Many products that you buy may come in a burlap sack. When you have used up the items in your burlap sack, you have probably thrown the burlap sack away. At a quick glance, burlap sacks can seem useless. But in reality, burlap sacks are perfect for decorating homes, both inside and outside. With fall being here and Halloween approaching, now is the perfect time to begin decorating your home for autumn. In this article, I will go over some ideas for decorating your home with burlap sacks. Not only will burlaps sacks add a rustic look to your home, but they can also be fun to make. Let’s get started.
Pumpkins Made from Burlap Sacks
Image Source: A Diamond In The Stuff
Don’t have time to visit the pumpkin patch this year? No worries! These adorable pumpkins can easily be made from autumn colored burlap sacks. You will need to use real pumpkin stems unless you decide to use the stems from artificial pumpkins. If you use artificial pumpkin stems, you can reuse the burlap sack pumpkins year after year. However, dried pumpkin stems can last for a while too. But I’ll leave you to make that decision. As for now, let’s take a look at how to make these cute burlap sack pumpkins.
Supplies Needed:
- Burlap Sacks
- Jute Twine
- Polyfill
- Large Needle
- Stems
- Hot Glue
- Scissors
Instructions:
- Begin by cutting large circles of burlap. If you want different sized pumpkins, cut different sized circles. If you want all the pumpkins to be the same size, cut the circles in the same size and shape.
- Thread a long piece of jute twine through the needle and tie it off at the end. Begin a running stitch through the burlap. Make sure you sew the thread along the edge of the circle. The thread is what will make these pumpkins have a pumpkin shape.
- Once you have stitched all the way around the edge of the burlap circle, you’ll need to add some polyfill. Fill your pumpkin with as much polyfill as you desire. The more you fill it, the more round the pumpkin will become.
- Once the pumpkin is filled with the stuffing, pull on the twine tightly and cinch up the opening. Tie the twine with a knot.
- Using the hot glue, glue the stems (either real or artificial) to the burlap pumpkin.
- There you have it! Enjoy decorating your home with these adorable pumpkins made from burlap sacks.
Burlap Sack Flowers
Image Source: Craftaholics Anonymous
Even though real flowers are now slowly dying as winter approaches, these beautiful burlap sack flowers can stay out as long as you’d like. You could put these burlap sack flowers in a vase just like real flowers, or you could sew them onto a wreath. Both ideas will add beauty to your home.
Supplies Needed:
- Burlap sacks (you’ll need to cut them into 1.5″x15″ strips)
- Hot glue gun
- Felt circles (it should match the flowers you are making)
- Scissors
Instructions:
- Begin by cutting your burlap sacks into 1.5″x15″ strips. It doesn’t matter if you mess up when cutting the burlap sacks, but if you want to learn how to cut them straight, click here.
- Fold the burlap strip in half on one side.
- Roll the burlap several times to create the center of the burlap rose.
- After you’ve rolled it a couple times, start twisting the burlap away from the center to start creating the petals. When you start twisting, don’t fold the burlap in half anymore. Only fold the strip in half for the center of the flower, not when creating the petals.
- Next, apply hot glue to the back of the burlap flower and apply the felt circle. Make sure the burlap is securely glued down. Apply more glue in spots that need it and trim excess felt if needed.
- Sew or glue your flowers to a wreath, or make stems out of wood so that you can put them in a vase just like real flowers.
Fall Burlap Bag Door Decor
Image Source: Southern Living
There are so many ways to decorate your porch for fall, and one of those ways is to hang a sign on your door that says “Fall”. Using burlap bags, you can easily make a fall burlap bag door decor that will make your home look festive and welcoming.
Supplies Needed:
- 4 burlap bags (they will need to be small burlap bags)
- 4 feet of string
- Letter stencils
- Black indoor/outdoor acrylic or fabric paint
- Stencil paint brush
- Faux flowers and garland
- Scissors
- Scrap paper
Instructions:
- Lay the burlap bags on a flat covered surface and fold over the tops of the bags to create a flap. If you already have small burlap bags, you don’t have to create a flap.
- Place the letter stencils in the center of the front of each burlap bag.
