5 tips for working with Burlap

With so many rustic weddings and events burlap is being used by the
yard! I have used it a bit in the past few months {specifically at
these events Shabby Chic, Sangria & Sweets, Fev's Cowgirl Party}

And so... I thought I would gather 5 helpful hints for those who love
burlap and plan to work with it in the near future:

1) Cutting without the Shedding. Once you have measured where you want
to cut the fabric use a spray bottle (of either febreeze, water or a
mixture of both) to spray along your measured line. This will help to
cut down on the mess that you normally get when cutting through the
jute/burlap—bc we all know burlap sheds horrifically!
2) Cutting a straight line. I find it really hard to cut burlap in a
straight line. And so I find it helpful to grab one single strand of
jute from the burlap and pull it out of the woven fabric. This needs
to be done gently and you want to use your other hand to help bunch
the fabric up so the strand doesn't break. Keep gently pulling until
the strand is completely removed. This will give you a nice space to
help guide you to cut straight.
3) Use your old scissors. Due to the coarseness of the burlap, if you
have a choice between using your good scissors and your regular
scissors, I suggest use the regular ones. For a small job it's okay
but if you're cutting a lot of burlap you might want to spare your
good scissors the hard wear and tear.
4) It irons easily. Even wrinkles from washing will iron out easily
with a high heat setting and steam. Using a spray bottle of water
helps the process too.
5) Washing Burlap. I suggest washing them in cold water and hang them
outside to dry. The outdoors and sun will do wonders for the smell.
We all know that burlap frays so either anticipate this or make sure
to hem prior to washing.