Cranberries: While we are on the subject of festive, fun and frugal DIY Christmas tree garlands, we have to think about cranberries. Years ago, I purchased several garlands made from cranberry colored wooden beads because I loved them for their subtlety. But a couple years ago I realized that a bag of fresh cranberries is not flat dark red. Some are, yes, but most of the berries are several shades, from the deep, dark red to the almost pink. So I decided to give fresh a whirl.
Gather Your Materials:
A couple of bags of FRESH cranberries
Scissors
Needles. I used a doll needle.
DMC crochet cotton. Or you can use dental floss, but be careful, the floss can cut the cranberries in half.
Pony beads or buttons
Decorative beads (optional)
1) It's easier to dump the cranberries in a bowl. Discard any berry that is soft or starting to rot. 2) Cut off a length of thread, crochet cotton or dental floss. I like 8-10 feet. 3) Tie a bead or a button on one end of the thread. This will act as a stop and keep your cranberries from sliding off the other end. 4) Start sliding cranberries on the needle until you get the desired amount. 5) Tie another button or bead on the needle end.
As you can see, adding some beads really changes the look of the cranberry Christmas tree garland.
If you plan to use the little seed beads, you'll need a beading needle or even a quilting needle.
Paper Chain - Chain - Chain! Most of us haven't thought about making a paper chain Christmas tree garland since kindergarten -- when a whole lot of effort ended with very unsatisfactory results.
First, there were the terrible colors available in the large sheets of construction paper. Usually all the "good" colors had been used up (making autumn leaves), leaving faded black, faded brown and faded purple. YUCK!
Next was the tedious chore of cutting strips by hand. It was hard to follow a pencil line on dark colors, let alone get a nice smooth edge from those blunt-nosed silver safety sisscors that tore more often than they cut.
If that wasn't hard enough, then there was the mind-numbing task if holding paper circles together until the paste/glue dried. Under the best of circumstances you could only get four or five links completed in an hour.
And, finally, the limp construction paper didn't make nice stiff links but loopy ovals that in a few days time would unglue themselves. No wonder making a paper chain Christmas tree garland left a sour taste in your mouth.
But guess what? You're not in kindergarten anymore! Times have changed. Paper has changed. Glue has changed. Little kid scissors have changed. You're old enough to be trusted with a stapler and a whole roll of scotch tape. And many homes house crafters, scrapbookers and home offices where people have their very own paper cutters or slicers. All of this not only means making a paper chain Christmas tree garland easy-peasy, but a fun activity to do with the kids.
Round up Your Materials:card stock, scissors, a paper cutter or paper slicer if you've got one, ruler, pencil, clear tape or one of those little red staplers in the school supply aisle. You could also use an office stapler, but that makes bigger links and you'll have to adust your size.
1) Cut the long way on your piece of card stock. Each strip will get you two links with no waste. I used strips that were 1/2" wide.
2) Then cut the long strips in half.
Finally, build your chain. If you have opted to use tape, I found it easier to go around the strip, instead of taping an end. That way you can use any width of tape. I also found it easier to link one paper chain into another, rather than making a bunch of links then linking on to another by making a new link. It's also helpful if you let them puddle up in a bowl or a bucket. Paper chain Christmas tree garlands will squash if you step on them.
And paper chain garlands can be used as an inexpensive decoration for Halloween, Easter and 4th of July, as well as birthdays. I'm 56 and I still think they're fun to make. So give it a try ... it'll make you feel like a kid again.
Snowflake Paper Punch + Card Stock + Ribbon =a fun and cheap Christmas tree garland
Over the last couple of months I've gotten a little obsessed with Pinterest. What is Pinterest you ask? Oh mama! No matter what I say I couldn't do it justice, so just go here: http://pinterest.com/ and take a look around. Crafting, sewing, quilting, cooking, knitting, fashion, home, style gardening, travel. It's got it all.