- Pour the acrylic or fabric paint onto a paper plate. Using the stencil brush, dip it straight down into the paint. Before applying it to the burlap, dab off excess paint on a scrap piece of paper. When applying paint to the stencil, make short up-and-down dabbing motions until the desired space is covered. Remove the stencil while the paint is wet. Let the paint dry for 30 minutes. If you want to speed up the process, use a blow dryer.
- Use your scissors to cut small slits on each side of the bag about 3/4 of an inch from the top. The slit needs to go through all layers of the bag including the flap.
- Starting with the last letter, thread the string through the first slit and tie a knot around the opening. Continue to thread it through the other side of the bag and tie another knot. The knots will hold the bags in place when hung. Repeat for all the letters, threading them in the order in which they read.
- Tie a loop at each end of the string to provide an easy way to hang the sign on door hooks.
- Stuff the bottom half of each bag with scrap paper to give the bag a nice “full” look.
- Add the faux flowers and garland to the top of the burlap bags until the bags are overflowing.
- Hang the burlap bags on your front door using two small door hooks.
Burlap Bag Topiary Tree
Image Source: Taryn Whiteaker
Do you wish your topiary tree would continue to grow during the winter? Even if your live topiary tree starts losing its leaves this fall, you can still enjoy the beauty of a topiary tree by making one out of burlap sacks. This burlap bag topiary tree has a unique and creative look that would be a great addition to your porch.
Supplies Needed:
- 2 Terracotta Pots
- 2 Dowels at 1/2″ thick
- 4 Styrofoam 8″ Half Balls
- 2 Green Styrofoam Blocks for the base
- Satin White Spray Paint
- Pack of Straight Pins
- 3 Yards of Burlap
- Bag of Natural Gray Moss
- Hot Glue
- Scissors
Instructions:
- Start by spray painting the pots and the dowels in the satin white paint. Two to three coats may be necessary.
- Once dry, place a green styrofoam block in the bottom of the pot. Insert the dowel into the styrofoam block. You may need to add a few rocks on top to make the pot more stable.
- Take the two styrofoam halves and cut a circle in the middle to fit the dowel through. Thread the two pieces through the dowel and then secure them together by placing hot glue around the middle seam and at the top and bottom to make sure the dowel doesn’t slip.
- Cut the burlap into 4X4″ squares. Fold them into bubbles by holding two corners together and folding in the remaining two. It will create a little pocket.
- Use the straight pins to attach each bubble onto the styrofoam ball. Continue until the entire surface is covered.
Mason Jar Burlap Bag Centerpieces
Image Source: Etsy
Once again, this fall decor idea requires letter stencils, black paint, and, of course, burlap sacks. You will also need mason jars. Once completed, this centerpiece adds an autumn look to the table.
Supplies Needed:
- 4 Mason Jars
- Paint for the mason jars
- Burlap Sacks (how many you’ll need depends on how large the burlap sacks are)
- Letter Stencils
- Black indoor/outdoor acrylic or fabric paint
- Stencil Paint Brush
- Jute Twine
- Hot Glue Gun
- Faux Flowers
Instructions:
- Paint the mason jars with the colors of your choice. You can paint all four mason jars the same color, or you could paint them different colors.
- Cut the burlap sacks into rectangles.
- Place the letter stencils in the center of the front of each cut burlap bag square. Pour the acrylic or fabric paint onto a paper plate, and use the stencil brush to apply it onto the burlap. Remove the stencil while the paint is still wet.
- Use a hot glue gun to glue the burlap onto the mason jars. Make sure the mason jars are dry before you add the burlap.
- Tie twine around the top of the mason jar. This will add a decorative and rustic look.
- Put some faux flowers into the mason jars.
Final Thoughts
I hope this article has inspired you to get crafting with burlap sacks. As you can see, there are a lot of creative decorations you can make with burlap sacks, also called gunny sacks and burlap bags. Many products at the store come in burlap bags, but sadly burlap bags often get thrown away when the products are all used up. Before you throw away the burlap sacks that you have, first consider trying one of these crafts. Not only will you be up-cycling your burlap sacks, but you will also be making decorations that can beautify your home. So what are you waiting for? Go get crafting!
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