Monday Make A - Garlands For The Season!

* Peppermint Candy Garland *
by Lisa Hawkins

This festive garland looks great on the Christmas tree or mantle.

Materials Needed:

• Wrapped Peppermint Candies
• Scissors
• Red, green and/or white ribbon.

This garland is so festive and makes a great addition to the tree. Cut the ribbon into 3 1/2 - 4 inch sections. Don't cut them any shorter than that, or it will make the craft very difficult. Place two pieces of candy on a flat surface. Tie a square knot around the two wrapper ends that are facing each other. Continue to tie pieces together until you have a garland the size you need. We did this in cub scouts and the boys really enjoyed it. We had 10 boys and 5 Moms working on this, at the same time, so it went quickly. Depending on your family size, you may need to do this in sections so the kids don't get discouraged.

 

* Popcorn & Candy Garland *
From Shadoe Rose

You need:

• Sewing Needle
• Thread
• Popcorn (stale popcorn works best)
• Gumdrops
• Scissors

Using the needle & thread, make a big knot at the end of the thread. Starting with a gumdrop, carefully push your needle through it, then use a piece of popcorn. Follow this pattern until you have length of garland you would like!

 

* Garlands For Kids to Make *
by MamaWitch
From by MamaWitch's pagan Parent site,

You can make garlands out of Construction paper, Popcorn, Live or artificial evergreen branches, Holly, or any other material that can be strung.

Construction Paper Garlands

Materials:

• Construction paper
• Glue or Stapler or Tape
• Tape or Thumbtacks

Select the colors of construction paper you want to use. Cut all the paper into strips between 1 and 2 inches wide. Make the first loop: Fasten the ends together so that the strip forms a circle. If you use glue, let the glue dry a little bit before continuing.
All other loops: Pass one end of the construction paper through the previous loop. Fasten the ends into the new loop. Continue until the garland is the length you desire. Attach to walls, shelves, doorways or anywhere you want, with tape or thumbtacks.

Popcorn Garlands

These can be a lot of fun, but it's important to make sure the popcorn goes on the garland and not in your mouth! A variation: Add berries, popcorn, and seeds for an outdoor garland for the birds and small animals that share your space. Remember it's winter for them and they will appreciate the treat!

Materials:

• Plain popped corn (Swampy's note: Stale popcorn works better to string than does fresh. Freshly popped corn will split in pieces easier. Stale popcorn gets sort of mooshy so that it doesn't shatter when you stick a needle into it)
• berries
• all the things you will put on the garland
• Dental floss (extra fine, unwaxed). I like to use dental floss, because it is really hard to break.
• Large needle (it should be sharp to pierce berries and nuts)

Measure out a length of dental floss. 4 to 6 feet (an arm's length) is good; any longer and you have potential knot problems. If you want a really long garland, tie several together. Thread the needle. Tie a big knot at the far end. An alternative is to leave a couple of inches at the end and tie a loop around the first thing you string on the garland. Pass the needle through the popcorn. If you children are too young to handle sharp needles, they can move the popcorn down the length of the floss to the knot. Continue stringing until the garland is full. Hang the garland inside or outside. Remember that popcorn tends to "melt" in the rain. Also, if it's an outside garland, the creatures will probably eat everything in a couple of days, so if you put it out early, it won't last... If you are planning the bird-food garland, consider hanging suet (animal fat) from the garland. Birds really like that when it's cold outside.

Disclaimer: No one involved in this blog or its contents may be held responsible for any adverse reactions arising from following any of the instructions/recipes on this list. It is the reader's personal responsibility to exercise all precautions and use his or her own discretion if following any instructions or advice from this blog.