Bowdabra

How to create a sparkling lighted patriotic swag with Bowdabra

Becky Conley

Hello Crafty People! Independence Day is on the way! Let’s get crafty to celebrate and make this sparkling lighted patriotic swag with Bowabra

lighted patriotic swag

SUPPLIES:
  • Bowdabra Tool, wire, and ribbon
  • 3″ white glitter tulle
  • 4″ royal blue ribbon
  • 1.5″ silver/sheer ribbon
  • curly red glitter branches (6)
  • white cardstock
  • 3 different sized star punches
  • embossing pigment, embossing powders (silver, snowflake, and gold)
  • misc: embossing tool, a strand of 100 mini-lights (battery-powered) scissors, tweezers
  • hot glue to make the spray of stars
  • 18″ grapevine wreath

How to make a  lighted patriotic swag

INSTRUCTIONS:

Building the swag:

  1.  Use 18-24″ of Bowdabra wire, fold in half, and place into the Bowdabra tool, wrap both ends underneath.
  2. Trim the red litter curly branches to size,  approximately 12″. Stagger their lengths and place 3 on each side of the Bowdabra Tool.
  3. Using the 3″ glitter tulle, create 3 loops on each side.
  4. Make three loops for each side with the Royal Blue ribbon, slightly smaller than the previous layer of tulle. Repeat with the Silver/sheer ribbon.
Making the spray of stars:
  1. Punch out 6 white cardstock stars in each of the 3 sizes. Emboss each star with a mixture of Snowflake and Silver embossing powders.  (Apply pigment, cover with powder and heat set).
  2. Punch 6-star “rings” by punching a small star first and then lining up the larger star over where you punched the small one.  Emboss with gold powder.
  3. Use a discarded red glitter branch as the base to create the “spray” of stars. Attach stars in a random pattern with hot glue, spreading them out and attaching to themselves only as well.
  4. Add the star spray to the swag in progress.
  5. Using red ribbon, create three loops approximately 3″ long on each side.
  6. Untangle the mini lights and fold back and forth forming long loops mostly, then 2 short ones.  Leave enough of the cord to comfortably place the battery pack to the backside.
  7. Use the Bowdabra tool to compact your creation in the base, pull the wire ends up. Pull the loose ends through the looped end, pull up tightly, and tie off.
  8. Attach to the grapevine wreath by tying the Bowdabra wire through a few branches.
  9. Fluff your ribbons and wire, turn on the lights!!! Then tuck the battery pack into the backside of the wreath branches.

CELEBRATE!

Thank you for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed this patriotic swag project and are inspired to create something gorgeous today.

Craft on!

Becky

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