Embracing the Christmas spirit, I am determined to make this holiday season truly special. Despite the challenges and busyness of life, I am committed to creating lasting memories and spreading joy. Reflecting on past Christmases and the influence of my dad (Mr. Christmas himself), I am inspired to cherish every moment and make the most of this magical time of year.
One thing that makes me the happiest is creating through crafts. I love a good DIY project! This year I decided to make my own Christmas garland and I'm SO happy with how it turned out.
If you've been following me for some time now you know I love using dried oranges in my decor. They are a great, sustainable way to decorate for the holidays. I paired dried oranges with cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, and mini pine cones to create a Christmas Woodland garland. Here's how I did it.
WOODLAND CHRISTMAS GARLAND
ITEMS NEEDED | Use my link above to purchase everything from Amazon
100 Mini Pine Cones
50 Bay Leaves
1 Bag of Oranges (about a dozen or so)
50 Cinnamon Sticks
Twine
Large Needle or Something Similar to make holes
INSTRUCTIONS
Dry out the oranges.
Slice each orange into thin slices trying to make them as even as possible. This way they will dry our evenly.
Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper, then lay each orange slice in an even layer.
Place in the oven at 200 degrees. Flip the slices every hour until they are dried through. You may need to remove some before the others if they are looking to be done before the rest. This will prevent them from burning.
NOTE: This process takes a few hours. You may be tempted to turn up the heat a little.. do not do that. The slices will burn.
Gather Your Garland Items.
I used a large tray to put all my items on. Bowls are a great option too.
Pre-cut your twine into 5'-6' pieces. This will help when tying.
Using a large sewing needle or something similar, poke holes in the oranges. You can do this in the center or closer to the top. Poke holes in the bay leaves (you can also use the stem of the bay leaves, but not all of them will have one).
Assemble the Garland.
The order of what you put on your garland is entirely up to you. I did a pattern throughout to keep it uniform.
Put the string through an orange slice, fasten by tying a knot.
Next, wrap the twine around a mini pine cone and tie a knot.
Next, string a bay leaf through. You can tie a knot or leave it be since they are so fragile.
Lastly, double wrap the twine around a cinnamon stick and tie a knot.
Repeat all the steps until done.
Other items to consider using in your garland:
Rosemary Sprigs
Eucalyptus
Christmas Tree Trimmings
Unbuttered Popcorn
Cranberries
Please let me know if you try this out! I'd love to hear!
Comments