Creative Spring Garlands

Spring is in the air! It is a perfect time to create some unique and pretty garlands to decorate with and to help add the season to your home or event. Whether it is paper butterflies or fresh flowers, Easter eggs or seed packets, the options and items used for creating garlands are endless.

Easter Grass Garland:

Cut a strip of burlap, muslin or green fabric several inches wide x the length needed. Use a hot glue gun to attach shredded Easter grass along the entire piece (I like paper Easter grass). Add tiny embellishments along the piece that you would find in an Easter basket such as chicks, candy, bunnies, eggs, etc. Another option would be to use green craft moss instead of Easter grass.

Jump Rope Garland:

This is a fun garland to place over an Easter basket or for grandparents to have for grandchildren to choose an item off of during the spring months. Simply hang a colorful jump rope up like a garland and tie small toys and candy onto the jump rope using ribbon or clips.

Easter Cards/Photo Garland:

A trendy garland would be to attach Easter cards (I like vintage) to a pretty ribbon using clothespins. Embellish in between the cards if desired with old book pages or tuelle. Another option would be to use family Easter or religious themed photos along the garland.

Pretty Egg Garland:

Thread foam, paper mache, plastic, foil-wrapped chocolate or real blown eggs to create a garland. Check dollar and discount stores for packages of inexpensive foam eggs to string. Spray paint can also be used to color plastic eggs if desired.

Ribbon Garland:

A pretty and simple garland can be made using rope and strips of ribbon, fabric and/or tulle. Simply tie on the strips to the rope, scrunch together and hang.

Tissue Pom Garland:

Create tissue paper balls/poms and attach to a ribbon. Vary the sizes of the balls to make visual interest. This is a perfect garland for weddings, showers or Easter. It is also inexpensive to make. If you need ideas on how to make tissue balls check out You Tube on the internet for many video tutorials. Newspaper may also be used instead of tissue.

Spring Candy Garland:

Thread or attach wrapped Easter candy end to end to create a garland. Some candy may work well threaded using thin wire such as jellybeans. Other candy that is pretty is wrapped taffy in pastel colors.

Twig Garland:

Wire together twigs, pussy willows or branches to create a garland. Attach tiny baskets, birds, butterflies, nests, etc. to the twigs. An option would be to use a pre-made twig or flower garland as the base. Also garlands made from flowering bushes such as forsythia, lilacs, etc. can be very lovely especially when they are in bloom.

Banner Garland:

Make a banner type garland of pennants or flags cut from book pages, newspaper, fabric, scrapbook paper, etc. Simply cut large triangles and attach to a ribbon or rope. Dress up the flags with large letters, die cut shapes or other embellishments if desired.

Doily Garland:

Measure a ribbon the length of the garland desired. Fold paper doilies over the ribbon and attach at evenly spaced intervals. Glitter the doilies if desired or attach other embellishments. These are beautiful just left plain and strung across ceilings or walls for showers or weddings or a spring event. (Idea inspired from the shop Madeleine L’Amour http://madeleinelamour.blogspot.com)

Fresh Flower Garland:

Thread fresh or silk flowers to create a garland. Use sturdy flowers and check your florist for bulk discounts. Also use available flowers, flowering bushes or greenery in your yard.

Cupcake Liner Garland:

Thread cupcake liners to create pretty ruffled looking garlands. Choose pastel liners and add tuelle, ribbon etc. with the liners for interest.

Melted Wax Garland:

Shave wax off crayons in a variety of colors onto wax paper. Cover with another sheet of wax paper and cover with a thin cloth. Iron so wax paper adheres together and wax melts. (This is the same idea as children do in elementary school art projects.) Let cool and cut into a large flower, egg or other spring shape. Attach to a ribbon and hang in a window for a unique garland.

Paper Fringe Garland:

Stack together multiple sheets of tissue paper. Use a sewing machine to sew down the length of the tissue through all layers. Continue down the tissue spacing about 4″ or so apart. Cut between sewing so you have multi players with stitching down the middle. Cut to fringe tissue up to sewing.

Stitched Shapes Garland:

Stitch together cut shapes to create a delicate garland. Simply sew right down the middle of each cut shape. The stitching will connect them. Use die cuts or large punched shapes. Or simply cut shapes from tissue paper, scrapbook paper, felt, fabric, etc. Use spring shapes such as flowers, eggs, pinwheels, bunnies, etc.

Garden Garland:

Attach pretty seed packets to a ribbon or piece of jute to create a fun garland. Attach some new gardening gloves, silk flowers, a butterfly, etc. among the seed packets can add a finishing touch.

Butterfly Garland:

Create a garland from handmade paper butterflies or purchased butterflies. Attach a butterfly net as part of the garland.

Button Garland:

Thread buttons onto a small ribbon, crochet thread or wire to create a button garland. A button garland can be combined with another type of garland to add an accent. Use pastel buttons of different sizes for spring.