16 Types Of Garland You Can Make Yourself This Holiday Season

Garlands are one of the best types of holiday decorations you can have in your arsenal. These rope-like adornments are easy to hang, and can be placed anywhere, from curtain rods to staircases. If you’re interested in hanging garland this holiday season, you may even consider making your own.

Some of the best types of garland to make yourself include classic evergreen garland, pinecone garland, or garlands made of holiday ornaments. You can make playful garlands using miniature stockings, candy canes, and gingerbread men. Popcorn and cranberry garland is a holiday classic, or you can use eucalyptus or dried citrus for an aromatic twist. You can even make garlands with holiday cards or photos.

There are tons of benefits to using garland as a holiday decoration. They are easy to display, are unobtrusive, and add a lot of holiday cheer with minimal effort. Making a garland or two can also be an easy and fun DIY craft project. If you’re interested in making festive decorations but are low on ideas, read our list of creative DIY holiday garland ideas below.

16 DIY Holiday Garlands You Can Make This Holiday Season

1. Jingle Bells

One fun, interactive garland you can make for the holiday season is a bell garland. You can use any type of bells you’d like, from vintage brass varieties to shiny round sleigh bells. This is a great decoration to hang on a door, as it makes a festive jingle each time you open and close it. 

2. Ball Ornaments

Ball ornaments aren’t only great for hanging on trees. You can also easily make a garland with them by stringing and clustering dozens of these emblematic holiday ornaments together.

You can find ball ornaments everywhere during the holidays, and they are often inexpensive. Round ornaments are usually stocked in dollar stores and even thrift stores, making them a perfect option for those seeking a budget-friendly DIY holiday decoration.

3. Candy Canes

Candy canes are a minty-sweet and iconic symbol of the holiday season. In addition to eating candy canes, you can make a garland with them. To make a candy cane garland, you can use real candy canes or ones made of paper or felt. This is a great garland to hang in a kitchen or dining room, or even above a dessert table at your next holiday party.

4. Holly

Holly is one of the few winter plants that provide color during the winter holidays. If you have a holly bush, you can make a garland with its branches. Keep in mind, however, most holly garland won’t last more than a few days before it wilts or loses its leaves in a dry home. Alternatively, you can use artificial holly to make a garland that you can reuse for several years. 

5. Christmas Cards

If your mailbox is inundated with holiday cards every winter, then consider turning these season’s greetings into festive decor. Using a ribbon or yarn and festive clothespins, you can hang holiday cards in a long garland, adding to it as more arrive in the mail. 

6. Fresh Pine

Of all the garlands on this list, none is more quintessential than the classic pine-branched garland. If you live somewhere with ample evergreen vegetation, then grab your clippers and remove a few branches from one of your trees. This is the perfect decoration to help bring a fresh pine smell into your home this holiday season.

White Pine, Juniper, and Douglas Fir are all great options, but just about any green-needled branch will work great. To combine the branches for the garland, use twine or wire, and wrap each branch tightly.

7. Pinecones

Pine cones are another example of an object from nature you can use to make a beautiful garland. You can use pine cones of any size. Just ensure you find enough to string them together to form a garland.

Use a clear fishing line to connect each pine cone, making the garland strong and seamless. Pinecones are another decoration that works well for all winter holidays, not just Christmas.

8. Eucalyptus

For those making ga arland for the first time, eucalyptus is a great option. These long stems are resilient, durable, and easy to connect with wire, string, or zip ties. They also have a lovely fragrance and a silvery green tone that matches nearly every aesthetic. Eucalyptus branches also dry beautifully, and won’t shed leaves and make a mess like evergreens.

9. Ribbons And Bows

If you’re looking for a way to use up your leftover ribbons and bows once you finish all your gift wrapping, why not make a garland? You can easily make a fun and colorful garland by attaching various bows to a long stretch of leftover ribbon. You can place this garland over an entryway, on a tree, a shelf or countertop to add a little added holiday cheer.

10. Popcorn And Cranberries

If you want to get nostalgic while creating a DIY decoration this holiday season, look no further than the popcorn-and-cranberry garland. This red-and-white garland dates back to colonial America and the late 1800s and is one of the earliest holiday decoration traditions in the country. A popcorn and cranberry garland is easy to make, as you just need popcorn, fresh cranberries, thread, and a needle. 

11. Polaroid Photos

If you want to incorporate your photographic eye into your holiday decor, then consider an avant-garde photo garland. Using a Polaroid camera, you can capture stunning winter moments and string the photos together into one long art-filled garland. It’s the perfect DIY garland for art lovers.

12. Snowflakes

Snowflakes are an excellent motif, as they serve as a decoration for every winter holiday. Snowflakes are also fun to make, as all you need is a bit of paper, glitter, glue, and imagination. 

String together your handmade snowflakes to make this charming garland. Consider hanging it in front of a window, as the sunlight will help the glitter shimmer. 

13. Cedar Branches

If you live in a region where cedar trees or shrubs are prevalent, then it’s time to do some foraging. Cedar branches are great for making garland, as they have a fragrant smell and thick green branches that you can easily connect to make a long stretch of garland. Cedar garland is fantastic in the home because it’s long-lasting, and its soothing scent can help lower your stress level this holiday season.

14. Miniature Stockings

One cute DIY garland that’s perfect for families with small kids is a miniature stocking garland. To make this garland, you need tiny stockings (you can make them with felt or purchase them) and thick yarn. When you hang this stocking-filled rope from a shelf or window, it’s a photogenic and heartwarming sight to behold.

15. Dried Citrus

If you have a citrus tree and a dehydrator, then you should try making a dried citrus garland this holiday season. There are many benefits to a citrus garland. For one, it’s unique. The dried slices of fruit look almost like orange glass when you hang them. These garlands also smell amazing.

Traditionally, citrus is symbolic of good luck, and it is the perfect way to bless your home with prosperity as you enter a new year.

16. Paper Gingerbread Men

If you’re looking for a DIY craft project that the entire family can enjoy, including small children, then it’s time to decorate gingerbread men. Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter as a stencil, and trace it many times on construction paper. 

Carefully cut the outlines, and then individually decorate each silhouette. When you finish decorating, combine all the figures to form a long garland of unique gingerbread men.

Wrapping Up Types Of Garland You Can Make This Holiday

Holiday garland is one of the most versatile and low-maintenance decorations you can display this winter. These rope-like adornments are easy to hang, and look great over entryways, fireplaces, shelves, and windows. Instead of purchasing mass-produced garland, consider making unique garlands by hand. 

Some fantastic DIY garlands you can make at home this holiday season include natural varieties made from pine, cedar, holly, or eucalyptus branches, or even pine cones. Some food-themed garland ideas include candy cane or paper gingerbread men garlands, or even long strings of fragrant dried citrus. You can even make garlands using winter snapshots from a Polaroid camera or with holiday cards you receive in the mail.

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