DIY Christmas garlands from natural materials – get inspired by Nature
We have selected some great DIY Christmas garlands ideas with natural materials to inspire you craft your own and unique holiday decoration. Garlands are widely used not only as a decoration of the Christmas tree. You can place them on the mantelpiece, hang them on the windows or the stairs. Using natural materials is a lot of fun, because they can be gathered in the forest or in the park while you have a walk and some of them you will find in your own backyard. Having a fresh garland made from evergreens is just one of the options but Nature can offer a lot more. All you need is some imagination and creativity!
DIY Christmas garlands from natural materials – fun holiday crafts for kids
The best thing about DIY Christmas garlands from natural materials projects is that these are super cool and fun holiday crafts for kids. The fact that you can get the materials for your nature-inspired decoration for free, is just another benefit, right?
You can use anything that is available – from dry leaves, pine cones, evergreen branches, bare twigs, holy berries, chestnuts, acorns, nuts, wood slices, etc. Any of these can be used not only for garland making, but for beautiful Christmas wreaths, festive table centerpieces, Christmas tree ornaments, chair decorations, window decoration and so on, and so on.
Every year more and more people get inspired to craft their own environmentally friendly Christmas decorations and rustic and primitive Christmas decors are getting more popular than ever. If you haven’t tried these styles before, maybe this holiday season is just the right time to transform such simple things like pine cones and acorns into a fascinating home decoration!
How to make a pine cone garland – step by step tutorial
Pine cones that you collected in the park are often used for various kids’ crafts and they can be easily turned into beautiful interior decoration. It is best if you have pine cones of the same size. You can choose a simple design or paint the pine cones in gold, silver or any other color which will work with the decoration color scheme of your home. This needs to be done in advance, so that the paint or spray paint has got enough time to dry completely.
You will need:
- Pine cones
- Paint, spray paint or glitter of your choice (optional)
- Heavy twine or wire (you can find these at any craft store)
- Scissors or wire cutters
Instructions:
Step 1 – Measure the desired length of your garland and cut the heavy twine. Make sure you add some extra length on each end to make a loop.
Step 2 – Cut about 6-7 (12-14 cm) inch piece of twine or wire and wind it around each pine cone.
Step 3 – Tie the pine cone to your heavy weight twine. If you want a thicker garland, take three or more cones and twist their twines (wires) together to form a bunch.
5 – Continue to tie pine cones to the garland by twisting the wire or twine onto the heavy weight twine until you fill the entire length. You want to secure the shape of your garland use a glue gun and attach the cones to each other.
How to make a chestnut garland – step by step instructions
Chestnuts are all over in autumn and you can simply collect them while in the park. A chestnut garland will add tons of rustic charm to your holiday décor. Since the chestnuts are small sized, you may find out that you haven’t got enough of them for the desired length of the Christmas garland. This is not a problem, just look around your home. You can add beads, acorns, other nuts, dried fruits, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, etc. It is a good idea to dry the chestnuts first. You can do that in a food dehydrator or in the oven.
What you need:
- Chestnuts (or a selection of nuts walnuts, almonds, etc.)
- Beads, dried fruit, cinnamon sticks – optional
- Paint or spray paint (optional)
- Waxed twine (wire)
- A drill
- A large needle
Instructions:
Step 1 – Measure the desired length of your garland and cut the heavy twine. Make sure you add some extra length on each end to make a loop.
Step 2 – Drill holes in the chestnuts with a Dremel tool. Once you have drilled the chestnuts, set the oven on the lowest temperature, place the chestnuts on a baking sheet and leave them in the oven for at least five hours. Remove them from oven and let them dry completely for several days – 2-7 days. Once they are dry you can spray paint them in gold, silver or any other color.
Step 3 – Use a large needle and thread the chestnuts onto the piece of waxed twine.
Step 4 – Continue until you fill the entire length of the garland.
How to make acorn garland – instructions
An acorn garland is another way to take advantage of natural materials and you can use them in many different ways. They are really cute and like chestnuts and pine cones, they last for a long time. Once you have collected your acorns you would want to dry them in the oven and paint them before you start threading them. You can combine the acorns with other natural materials – nuts, dried fruits, etc. Here is what you will need:
- Acorns with caps
- Beads, dried fruit, cinnamon sticks – optional
- Paint or spray paint (optional)
- String, twine or yarn
- A drill
- A large needle
- A hot glue gun
Instructions:
Step 1 – Measure the desired length of your garland and cut the heavy twine (string). Make sure you add some extra length on each end to make a loop.
Step 2 – Drill holes in the acorns with a Dremel tool. Once you have drilled the acorns, set the oven on the lowest temperature, place them on a baking sheet and leave them in the oven for an hour or two. Remove them from oven and let them dry completely for several days. Check the caps of the acorns and if necessary use a glue gun to secure them as acorns usually fall out of their caps. Once the acorns are dry you can spray paint them in gold, silver or any other color.
Step 3 – Use a large needle and thread the acorns.
Step 4 – Continue until you fill the entire length of the garland.
Check out the images in the gallery for more inspiration and ideas for your Christmas crafts and DIY decoration projects!