One of the little craft projects I found was how to make a garland for a Christmas tree out of circles punched from paper. The first one was a whole garland made from the little traditional size punched paper dots. Then someone posted a picture of a Christmas tree garland made out of a 1 1/4" circle punch, usually used in scrap booking. Well, that started me thinking --
Several months ago, I bought a big snowflake punch at JoAnn Fabrics. It was usually about $16, but I got it for $8 using a 50% off coupon. I was trying to justify the splurge (even on sale) and I gathered up some supplies:
First I tried sewing the snowflakes on my sewing machine. I just used machine quilting thread that I had laying around my sewing room. Fast and easy!
But then I thought some people might say, "Miss Bee, are your crazy? I don't have a sewing machine, and I'm not going to go out and buy one. But I really, really want to make this Snowflake Christmas Tree Garland, what can I do?"
Hole punch. If you've got any kind of hole punch that's small enough to punch two holes side by side, you can make this garland. Actually I think I like it betterbecause it's easier to manipulate ribbon.
I learned to sew in 1967, at the knee of Mrs. Sophie Lahner, my Hungarian neighbor lady. In the 70's, I branched off into making quilts. Yo-yo quilts were the rage, many made in the hideous rusts and avocado greens that we were also using on our kitchen appliances and shag carpeting. It seemed simple enough, but as hard as I tried, I had terrible, ugly results. Not pleasant. Not easy. Not quick. So I threw in the towel and banished them forever.
But then -- 40 years later -- I learned THE TRICK. That's right. There's a little trick. And here is my tutorial to teach you exactly how to make a fabric yo-yo.
Gather Your Materials.
Fabric: Now is a good time to use up all those scraps you've been hoarding. Medium and lightweight fabrics are ideal, as they are easier to pull down into tight yo-yos.
Quilting thread or embroidery floss: DMC floss is made up of six strands of thread. Snip off a piece of floss about 16"-18" long. Separate the threads, and then put 3 of them back together. This should be strong enough to stitch most fabrics.
Something to tracearound to make your circle. Keep in mind that your finished yoyos will end up being a little less than half the diameter of the cut circles. Coffee and tea cups work great as well as drinking glasses and saucers. Anything that is round. As you can see -- I just used a roll of painter's tape that was lying on the coffee table.
Something to mark your fabric with apencil or fabric marking pen. Since this Christmas tree garland isn't going to be washed, you could use a regular ball point pen or a felt tipped marker. Whatever is handy.
OPTIONAL: Round up some miscellaneous buttons, bells, silk flowers or other little trinkets to use as embellishments in the center of you yoyos. This is a perfect place to use up those random buttons left over from other projects or those really ugly buttons you hacked off your sweetie's favorite shirt just before you threw it away. Jars of buttons are always lurking in corners at thrift stores. Also, regular bags of craft buttons can be bought for cheap at the fabric stores. ShrinkyDinks make cute centers as well.
2. Trace Circles all Over Your Fabric:Squeeze in as many circles as you can. I find it's easiest to alternate between tracing and cutting, so I don't get bored. It is the perfect, mindless task to do while you're watching a DVD or your favorite TV show.
The Yo-yo Trick:The Trick is this -- the bigger the stitch -- the tighter you will be able to pull the center of the yo-yo. The smaller the stitch, the more little gathers you'll have to pull into the center, and there will be a gap about the size of a dime in the center of the yo-yo (no matter how hard you try to pull it). It's okay to have a gap in the center of your yo-yo, if that's what you want. I like it because it's the perfect place to nestle an antique button. If you want the gap in yo-yo, make your stitches about 1/8" long and about 1/8" apart. If you want no gap and your yo-yo closed up in the center, make your stitches at least 3/8" long and 3/8" apart (more if you're using heavy fabric).
4. Sewing Around the Fabric Disks:Making your first few yoyos may feel awkward, but here are three tips to make it easier. 1) Don't bother marking a fold line. The fabric is going to roll to the wrong side differently with each inch of the outside edge, because it is the nature of the circle. 2) Don't bother to pin the folded/rolled edge in place to sew it. You'll just get a handful of pin pricks. 3) If you get a few little tucks when you're stitching you gathering stitches -- who cares? Nobody will see those little tucks once it's gathered into a yo-yo. 5. Start the Stitching:Take three strands of floss and tie a knot on the long end. With the wrong side of the fabric facing up, turn under the smallest amount of raw edge that you can handle. In the beginning, it might be as much as a quarter of an inch, but as your fingers get more adept, you'll work your way down to about 1/8th inch. Push the needle from the right side (underneath) to the wrong side (the side that's facing you) through the turned down edge. The knot will be on the right side of the fabric. Pinching the rolled edge between your thumb and forefinger, take a few stitches. As you work your way around the edge, fold down just enough edge to do a few stitches at a time. If you are right handed, you'll probably find it easier to stitch counter clockwise. If your left handed -- clockwise. Once you get back around to your knot, push your needle to the right side of the fabric.
