How to make a simple DIY string garland for your Christmas mantel -

Balloon garland, popcorn garland, fabric garland, and tassel garland are all examples of different kinds of string garland.

Today, I’m making diy string garland to decorate my mantel this Christmas season. If you haven’t made it before it’s actually quite simple and requires few items to create.

I’ll walk you through this easy tutorial so you can make your own DIY string garland for your Christmas mantel!

What is string garland?

String garland is exactly as it sounds. It’s garland made from string. I prefer to use natural twine as its hardier than string. Some people prefer to use a string of yarn.

What can I use to decorate my string garland?

To decorate diy garland, you can use just about anything. I like to use whatever craft supplies I have on hand.

Some items you could use include: pom poms, wood beads, dried fruit, berries, bells, fairy lights, greenery and even homemade decorations. Then, you’ll attach these items using florist wire.

What is garland?

Garland is classified decorations strung together and draped over various objects like doors, mantels, etc as a way to make a home more festive. The origin of the word garland simply means braid.

Where can I hang my string garland?

You can put your string garland really anywhere. You can hang it on you mantel, along the banister of your stairs, or even down the center of your table.

I like to add my string garland to fuller Christmas garland to help embellish it. You can also wrap it around your Christmas tree!

What supplies do I need to make diy string garland?

To make string garland you can either take a trip to your local craft store for supplies or use things you have lying around you house.

You’ll need long string, a piece of twine, a long strand of fishing line, or even a long piece of yarn. I’ve even used wood bead garland as the base before.

Then, you’ll need any items you’ll want to add to your garland. I used dried orange slices, faux berry picks, wooden beads, and antique vintage bells.

You’ll also need floral wire and floral sheers to cut and attach your items to your garland. Some people prefer to use a hot glue gun, but I feel like it doesn’t stay in place as well as floral wire.

And lastly, you’ll need a way to attach your garland to the wall. You can use small nails, command strips, etc.

How to make dried oranges for Christmas garland?

Adding dried oranges is a perfect addition to your string garland. If your unsure how to make them, it’s pretty straight forward.

Simply slice your oranges and place on a cookie sheet. Then pop them in the oven. That’s it! If your looking for easy step-by-step instructions, check out this video tutorial from Made By Hand. She does such a wonderful job showing how to make your own.

How to make diy string garland

To get started, cut your string to size.
Add your largest items to your string, this helps anchor everything. In my case, it would be my antique bells. Each of my bells has a little metal hoop at the top. So I took my twine and I strung it through my loop and tied a knot. Measuring the same distance all the way to the end of my twine. I kept repeating this process until I reached the end of my twine
Add the next largest item. For me it was the dried oranges, I strung both ends of a small piece of floral wire through the dried orange and began to twist the wire around the twine. I also added a few orange slices through the loops of my bells. This created some pretty clusters.
Repeat this process until you’ve added all your decorations. I just had my berry picks left. These particular berry picks had wire stems. I was able to wrap the stems around the twine to secure them in place.

I like to start when making my string garland with my largest items to help anchor everything. In this case, it would be my antique bells.

Each of my bells has a little metal hoop at the top. So I took my twine and I strung it through my loop and tied a knot. Measuring the same distance all the way to the end of my twine. I kept repeating this process until I reached the end of my twine.

Attach your items to your string garland:

How to hang your string garland

Hanging your string garland is pretty straight forward. Tie loops at the end of the string. Then, use either command hooks or even a small nail to attach to the garland to the wall.

I wanted to make festive garland this holiday season, so I decided to drape mine right on top of my faux eucalyptus garland that was already hanging on my fireplace mantel.

Then, I added bead garland as an accent to my holiday garland. You could string lights through your garland as well.

DIY holiday decorations

If you’re low on cash and want to make your own Christmas decorations, do not fret! There are so many ideas out there! You could give a few of these a try!

reindeer ornaments out of wood or popsicle sticks
Paper snowflake garland
Christmas swag from branches outside
Cinnamon pinecones
Acorn ornaments
Cinnamon stick Christmas trees

Although, I have to admit that my favorite Christmas craft each year is making fresh garland and wreaths with supplies from my own backyard.

Be sure to pin:

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Rounding up

DIY string garland is the easiest way to add Christmas decorations to you home. It can be as simple or as intricate as you like.

You probably have all the supplies in your home to give this diy Christmas garland a try. And if not, you can always add homemade Christmas ornaments to your string garland.

Maybe take a walk outside and collect some red berries to add as well. My favorite addition to any holiday mantel is to add a strand of fruit garland.

I always have oranges and apples on hand. I’ll cut them thinly and line them on a few cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.

Then, I’ll pop them in the oven at a low temp. It seems to add the right amount of rustic charm to my farmhouse.

The fun part is, whatever you choose to use for your string garland, you really cant go wrong. Good luck with your garland diy and I hope you have a Merry Christmas!