GARLAND TOUR

Summer. My most favorite time of year. Not just because there is unlimited warm sunshine, flip flops are a wardrobe staple, blinking fireflies at night, home run derby and the All Stars game, golden Black-eyed Susans, and the Tour. But, and, almost as important, my birthday. July. Birthday month (my family celebrates birthday week, but somehow I have managed to stretch it out a whole month). Yes, we can all agree it is the most beautiful time of the year.

You would never know it, but, I love the Tour de France. The endless marathon of cycling all July long. Ultimate cycling. Ultimate entertainment. Every day I am tuned in to every turn, road, mountain, village, color, peloton. I love the landscape, the architecture, the hills, the endless fields of sunflowers, lavender, the fans, I love it all! And I don’t even own a bike. Nope.

So, in celebration for this year’s Tour, I have a created a jersey garland that takes no time at all to make. Follow along and you will feel like part of the team too. Show your colors, let your garland fly and stretch July out as long as possible. Let the celebration begin!

This is what you will need-

Jersey Template

Nylon Rip Stop, White, Green and Yellow

Red Sharpie Marker

Pencil

Scissors

Awl/Small Hole Punch

Nylon Cord

Oversized Needle

Low Temperature Glue Gun 

You can purchase rip stop nylon at most retail fabric stores or you can order…Link here. I purchased ¼ yard each of white, yellow and green.

Rip stop nylon has these tiny little squares woven in the fabric to prevent small tears from enlarging. The squares also keep the nylon fabric from fraying and becoming a big thready (I just made that up) mess. It is durable and weather friendly. Great for this purpose. A happy outdoor fabric.

Download jersey template. Trace jersey onto card stock to make template to trace.

Trace the jersey template onto the nylon with pencil. 

Make red dots on ten of the white jerseys. Yes, it will bleed slightly onto the nylon, but it should be barely visible from a distance.

Cut out jerseys with scissors.

I cut ten jerseys each of yellow, green, white and polka dot.

Carefully punch a small hole through the two small dots at the shoulders.

Make a loop at one end and tie with a knot to secure.

Thread your nylon cord through the oversized needle.

Alternate threading the jerseys together as shown. Continue threading until all the jerseys are threaded.

Space the jerseys about three inches apart on the cord.

On the back, secure each jersey to the nylon cord with a dot of glue to keep the jerseys stationary.

And hang…

Yellow Jersey... Leader...

Polka Dot...King of the Mountain…

Green...Sprinter...

White...Fastest Young Rider…

Makes me almost want to buy a bike.

July Love