Celestial Moon Garland

Like many others, I've been fascinated by the moon since childhood.

I love researching it, staring at it, and taking walks when it's bright and full. I love the different names people call it during different months. I love that people have been so infatuated by the moon that they've written songs about it. One of my favorite memories is me and my husband lugging his childhood telescope to the top of our parking garage and looking at and taking photos of a full moon.

So I thought I'd make a project dedicated to my favorite celestial body.

Here's what you'll need to make your own:

• Seven sheets of felt in varying colors (I used black, gray, tan, and cream)
• Scissors (for fabric and paper)
• Paper
• Marker/pen
• Embroidery needle
• Embroidery thread/floss
• Computer + printer (or paper + pencil)

I've made this pattern for you so all you need to do is print it out at 100% and cut out the shapes.

If you don't have access to a printer, you can draw around an upside-down cup with a pencil on a piece of paper for a full moon. To make a waxing crescent, make another circle (by going around the cup) and then move the cup slightly over so it forms a crescent shape and trace again. To make a half-moon, make another circle (by going around the cup again), then cut it out, fold it, and then cut in half. To make the waning crescent for the middle of the garland, find a cup with a bigger diameter and make it the same way you made the waxing crescent, making sure to make it a "skinnier" (or waning) crescent. I freehand drew the star in the middle of a circle I made by going around the cup so it would be the same size as the other shapes. Cut out the shapes with a pair of scissors.

Place the paper shapes on a piece of felt and draw around them with a marker. Cut them out and use them as a pattern for the rest of the ones you need.

For one garland, you'll need to cut out two stars, two full moons, two waxing crescents, two half moons, and one waning crescent.

As you can see from the first picture, you can almost get two garlands -- that's four of each shape except only two of the waning crescents -- out of one sheet of felt. So you'll need at least 1 1/2 sheets for two garlands. Cut out all the shapes needed to make seven garlands -- two out of each color (cream, tan, gray), except only one set of shapes out of whatever color you'll have in the center (black). So in all, you'll be cutting out 63 shapes.

Save the scraps of felt for another project. They're make great stuffing for stuffed animals made out of felt.

Thread the embroidery needle with a length of embroidery floss that's about the length of one and a half arms' lengths. I didn't measure it, but it's probably somewhere around 40".

Sew a long running stitch through each shape -- first the star, then full moon, then waxing crescent, half moon, waning crescent, half moon, waxing crescent, full moon, and finally the last star. Make the first waxing crescent and half moon you sew point up; the waning crescent (which is a larger shape than the rest) face sideways; and the last waxing crescent and half moon point down. Make a knot/loop on one end so it can hang from a thumbtack.

Sew the rest of the garlands, making sure you sew them all the same way. When you're done with all seven, get another string of embroidery thread about 50" long and thread it through all of the loops you made at the top of each garland. I knotted mine in place so they won't move around. Make a loop at each end of your 50"-long piece of thread and mount it on two thumbtacks on your wall.

A really easy way to make small tassels is to start with an unused skein of embroidery floss. Each skein makes two tassels. It's kind of hard to explain, but I've added plenty of pictures to use as a guide.

Get a length of embroidery floss (from another skein) that's about 15" long. Tie a knot around the very top of the skein, leaving one long end of your 15" string and one short end that's about half the length of a skein (picture #3). Wrap the long end around and around the skein where you just tied the knot (picture #4); then thread the end of it through your needle (picture #5) and sew it through where you just wrapped (picture #6) and then underneath it (picture #7). Do the same thing to the other end of the embroidery floss skein (picture #8) and then cut it in half (picture #8).

Now you have two tassels! You'll need one for each garland, so seven in total, so you'll have to make eight and use the extra one for another project. I made three black tassels and four white ones using this method.

Knot the hanging string to a tassel a couple of times and hide the excess thread by sewing it down through the tassel with an embroidery needle. Do the same for each garland.

And that's all it takes. I've been told by a friend of mine that it would look great on a nursery wall and I have to agree. But I think it also looks pretty good in my living room. I think it really ties the room together.

Thanks for reading!

Please let me know if you make a celestial garland of your own using this tutorial -- I'd love to see pictures!