DIY Holiday Garland

Garland is such a classic way to decorate fireplace mantels, doorways, and windows during the holidays. We’ve still got plenty of time to get some decorations up before the season is over, so here are some great ideas for making your own.

If you have holiday cards piling up but no mantle to set them on, you can easily create a nifty garland with them. The folks over at Martha Stewart suggest you drape tinsel across a mirror to hang your cards on. If you don’t want to use tinsel or a mirror, you can just as well span a piece of ribbon, twine, or wire across a doorway to display your cards.

One of the most popular and simple crafts that we learned as kids was making paper chains, and now you can spiff them up a bit as an adult. Artist Shannon Riffe had the great idea to make use of misprinted artwork by cutting it up into strips to make chain garland.

You can use your own discarded artwork, magazine pages, junk mail, or just about any paper scraps you can get your hands on. Grab your glue, cut up your paper strips, and start linking your chain.

If you’re a fabric artist with baskets full of remnants just waiting for the perfect use, then take a hint from Sarah Neuburger of “The Small Object”. Taking strips of fabric, starch, and glue she make a chain garland that can be used year after year. Check out her blog for a detailed tutorial.

Have you got some more DIY Green Holiday Craft Ideas? Please comment, we’d love to hear about them!

[Images courtesy of Martha Stewart and The Small Object.]