Fall Felt Garland: Pom-Poms, Leaves and Acorn Shapes

A fall felt garland is soft, quiet and close to unbreakable, which makes it a good first sewing-free project and a strand you can pack away and bring out again next year. Round felt balls or yarn pom-poms do most of the work, and a few felt leaves and acorn shapes turn a plain string of dots into something clearly autumnal.

Everything is threaded onto one line with a needle. There is no machine, no pattern to follow and very little that can go wrong, so it is an easy project to do in front of a movie.

Materials for a 6 Foot Garland

The amounts here suit a strand about 6 feet (1.8 m) long, which fits most shelves and windows with a little drape.

• Felt balls, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) across, in three or four colors, or yarn to make your own pom-poms
• Craft felt sheets for leaves and acorns
• Strong thread such as embroidery floss or upholstery thread, or thin twine
• A large blunt needle with an eye wide enough for the thread (a tapestry needle works well)
• Scissors and tacky craft glue

Felt is a matted fabric with no weave, so cut edges do not fray. Wool-blend felt feels denser and holds a crisp edge; acrylic craft felt is lighter and comes in more colors. Either works here.

How Many Pieces You Need

The count depends on how closely you space the pieces. These figures are estimates for 6 feet of thread with about 8 inches (20 cm) left bare at each end for hanging.

A good mix is roughly two balls or pom-poms for every flat shape. For the balanced look, plan on about 14 balls, 4 leaves and 3 acorns, and make one or two extra of each.

Making a Quick Yarn Pom-Pom with a Fork

If you would rather not buy felt balls, a dinner fork makes small, tidy pom-poms in a couple of minutes each.

1. Cut a piece of yarn about 8 inches (20 cm) long and slide it between the two middle tines of the fork, so it hangs down on both sides. This is your tie.
2. Wrap yarn from the ball around all four tines, over the tie. Plan on roughly 50 to 60 wraps with medium yarn; more wraps make a fuller pom-pom.
3. Bring the two ends of the tie up and around the wrapped bundle and knot them as tightly as you can. Knot twice.
4. Slide the bundle off the fork. Snip through the loops on both sides.
5. Roll the pom-pom between your palms, then trim it into an even ball. Be generous with the trimming; a close haircut is what makes it look neat.

Cutting Felt Leaves and Acorn Shapes

Keep the flat shapes close in size to the balls, about 2 inches (5 cm) long, so nothing dominates the strand. Simple pointed ovals and small oak leaves are enough. The full method for templates, clean cutting and adding veins is in the guide on how to make felt leaves.

An acorn is two pieces. Cut an egg shape about 1.5 inches (4 cm) tall from tan or mustard felt for the nut. Cut a rounded cap, like a wide half circle with a small stem on top, from brown felt. Glue the cap over the top third of the nut and let it dry as the glue label directs. For a sturdier acorn, cut two of each piece and glue them back to back.

Planning the Color Pattern

Lay every piece out on a table in a row before you thread a single one. A repeating order looks deliberate, and it is far easier to swap pieces on a table than on a thread.

Try a repeat such as mustard ball, rust ball, leaf, cream ball, olive ball, acorn. Start and end the row with the same kind of piece so both ends match. If you run short of one color, shift to a shorter repeat instead of dropping it halfway along.

Threading, Spacing and Knots

1. Cut the thread about 2 feet (60 cm) longer than the finished garland. Tie a loop about 2 inches (5 cm) long in one end for hanging.
2. Thread the needle and push it straight through the center of the first ball. Twist the needle gently if it sticks. For a pom-pom, pass through the tight tied core, not just the fluffy ends.
3. Stitch through each leaf and acorn near the top with one small in-and-out stitch, so the shape hangs flat and faces forward.
4. Slide each piece along to its place. Dense felt balls usually grip the thread on their own.
5. Where a piece slides, tie a small overhand knot in the thread on each side of it. A tiny dot of glue where the thread enters also holds it.
6. After the last piece, tie a matching loop in the other end and trim the tail.

Hanging and Storing the Garland

Hook the end loops over removable adhesive hooks, small nails or the corners of a picture frame. Let the middle dip a few inches so the strand hangs in a soft curve. Two garlands at different depths look fuller than one long one, and felt layers nicely over a paper leaf garland for a mix of textures.

A shelf is the usual home for a strand like this, and the ideas in fall mantel decor show how to build the rest of the display around it. Felt and yarn burn easily, so keep the garland well away from a working fireplace, stove or heater, and light the shelf with flameless LED candles or battery string lights only.

When the season ends, wind the garland loosely around a piece of cardboard so it does not tangle, and store it in a breathable bag or box in a dry place. Pom-poms that get squashed usually fluff back up with a gentle roll between your hands.