{crafts} Memorial Day Decorations

Time to start thinking about summer! Here is a great craft idea from Martha Stewart. The firework decorations would look great hanging outside on the porch. They would add a little fun to a holiday barbecue.

Introduction

Fabric star medallions will brighten up your party like daytime fireworks. 

Use standard cotton prints for this project -- nothing too heavy or light. Spray starch helps the creases keep their shape.

Step 1

Cut a length of fabric: The width will be the diameter of the medallion; the length should be 1.6 times the width (for example, for a 15 1/2-inch medallion, cut about 25 inches of fabric).

Step 2

Fold fabric accordion-style in 1 1/2-inch sections (A). After each fold, spray with starch, and iron. Continue up length of fabric. Make sure your first and last folds are in the same direction.

Step 3

Stitch along the middle of the folded rectangle to create a pivot point (F).

Step 4

Trim both ends of the pleated rectangle at a 45-degree angle, so the angles slope toward the raw edge of the fabric (F) -- these cuts create the medallion's starlike points (G).

Step 5

Connect sides of the rectangle by fanning out fabric from center stitch and adhering with fusible webbing; iron. Sandwich a piece of ribbon (it should be long enough to hang the medallion) between the fusible webbing and the fabric. Connect remaining sides with fusible webbing, or tape for easy disassembly and storage. Stitch monofilament through the fused edge in the back, and hang.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Star Medallion - Martha Stewart Crafts