The past few Christmases, since our move back to the East Coast, I have been behind on sharing holiday and Christmas posts.  After years of working way ahead on Christmas for retail, articles, and blog posts, it felt good to decorate, shop for gifts, and share in real time.  I realized, though, that I was often sharing too late for people to make handmade decorations, or that all the products I was using were already sold out!  So, I’m going to share some Christmas decorating and gift ideas earlier this year, not to rush my blog readers along, but to give everyone time to move through the season at a comfortable pace—planning, shopping, and making things at their leisure.  As I’ve been looking through past Christmas ideas, I’ve felt excited about decorating, making things, and relishing the holiday season.  I hope the upcoming posts do the same for you!  I’m starting with some homemade ideas so you have time to gather the materials and make things before the holiday rush is upon us.  Here are some of my favorite handmade Christmas garlands from years past.

Most of these ideas are relatively inexpensive, using easily sourced supplies and materials, and require minimal tools or experience.  Some of the ideas could be free, depending on what kind of craft stash you have!

handmade Christmas garlands | dried orange slice garland

I made a bunch of dried orange slice garlands a couple of years ago, and they have become one of my favorite things to decorate with for Christmas.  Not only do they feel festive for the holiday season, but they can carry on as winter decorations through the gloomy January days.  I put them on my tree last year, wove them into evergreen garlands, and swagged them on the pot rail in my kitchen.  You can find a tutorial for two methods of making this garland HERE.

Also, I’ve had some of these garlands for 3 years, and they keep well in an airtight container in an environment that doesn’t get too hot or humid.

handmade Christmas garlands | crochet bauble garland two ways

A couple of years ago, I went to town making some crochet bauble garlands.  I experimented with different yarns, hook sizes, and methods, and came up with two that I loved and used around the house.  Even if you don’t have good hand-eye coordination for crochet, they are simple to make and an easy project to knock out while you’re watching a movie.  You can find the tutorial, video, and pattern for making the “beaded” crochet bauble garland HERE.

And the same details for the chunky crochet bauble garland can be found in the same post HERE.  

handmade Christmas garlands | finger-knit garland

If you’d like to do a yarn project without getting hooks and needles or fussing with counting rows, try making a finger-knit garland.  It is so quick and easy to make and can be used in a wide variety of ways in holiday decorating.  You can even make mini versions (as shown below) to use as present toppers.  It’s also an excellent project for kids.  I remember making these when I was young, and one garland would be stretched across the house, much to our cats’ delight.  You can find the finger-knit tutorial HERE.

handmade Christmas garlands | yarn pom-pom garland

A yarn pom-pom garland is another easy, handmade holiday project.  I also made these as a kid, and it was fun to dust them off as an adult when yarn pom-pom wreaths, garlands, and present toppers were trending.  I think they are a timeless addition to holiday and winter decor.  You can find a tutorial for making yarn pom-poms HERE.

To make them into a garland, tie the handmade pom-poms to a finger-knit garland or just a length of chunky yarn.

In addition to using these pom-poms for garlands, I hung them in pairs from lamps as “snowballs.”

handmade Christmas garlands | mini Advent stocking garland

We’re going way back to when my boys were little and I bought small gifts and candy to count down the days until Christmas.  I sent my grain sack scraps from upholstery and sewing projects to a talented friend and paid her to make 24 small stockings, which I strung together in a garland to use for our Advent calendar. I tucked gifts inside each night, and the boys would race down the stairs to see what prize awaited them.

I have since shared tutorials on how to make mini stockings for ornaments or Advent HERE, but you can also purchase small stockings (or mittens) ready-made.

handmade Christmas garlands | custom evergreen garlands

I have felt like store-bought garlands could use a bit of help since I first started decorating for Christmas as an adult.  For that reason, I have always amended garlands to fill them out and add a bit more personality.   Over the years, I’ve shared a few different ideas for doing that here on the blog, and here are two –

custom garland for a headboard or mantel

custom banister garland

handmade Christmas garlands | gingerbread garland

Once I’m done cutting out house pieces when making gingerbread, I’ll usually cut out some pieces (either by hand or with a cutter) to use as ornaments or string together for a garland.  I’ve made gingerbread garlands with birds and hearts, but, of course, the design possibilities are limitless.

You can find my recipe for gingerbread, along with house templates, HERE, and a post about making gingerbread garlands HERE.  I made these with real gingerbread, but you could also use cinnamon-salt dough.

handmade Christmas garlands | paper bunting garland

When our budget was at its tightest, I decorated for Christmas using paper.  I used paper to make ornaments, wreaths, bunting, banners, and even a tree topper.  They would usually only last a few years, but they were what I could afford.  One of my favorite paper projects was a paper bunting garland.  You can find a tutorial HERE.  

I made these from old books that were falling apart or vintage sheet music.  It really is as simple as cutting the size and shape you want for the bunting flags, and gluing them onto a piece of twine.  Sometimes, I would dip the bottom of the pages in glue and German glass glitter.

You can see how I used the paper bunting on a past Christmas tree HERE.  

Ah, and do you remember the ruffled tree skirt made from dropcloths?  I think that was my first viral idea!

handmade Christmas garlands | glittered letter garland

The last handmade garland I selected for this round-up is the glittered letter banner.  I used to make these banners to sell in my retail space and, for a time, produced and sold kits as well.  I strung all sorts of holiday and Christmasy words together, but I think “merry & bright” was the most popular.  I used to string these on my Christmas trees (you can actually spot one of the tree above), or I would hang them around the house.

I couldn’t find a tutorial in my archives for making a banner specifically, but you can find a glittered letter tutorial HERE.  I used sturdy chipboard letters, and if they didn’t have holes for hanging them (like we designed for my kits), I would glue them to a plied of twine.

I hope this gives you some good inspiration as you’re thinking about decorating for Christmas and things you might want to make by hand.  I like making things year-round, but I think the holiday season gives us all a good excuse to slow down and make things.

If you’d like more holiday crafting inspiration, here are my Top 15 Favorite Christmas Crafts.