15 Imaginative Garlands to Add Charm and Whimsy to Your Holiday Home

Bring a rainbow of color to your holiday decor with this simple felt ball garland. Simply thread embroidery floss through the balls spacing them however far a part as you wish. It’s a quick and inexpensive way to brighten up those branches or to drape around your windows.

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It’s not the holidays without a few snowflakes—even if you have to fake it. A Beautiful Mess shares their tutorial for making a sparkly snowflake garland using polymer clay, Mod Podge, and glitter. They made molded their own snowflakes, but there are plenty of other ways to get the shape like using a stencil or getting miniature wood ones from the craft store. 

This is a glitzy, glam garland from A Beautiful Mess. Thread ribbon through ornaments to get the look. Choose baubles that will go with the rest of your holiday decor—glitter ornaments not required!

Related: 11 Ways to Repurpose Christmas Decor at the Holidays and Beyond

Alternate craft store pom-poms with paper straws for a funky splash of fun on your tree. It’s like a party on the pine needles! This is a great way to dress up a tree on a budget, particularly if you’re just setting up house or are low on ornaments.

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This is one way to hang lights on the Christmas tree. Studio DIY traced lightbulb shapes on card stock paper and stuck them to heavy-duty string with black masking tape. She tied balloons to the end of the garland for a one-of-a-kind tree topper, but that isn’t a must if you have your own star or angel in mind. 

Related: 50 Insanely Easy-to-Make Holiday Ornaments

Here’s a way to adapt the traditional green garland for a more modern look. Homey Oh My shares her tutorial for wrapping some pines around vine wire. The “Merry” message might get camouflaged if you place this around the tree, but it’s perfect to hang on a bare wall or across a window.

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Whether you’re a novice or a pro knitter, this garland project is worth a look! Using the finger knit technique, Lovely Indeed created a bunch of knitted strands of garland to drape across the mantel. It creates a warm and cozy feel perfect for the holidays. Get a head start on learning a new skill for 2019 and give this DIY a try. 

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PMQ for Two used print outs of vintage Christmas cards for this garland, but you can also make use of all the holiday cards you receive or  even use all of your own former cards throughout the year to make this garland. The best part is that it’s super easy to put together: grab a pretty ribbon of your choice and staple the cards to it. Voilà!

Related: 22 Unique Ways to Display Holiday Cards

You can never go wrong with evergreen and plaid during the holidays. Angela Marie Made created this warm and traditional garland using only supplies she found in her house. Luckily, even if you don’t already have these items they’re easy finds online or at your favorite craft store. 

Related: The Weirdest Things Anyone Has Ever Used to Make an Awesome DIY Christmas Wreath

Here’s a two-for-one holiday decor: an advent calendar garland! A Beautiful Mess beautifully decorated star boxes and filled them with goodies and activities for a delightful Christmas countdown. 

Related: 40 DIY Advent Calendar Ideas to Help You Count Down to Christmas

Save yourself a trip to the party store—and your money—by making your own holiday banner. Lemon Thistle shares her own tutorial for this DIY letter garland. It’s a super easy and affordable project, plus you get to decide what it says and how it looks! 

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Feeling inspired by the Nutcracker? A Subtle Revelry shares her DIY for a sugar plum garland, but without the sticky mess. Swapping gummies for decorated styrofoam, this garland will last beyond just one holiday season. 

Related: 31 Vintage Christmas Ideas Worth Revisiting This Year

Here’s another DIY garland to put your skills to the test. Persia Lou’s crochet retro ornament garland adds a bright and festive touch to any tree. Gather your supplies and sit by the fire one night making this. 

Related: 11 Ways to Spruce Up Thrift Store Holiday Decor Finds

For a natural garland, thread together dried orange slices. This is a very traditional holiday trimming, from the days when store-bought decorations were too costly or difficult to acquire. If you want the real deal, dry the slices yourself by placing them in the oven for approximately one hour on each side. The Merry Thought shares a tutorial for how to do it just right. 

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If loud, clamoring jingle bells aren’t your taste, why not try this vintage bell garland instead. The simple, rustic look is perfect if you’re going for a calm and bright decor style. 

Related: See How 20 Historic Homes Decorate for the Holidays