How to Make a Fabric and Evergreen Holiday Swag

Instead of a traditional evergreen Christmas wreath, dress up your front door with a holiday swag made from fresh greenery, fabric branches and glittering pinecones.
DIY Christmas Front Door Decoration

Fabric and Greenery Christmas Decoration

This homemade, evergreen holiday decoration adds a festive seasonal touch to the front door.

Photo by: H. Camille Smith

H. Camille Smith

Materials Needed:

  • 3 coordinating fabrics
  • 3 felt sheets (in colors to coordinate with fabrics)
  • fusible web
  • iron
  • sharp scissors
  • assorted fresh greenery (pine, holly, spruce, juniper, etc.)
  • wired ribbon
  • 18-gauge copper wire
  • fine-gauge multipurpose wire
  • wire cutter
  • pencil
  • pinecones
  • spray adhesive
  • crystal glitter

Fuse Fabric to Felt

Cut a piece of fabric and fusible web that are approximately the same size as your felt sheet. Flip fabric over, place fusible web glue-side-down (has a slightly shiny, rough texture) and press for 5 to 8 seconds with a hot, dry iron (Image 1). Allow to cool, then peel off the paper backing — your fabric now has an adhesive side and can be glued to another piece of fabric (Image 2). Using a wire cutter, cut a piece of copper wire that's 6-7 inches longer than your fabric to serve as the fabric greenery's branch (Image 3). Sandwich the wire between a felt sheet and the fusible side of the fabric (Image 4) then fuse the layers together by pressing again with the iron (Image 5).

Make Fabric Branches

Search online for a free evergreen design (like this one) to print then cut out as a template — or — freehand the basic outline of a pine branch onto the fabric side of your fused material (Image 1). Use sharp scissors to cut out along pencil lines (Image 2). Tip: Vary the branches' outlines by moving the template around when tracing.

Glitter Pinecones

Use wire cutter to cut a 10-12 inch piece of multipurpose wire for each pinecone you want to glitter. Weave wire through the last row of pinecone's scales (Image 1), leaving the excess wire as-is to make attaching the finished pinecones to the swag a snap. Coat all sides on the pinecone with sprayable adhesive and, while glue is still wet, sprinkle on a thick layer of crystal glitter (Image 2).

Assemble Swag

Start by layering evergreen boughs on a flat surface to create a base. Top with fabric branches and add more natural greenery, if necessary. Once you're happy with the swag's appearance, use fine-gauge multipupose wire and the copper wire ends of 2 of the fabric boughs to secure the fresh and fabric greenery together (Image 1). Tip: Wrap the third piece of copper wire around the bundled branches just once then create a hook for hanging the finished swag from a nail or knocker on your front door. Finally, add a fabric bow to cover the wrapped wire and and attach the glittered pinecones (Image 2).

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