to adorn your house in fun garland for all occasions!

Thanks for stopping by!

Jo Lawson

© 2018 by Gelli Arts®, LLC

Philadelphia, PA All rights reserved.