25 Days of Handmade Christmas: Day 8 Burlap Mantle Runner

Hello friends!  I'm Kirsten, and I blog over at One Tough Mother.  I'm so excited to be participating in Kelsey's 25 Days of Christmas event here on Embracing Messy.  Today, I want to show you how to make a gorgeous Burlap Mantle Runner.  It's so easy, and really brightens up your mantle.

First, measure your mantle {duh}.  Allow about 12" on each side for overhang, as well as about 6" - 8" to hang over the front.  For my mantle, I bought 3 yards of this bright Christmas red burlap.  You could also use natural colored or white burlap - whatever works for your own decor.

Lay out your burlap and iron it.  Use spray starch - don't go light on it, either.  The better you starch your burlap, the less fuzz you'll see coming off.  Burlap is kinda messy to work with, but the spray starch definitely helps.

After you iron, lay your burlap out on a flat surface and measure to determine where to cut.  This measurement needs to be the distance from the wall {inside of your mantle} to the edge of your runner once complete.  For example, if your mantle is 10" deep and you want 6" of overhang, measure 16" from the edge for the entire length of the burlap.

Yep, just like it says up there - cut, cut, cut.  You should end up with a very long but narrow piece of burlap.  It should be long enough to run the entire length of your mantle + overhang on each end, and deep enough to cover your mantle + the overhang for the front.

Once you have your piece of burlap cut to size, you can begin to fray the ends.  Start by pulling two or three strands at a time to avoid tangling.  Fray to desired length.

You may need to even up your frayed ends a bit.  If so, use a rotary cutter to make it easier.

Fray both ends to match.

Now comes the fun part!  Spread out your burlap runner and measure the length.  Find the center - my center was at the 56.5" mark.  This is where you will start your lettering, and work out in either direction.

Grab your stencils and paint pen.  I chose to use 1.5" letters and a white paint pen.  The wording I chose for my runner is "Merry & Bright".

My "&" is at the center mark.  Determine the middle of your own saying and stencil it at the center mark of your own runner.

Work outward in each direction until your stenciling is complete.

Allow your burlap to dry, and you're done!

There you have it!  A beautiful burlap mantle runner, custom-made by you!  Add bows, like I did on the corners, or adorn with holly berries or other festive decor.  The sky is the limit! Thank you to Kelsey for having me today, and thank you to each of you for checking out my DIY Burlap Mantle Runner tutorial!  For more festive craft ideas, home organization projects, and other fun goodies, please stop by One Tough Mother. Merry Christmas!