Make a Rag Wreath for Fall and Thanksgiving

The colors of fall are muted and subdued. These earth tone shades are some of my favorite colors.

You can make a rag wreath like this one using fabric scraps you have on hand or you can select beautiful fabric specially for this super simple project. Make fall and Thanksgiving even more special with a one-of-a-kind wreath.

This easy, no-sew fabric wreath is so easy and quick that anyone can make it! I made this one in about two hours, start to finish and that was with some breaks in between. Kids can help make the fabric strips and tie the strips to the wire frame.

Part of the beauty of this rag wreath is that it can be hung inside or out. You can keep the rag wreath plain or dress it up with autumn or Thanksgiving embellishments to suit your style. And it is interchangeable, which makes changing it up a cinch!

Photo Credit for all Photos of This Craft: Peggy Hazelwood

I made a quick turkey out of felt using warm fall colors. I used a safety pin to affix Mr. Tom Turkey to the wreath.

Make cloth or felt embellishments like autumn leaves, acorns, gourds, and pumpkins, or add small pine cones to the wreath.

For Thanksgiving, add other felt or cloth embellishments like pilgrims, pilgrim hats or shoes, and Indians. A small ear or two of Indian corn would accent this rustic wreath just right.

Here are the fabrics I chose to use to make my rag wreath. I had all of these on hand and they include new fabric, a pair of tan cotton slacks, and a gold sheet. I liked how most of the fabric were warm colors that went well together. I also chose a few pieces like the orange print and the black and brown striped material as accent pieces to add a pop of color.

Like I said, this rag wreath is so simple to make. If you have fabric on hand that will work, great! If not, here are a few choices that I thought were really beautiful for a fall or Thanksgiving wreath.

Use your sharp sewing scissors to make cuts in the fabric to begin making strips. I cut three or four notches at a time, about 1 to 1-1/2 inches across. I varied the width and length of the fabric strips because, well, that's how I roll. I don't do "perfect" and this project works so well for a finished shabby look.

The only real tool or supplies you'll need is a good pair of sharp scissors for cutting the fabric to begin making fabric strips. I also used scissors to cut through parts of the fabric from the pants and sheet that I couldn't tear, like the hem, elastic, and seams.

After you've cut a few notches in the fabric, you get to do the fun part. Ripping the fabric into strips! Really, it's so much fun!

Just grasp the material on both sides of the notch and pull apart. The fabric, if it's cotton or other natural material, will rip. It's so satisfying!

This is a great job for kids to do as you cut more notches in other pieces of fabric.

You may have to cut through hems or seams so keep the scissors handy. Then use the scissors to cut the long strips into about 10-inch to 1-foot long pieces. You can make shorter or longer pieces so decide how fluffy and long you want the rag portions to hang and feel free to do your own thing.

I varied the length of the strips for a more messy look.

Depending on the size of wreath frame you use, tying the strips of fabric to the frame can take as little as time as half an hour. It is easy and fun, so even if it takes a little longer, that's okay. You'll have a fun fall wreath when you're all done!

To tie the strips to the frame, roughly line up a strip equally on the underside of the wreath and tie it. I didn't make knots in my strips, but you can if you want.

Keep adding fabric strips till you've gone all around the frame. Vary the colors of fabric or make a pattern. It's up to you!

Every wreath needs a base or frame. This sturdy 12-inch frame features three wires so you can make an extra fluffy rag wreath. There are lots of options of wreaths on Amazon to choose from.