6. Time to Make the Yoyo!Grab the knot and start pulling the tread, gathering up the yo-yo. Pull the knot until you have about 2" of excess floss, then start to gather from the needle end. Keep pulling on both ends of the floss until your yo-yo is gathered as tightly as you want to be. If your yoyos are becoming a Christmas tree garland and not a quilt, just tie the ends of floss together in a tight knot, then trim off the excess floss.
7. Embellishing -- an Option:If you want to embellish your yoyos with buttons, bells or trinkets, now is the time. I take three strands of embroidery floss that I cut 36" long, and double it over. Starting on the flat side of the yo-yo, I push the needle through the back and through the center of the gap on the gathered side of the yo-yo. String on the embellishment, and go back the way you came to the flat side of the yo-yo. Tie in a secure knot. Trim off the excess thread.
8. Turning Your Yo-yos into a Christmas Tree Garland:Sew the yoyos together on the outside edge, using three or four stitches by hand and strong thread. You can also use the bar tack stitch on your sewing machine.
And that's all there is to it. After you make a few, it will be a quick and easy project
I thought I wasn't a fan of Christmas tree garlands until I started researching this article. Technically, don't long strings of strung popcorn or cranberries qualify as garlands? And paper chains?
So I have to rethink my feelings about Christmas tree garlands.
Okay, let me be more specific -- I'm not a fan of the fuzzy metallic garlands. They always look a little worse for wear after a year in the attic. And they just seem a little jolting when used with tinsel. And, I am the Tinsel Queen.
Over the years, I've brought some stings of cranberry colored wooden beads and one year, at an after Christmas sale at Sears, I bought all the mirrored disco ball garlands that they had -- which was exactly two and not enough to even make a statement. But I had to have them.
My biggest issue with Christmas tree garlands is the expense. Most of the non-metallic, non-fuzzy ones are about 6-9 feet long and can cost anywhere from $4-$20 depending on the fanciness of the garland. Yikes! And how much Christmas tree garland do you actually need? I found several websites that recommend 10 feet of garland per one foot of Christmas tree. And if you have an eight foot tree, that can really add up.
I'm a pretty traditional gal and have always thought that the Christmas tree garland had to follow the path of the Christmas tree lights, spiralling round and 'round. But thanks to YouTube, I saw some pretty awesome trees where the Christmas tree garland starts at the top and cascades to the floor. This looks extremely lovely if using wired ribbon or swathes of organza off the roll or cut into 7 or 8 inch strips. It might not be my particular cup of tea this year, but it is very beautiful and sophisticated if that's the look you're going for.
So, as far as Christmas tree garlands go -- anything goes! Besides the traditional garlands such as: popcorn, metallic fuzzies, cranberries, paper chains and beads, I've also seen artificial holly used as garlands, paper doll cut outs, candy, plastic beads, artificial poinsettias, shells and on and on. I even saw white and red yarn chained together that looks really cool -- especially if you're a fiber person.
Just remember:
Put your Christmas tree garland on the Christmas tree AFTER you've put on the Christmas tree lights but BEFORE you start with the ornaments.
Don't put them on too straight and too tight, you want them to "swag" a little.
Either lay them on the top of the branches or secure their position with bits or ribbon or wire.
Garlands can go up and down or round and 'round but not both.
When your Christmas tree garland finally breaks in to pieces, just throw it away.
Don't try and store the popcorn and/or cranberry Christmas tree garlands. Put them outside for the birds to enjoy.
And if you're like me and still on the fence about whether there is a place in your plan for a Christmas tree garland, OR if you're looking for something new, check out this video:
