Tips for Working with Burlap

Burlap. Our love for this simple fabric seems to be as strong as ever. For me, I still love working with it and never seem to tire of seeing all the different ways to use this most humble of fabrics.

Recently, I acquired 20 burlap coffee sacks. Soon, I'll be showing you some of the projects I've made from these sacks. In the meantime, I thought you might be interested in some of the tips I've learned while working with burlap. Some of these are blatantly obvious. But I hope these tips can shed some light on working with burlap. Speaking of sheds... 

1. Burlap sheds. Horrifically! There's no solution. You just have to put up with it.

2. Burlap smells. But the smell tends to lessen over time. (Either that or you just get used to it.) Burlap by the yard doesn't have that strong of a smell...but it still smells. But you have options. Febreze being one of them. (*more below)

3. To wash or not to wash? The coffee bags I purchased had a very strong smell. So, I took a chance and washed one to see that would happen. I was very pleased with the results. I washed them in cold water and hung them outside to dry. *The fresh air and sunshine did wonders for the smell. Warning: The fragrance of wet coffee bags (even clean, wet coffee bags) closely resembles the fragrance of wet dogs.

4. Burlap unravels. Because of this, I don't recommend washing cut yardage unless you've hemmed the edges. The piece I tested (in cold water, drying flat) washed fine and didn't shrink. Only one edge was hemmed. The unhemmed edges unraveled quite a bit.

5. Burlap irons easily. In the photo below are a few of the coffee bags I washed. Even the wrinkles from washing will iron out easily with a high heat setting and steam, whether working with burlap by the yard or a coffee sack. Using a spray bottle of water helps the process too. (Don't be alarmed if the smell of wet dog returns. It's only temporary and goes away as soon as the burlap is dry again.)

6. Burlap varies in texture. The scratchiness factor can vary greatly from burlap to burlap. Burlap by the yard is not bad. A bit stiff but not too scratchy. The worst? The coffee sack my daughter bought. We ended up making her a pillow but it's really just for looks. This stuff would rival a pumice stone.

The softest? Some of the coffee sacks I purchased are extremely soft. Well, in terms of burlap/jute they are soft. I was very surprised. The texture is similar to a wool jacket.

7. Use your old scissors. Due to the coarseness of the burlap, if you have a choice between using your "good" scissors (You know the kind you tell your family they're NOT allowed to use) and your regular scissors...use the regular ones. For a small job it's okay but if you're cutting a lot of burlap you might want to spare your good scissors the abuse.

8. Straight cuts. There is a simple trick to achieving a straight line when cutting burlap. Measure and mark where you're planning to cut. Take the burlap "thread" at that point and pull. Working the thread along until you can pull it out completely.

Cut along the exposed, perfectly straight line! Sometimes the burlap will have such a open weave that this step is not necessary and you can actually use the weave as your guide.

9. Machine needle size. I use a 14 or 16 depending on the thickness of the burlap.

10. You Can Print on Burlap. I've got the supplies (there's not many) and I sooo want to try this. Check out Maryann's tutorial at Domestically Speaking for all the details. So many possibilities!

11. Things you can make with burlap. Well, honestly what CAN'T you make with burlap? But in case you're wondering, here are a few ideas...

pillows...runners...treeskirts...ornaments...stockings...banners...table cloths...lamp shades...upholster furniture...mats for picture frames...window treatments... art...flowers...crafts...wreaths...garlands...ribbons...cushions...basket liners...bows...jewelery...slipcovers...bulletin boards...signs...pumpkins...

Tell me more! Tell me more!

If you've seen something made from burlap that I haven't mentioned I'd love to hear about it! Also if you have any tips to share, please do!

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