Burlap And Bling: How to Use Burlap In Your Wedding Decor And Still Make It Beautiful

When you think about fabric used in weddings, usually fabrics like silk, satin, tulle, and organza come to mind. Ever since Queen Victoria wore white for her own wedding and set the wedding world on its ear, those have been traditional fabrics used in wedding decor. Over the years, we've seen color added in and brides veering away from the traditional white. Little by little, the colors have gotten brighter and more dramatic. Even prints have been added to the mix with toile and damask, even polka dots, being seen in runners and tablecloths. But burlap? Seriously? Amazingly enough, burlap has become strangely popular in wedding decor with brides fighting like bridezillas to have the humble fabric included in all elements of their decor including pew markers, runners, overlays, even signs. Why would such a rough, rustic looking (and more often than not, smelly!) fabric be used as wedding decor?

Although many brides choose burlap simply because it's trendy, like most fads, it didn't start out that way. More than likely, one renegade bride decided to buck the overpriced and overblown wedding industry and follow the "Keep It Simple" adage. Who knows, maybe she lived near a farm and her expensive runners didn't come in on time for her wedding and her planner had to think up something fast. So they just grabbed a few potato sacks, split them open, laid them on the table, and Voila!...a star is born!

Regardless of how it happened, it really started a trend where brides are now seeking out rustic and vintage materials for use in their weddings. One can only hope that the trend is simply part of the greening of society and "reduce, reuse, and recycle" is actually being take to heart, even by the bridal industry where sometimes excess is the norm. It can be reused for all sorts of things, including for landscaping material, and it's so insanely popular that most brides can easily re-sell their decor on wedding sites such as The Knot, Weddingbee, etc., to other burlap-hungry brides-to-be. Burlap is very inexpensive (in many cases about $2.99 in fabric stores) and can come in lots of colors, including natural, ivory, green and many others. It also can be combined with other inexpensive materials such as twine, doilies, either paper or lace, and homespun fabrics to create a really stunning and eye catching display at a wedding ceremony or reception.

Burlap can be purchased in huge rolls from suppliers like U-line and in widths that are perfect for everything from table runners to curtains. However, just like the potato sacks you remember from kid potato sack races, burlap has that distinctive, not too pleasant smell. If you think you can dump that whole stinky mess in your washer and wash the smell out, think again. For all its rugged good looks, burlap doesn't make it through the washing machine very well. It usually comes out resembling a wrinkly wad and virtually unusable. So a word to the wise, if you're trying to be efficient and wash it in the washing machine...DON'T! You can wash burlap very carefully by hand in vinegar and water and then hang to dry...again, the flipping over and over in the dryer doesn't agree too well with delicate and loosely woven burlap. Two non-washing methods to try are simply hanging the burlap outside in fresh air and letting it air out or sprinkling it with baking soda and letting the soda absorb the odors.

Once you've gotten the odor out and decided what you want to make out of the burlap, you need to decide how and if you will want to finish the edges. Because burlap is such a loosely woven material, when you cut it, it ravels. Some people think that's what makes burlap so charming and actually love that frayed look. If so, you can just grab a thread or two off of the cut edge and fray the burlap until you have a fringe the size you want on the edge. However, some people truly hate the fraying on the edges. If you are a sewer, you can simply turn under the cut edges about a half an inch and sew them under using a wide zigzag stitch to keep the edges from curling.

If you are a non-sewer, there are two simple ways to keep the edges from fraying. Fray Check, a binding liquid that many sewers and non-sewers alike love, can be applied to the edges and acts as a bonding agent that keeps the edges from fraying. Another simple way to finish the edges of burlap without sewing it is using a product called Stitch Witchery. Stitch Witchery is almost like glue in that it can bind the fabric together. Turn under the edge of your burlap as if you were going to sew it down, but instead place a line of Stitch Witchery under the edge you have turned under. With a damp, not soaking wet washcloth, press the edge down with a dry iron. It will stick to the rest of your runner like a charm and is really easy for the non-sewer to use.

Besides the obvious and simple use of burlap as a table runner, it can also be used for really cute and simple to make accessories. Combined with buttons and vintage fabric, it can make an adorable ring bearer pillow. You can even make burlap flowers for your wedding bouquet. Just make sure to use Fray Check on the cut edges to prevent raveling. Wrapped in a cone shape and filled with baby's breath or some sort of greenery, burlap looks amazing as a pew marker. It can be cut into narrower lengths and be used as chair sashes. Purchased in a 36" wide roll, it can be used as a rustic aisle runner that actually works better in some cases than the traditional aisle runner fabric since it's nowhere near as flimsy. You can stencil your monogram on it or anything you like, because it takes paint well. Again, because burlap is so loosely woven, the paint will come right through onto whatever surface you are using, so be sure and cover the surface with wax paper to prevent paint from getting all over your work surface.

Regardless of what you use it for, it's hard to beat the functionality, the charm, and workability of lowly burlap. You can still add your fancy china and silverware right on top of it along with your blinged out candleabras, because burlap is tough. It can take the fancy competition and keep on shining!