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Rail swag

Instructions

Prepping Your Rail for Mesh

  • Add in extra pipe cleaners in center sections of your rail. Every corner and middle will need a twist tie to begin.
  • Grab your 3 different colors of 10” mesh to tie in with your sign. (About 17” long) You will cut 6 of each color to make your CRUFFLES.
  • Grab your 10” mesh creating 6 pieces of each color. With your mesh, you will curl in your cut edges inside and tuck it in - about a curl and ½ on each side. Then walk the rest together and make a pinch to make it look like a butterfly. This is a CRUFFLE = (Curl + Ruffle). You will connect to keep smooth and frayed sections as to not be seen.
  • Begin by going down one side of your rail first, back up the other side, and then up the middle, as you add your cruffles. Alternate your colors as you go.
  • You will add them to your rail laying horizontally like a butterfly, using pipe cleaners to secure. Remembering to alternate your colors.
  • Eyeball the colors and decide where to fill in if you choose to mix up the color placement.
  • Fluff your cruffles!

Adding Your Sign

  • Be sure to remove the pre attached strings to your sign.
  • Using cable tie adhesive mounts and pipe cleaners, you will attach to the back of your sign in center areas. You will do this on both sides of your sign. Twist to secure to help you attach easily to your rail.
  • Attach your lemon sign at an angle to your rail by pulling one side of cable tie mount through to meet the other side. Twist and secure.
  • Repeat on the other side of sign, being sure not to pull too tight and have the sign pop off.
  • Work it to rest on the mesh, but not flattening your cruffles.

Creating and Placing Your Handmade Bows

  • Grab your 4” ribbon, 2 different 2 1/2’’ ribbons, and 1 ½” ribbon.
  • Begin with your 4” ribbon, keeping in mind this bow will not have long tails so they don’t cover your sign. With ribbon, squish together, loop from back to front, squish again, twist, and make another loop from back to front, being sure your loops are the same length and tails face the front.
  • Come over the top with your black and white 2 ½ ” ribbon, dropping the ribbon to the floor to allow for easy movement as you create. Your loop will be about 1” shorter than your 4” loops of bow you just created. Remember to gather, pinching at center, and repeating the steps above to make your next layer of bow. You will have 2 loops of that color ribbon when complete.
  • Repeat for the next layer of bow with your 2 ½” ribbon, remembering to keep your tails a bit longer, and a diagonal angle of other loop layers, equal loops, and heights even. Adjust so all tails face forward. You will have 2 loops of this specific layer of bow.
  • Final layer of bow, use your polka dot 1 ½” ribbon, remembering to keep your tails a bit longer, loops, and heights even. Adjust so all tails face forward. You will have 2 loops of this specific layer of bow.
  • Grab a zip tie to secure in the center to hold your handmade bow together. This is a big bow, so a zip tie is needed.
  • Attach in top right corner of rail with twist tie. Use an added pipe cleaner if necessary.
  • Trim tails, work your ribbon, curl, and fluff!
  • With pipe cleaner, really pull it tight in the center of the bow to really secure it in place on rail.

Adding Your Tails

  • Grab your 4” polka dot colored ribbon, to create tails that poke out of rail. With pipe cleaner attach ribbon throughout the rail. It will stick 1-2” out past the line of mesh.
  • Keep symmetry and add dovetails. Repeat throughout your mesh.
  • You will repeat this step later with other ribbon colors to add dimension and complete your look.

Adding Another Smaller Bow

  • Repeat the steps above to make a smaller bow, maintaining the same color pattern as used before.
  • Remember to have your loops shrink in size by 1” as you add your layers to your handmade bow.
  • When 4 layers are complete, zip tie in center to hold together.
  • With a long pipe cleaner, add below your lemon sign.
  • Fluff and work your ribbons, trim your tails, and dovetail your 4”. Curl the others.
  • Add some pops of symmetry and texture with tails of ribbons and pipe cleaners throughout your mesh. Use the B&W ribbon to really help the letters of your sign stand out. Eyeball where you think it needs it.

Adorning Your Rail

  • Grab your butterflies embellishments, hot glue and stick them in by your bows, behind your sign, or wherever. You decide what you like best.
  • With your lemons, add a drop of hot glue before poking with your BBQ skewer. Trim skewer and insert into the center of the bow area. Hot glue in place throughout your rail.
  • Grab your pink flowers and yellow dahlia sprays, keeping a long stem. Trim from spray and add all throughout to create texture and beauty. Play with placement, before you hot glue in place.
  • Fluff, adjust, and make any little adjustments needed.