It’s the beginning of December and we are all on the hunt for the perfect decorations to solidify the ringing in of the Christmas season and new year. Today, I’ve got two more nearly free garlands to put on your to-do list.
Not only are these garlands all natural and beautifully classic, but they make for fun, easy projects the whole family can help with. I’ll be showing you how I created a free evergreen garland, and a super simple and inexpensive popcorn garland.
Materials For the Evergreen Garland
Evergreen Branches
String
Scissors
Materials For the Popcorn Garland
Bag of Popcorn Seeds
Needle and Thread
Raw Cranberries
The Evergreen Garland – For Free
So let’s check out the Evergreen Garland first. We happen to have several pine trees in our yard, so the kids and I bundled up and headed outside. I collected branches from all of the different trees, because I wanted the look of mixed textures. We even added in some of the branches that had to be trimmed off of our Christmas tree.
If you don’t have pine trees in your yard, you can easily find branches for free near you. I’ve heard of people getting free branches from Christmas tree stands, you could take a hike into the nearest woods and get some clippings, or ask your neighbors if they wouldn’t mind you helping them with the pruning.
For a medium sized window, I needed a pretty good stack of branches. I ended up using almost all of the clippings I collected too.
Tying Branches to String
Once you’re happy with your branch pile, measure your window, doorway, banister, or whatever to find the length you want your garland to be. Cut a piece of string giving yourself extra length that you can trim later.
Start tying your branches to your long base string. It works best to start with the larger branches and then layer on smaller ones. I found it easiest to hang my string up in my window first, and then add branches, but you don’t have to do that.
Final Touches
After you have created a good base of branches, you should be able to poke some of your smaller branches into your base without tying. I like to do this to cover any of the spots where my string is showing through.
Follow this link to find out how to keep your living garland alive.
Popcorn Garland – For Cheap
The popcorn and cranberry garland is so classic and cute, and is another fun one for the kids to help with.
Cook the Kernels
Start by popping a batch of your popcorn seeds. In a large pot, put two tablespoons of oil, and turn the heat to medium. Let the pot and oil heat for a couple minutes, then add enough kernels to cover the bottom of the pot and cover with the lid. Once the kernels begin popping, crack the lid slightly to release the steam. Pour your popcorn into a bowl once the popping slows.
Good luck convincing any bruise headed small children that this bowl full of goodness is not for them… Better just make an extra bowl for snacking while you’re at it.
If you want to make a very long garland, it will take more than one batch of popcorn. However, we have a small tree this year, 5 ft, so one batch of popcorn was more than enough.
Another quick tip, make sure to use a small narrow needle, or your popcorn will likely break when you try to poke through it.
String the Popcorn
After the popcorn is cooked and cooled, find a comfy spot, maybe turn on a Christmas movie, and use your needle and thread to string the popcorn and cranberries. If you have more than one helper, you can tie the strings together when they are finished.
Start and end by tying a cranberry onto the thread to keep the garland secure. Alternate your popcorn and cranberries however you wish.
And that’s it! Maybe just sprinkle a little salt on the leftovers and enjoy it while you finish your movie.
Also, credit to my sister for passing along this great idea. When you are ready to discard of your popcorn garland, you can hang it up outside as a gift to all the little hungry winter birdies.
Find Another Almost Free Garland Idea Here…
