How to Make a DIY Scarf Wreath (simple and fast).

It is not a total coincidence that I am using materials I already own for this project, you see…

I am on a mission.

A mission to save the planet.

And save my sanity in one big swoop.

Don’t I have big ambitions? …

I have decided that this year is the year that I am going to stop buying new craft supplies and instead I am finally going to use up all those little do-dats and what-nots in my home that I have saved for ‘someday’.

Someday this is going to be a stunning craft project.

Someday I am going to do something wonderful with this.

Someday this will come in really handy.

My home and my mind are overflowing with somedays and I really need, no want, to start living in the here and the now and not someday!

Today’s little project is my first “someday is today” project.

I had two mission directives: have fun and use what you have. The first directive was easy. The second one proved to be more challenging.

For the longest time, I had been holding on to a white winter scarf that I had never worn. White fabric against my pale, winter skin is just not a good match, and the fabric itched like crazy.

But I shlepped that scarf with me through several moves and it always escaped my Konmari inspired purges. Because it was pretty and it did bring me joy, of sorts. And thus I decided that this scarf was going to be repurposed and used and given a true place in my life. I set out to find out how to make a scarf wreath. Because one can never have too many wreaths in one’s life.

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Scarf winter wreath tutorials are easy to find. But my scarf didn’t want to comply with the instructions most of them gave. Usually making a winter scarf wreath involves wrapping the scarf around the wreath, and that’s it. But my scarf was too large and bulky and thick and it looked hideous. So I decided to wrap my scarf around the wreath in a different way and that is how it all began.

Want to know how to make your own winter scarf wreath like this? Well just follow along with my instructions and you’ll have yourself a pretty winter wreath for your front door (or anywhere else) in no time.

 

DIY SCARF WREATH Materials and instructions

 SUPPLIES for making a winter scarf wreath:

• straw wreath form
• woolly scarf (if you don’t have an old one this pretty white wool scarf would work very well)
• straight pins and dressmakers pins
• thimble
• yarn, ribbon and embellishments in your pretty style
• imagination and a bit of creativity

This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link I will earn a small commission but it won’t cost you a penny more)! Read my full disclosure policy.

 

1. START WITH A STRAW WREATH

The base for this simple winter wreath is a straw wreath form. I wrapped it with leftover bits of fabric first. Wrapping it in fabric helps to hide the color. My straw wreath form was pretty old too so this extra layer of fabric helped stop it from shedding bits of straw. This step is optional

I used floral U-pins to quickly attach the fabric scraps to the straw wreath. If you look carefully you can see them in a few places in the above picture. The pins almost blended into the fabric.

 

2. WRAP AND PIN SCARF AROUND BASE WREATH

Here is how I wrapped my scarf around the straw wreath. Working with the material instead of forcing the material to work with me. I didn’t wrap the scarf by circling it from the inside out. Instead, I worked lengthwise placing my wreath form in the middle of the fabric and pulling the sides of the scarf around it.

That’s where the straight pins come in. This is your concept version of the wreath. Just pin some regular pins in strategic places, to attach the scarf around the wreath and to make sure it looks good from all sides.

Don’t fret about false pleads, They won’t mess up the end result one bit. Cut off the excess but of fabric with scissors.

Total aside:
Want to know what I did with the bit of leftover knit fabric I had? I made faux snowballs!

This step took only a few minutes. Concept versions are for getting the feel for it, getting you started, and giving you an idea about what the final version might look like.

DO not overthink the concept version.  Just wrap and pin and make adjustments as you go.

3. PIN THE SCARF ONTO THE WREATH

This is the step where you need some protection or your fingers will really start to hurt. It is also the step when your wreath starts to look pretty.

Start replacing your sewing pins with dressmakers’ pins without a head. Push them all the way in so they become invisible.

Use a THIMBLE or your fingers will go on strike in no time.

Keep adding pins and more pins. All the false pleads are pushed into alignment now. Hide the ends of the scarf in the pleads and make sure you give those a few couple of pins extra.

Check your work from front and back and then pin some more. These dressmakers’ pins usually come in tins of at least a hundred, so use them freely and generously.

4. ADD YARN AND RIBBON AND EMBELLISHMENTS TO PRETTIFY YOUR WINTER SCARF WREATH

Gather all your yarns and ribbons and lace and twine and see what looks good to you.

I think wrapping some extra ribbon or yarn around the simple wreath really elevated this project to a beauty. The winter white wreath looked pretty without it but also a bit bland. With the extra bit of color from the yarn and from the bow, my wreath instantly became festive and fun.

At first, I tried out some neutral and white yarns. But then decided I wanted some more contrast and went for this chunky t-shirt yarn. That gives my winter scarf wreath a bit of a nautical look. Me like!

By also adding a second layer with the white cord I had laying around I took the nautical theme one step further. Both the yarn and the cord are simply tied around the wreath and secured with dressmakers pins.

I wanted to finish my scarf DIY with a bow made from a wide ribbon that would tie in with my winter / nautical theme. I didn’t have such a ribbon in my stash. I really got in the danger zone off forgetting all about my mission and started searching the internet for new ribbons to order. BIG OOPS!

But just in time, I remembered my mission directive! So I decided to cut a strip of fabric from a nice blue tartan-like flannel into a ribbon and stay with the program. I think this is even better! The flannel material really ties in with my winter theme and complements the knit fabric of the wreath.

I tied my bow to the top of the wreath and make it work with the strip of fabric I used to hang the wreath. That way this strip becomes part of the design. It could also be very pretty to tie a bow to the bottom of the wreath and let the fringe hang from there.

So what do you think? Did I succeed in making a ‘someday project’ that will work for many days?

Do you have “someday is today” projects? Share them in the comments and we can all come over and cheer you on!