Old-Fashioned Natural Garland Ideas
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The tradition of decorating for Christmas with garlands has been around for centuries. Bringing evergreens intp the home to decorate for the winter holidays can be traced all the way back to primitive pagan celebrations of the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. This is the day when sunlight begins to return the world again and the days become longer. In this post, I will be sharing some ideas for creating your own homemade, old-fashioned garlands that inspire you to not only enjoy nature, but add a primitive touch to your Christmas and Yule decor.
The Symbolism of Evergreens:
Evergreens symbolize perseverance to continue on, even when we are at our darkest moments!
The tradition of decorating for Yule, Christmas, and other winter holidays with garlands has been around for centuries. Adding some fresh greenery to an otherwise ordinary area of the home is one of the many winter traditions that has been passed down for generations.
Think of it like this: one of the best ways to brighten a space in the spring and summer is to add some life to it, like potted plants or vase of freshly cut flowers. In the winter, this same concept can be easily achieved by adding a touch of evergreen branches in the form of garlands, wreaths, or even a lush Christmas tree!
christmas garlands in the early usa:
When early settlers arrived to what is now the United States, there was abundant stock of evergreens to choose from such as spruces, firs, and pines. Europeans brought with them their holiday traditions and created garlands to sell for extra funds.
During the mid 19th century, Christmas became a rather elaborately decorated celebration. It was declared a legal national holiday only in 1856! That doesn’t seem that long ago, does it? Before that date, many journals and diaries of the time period simply find December 25th to be a normal day of mundane chores, which is still true for those that do not celebrate.
The first trends of Christmas time decor came with Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, who were drawn celebrating around a tabletop tree decorated with ornaments and candles, with toys and gifts underneath. Soon, it was common for swags of greenery to be placed onto mantles, windows, and over doorways.
ideas for Making Homemade natural garlands:
Not all garlands need to be made of greenery! There are many different natural elements that you can add to your traditional evergreen garland, or you can build your own swag made entirely of handmade decorations.
Salt Dough. Salt dough is a wonderful way to decorate all over the house! It is so easy to make and lasts for years. These little stars pictured above are made with my cinnamon salt dough recipe, which can also be made into chocolate salt dough.
Dried Orange Slices. If you want to bring some natural bright and cheery color to your garland making, try using dried orange slices. It is such a peaceful craft to make, and they fill the house with a delicious citrus scent for hours. You can dried any citrus fruit this way, too! While we love the traditional orange slice, a dried grapefruit or lime is really lovely as well.
Cinnamon Sticks. Little bundles of cinnamon sticks are an easy way to add some texture and depth to your garland, and you do not have to make anything! Simply bundle short cinnamon sticks together with some twine.
Supplies You Will Need:
To make your own natural garlands with evergreens and added decorations, here are some of the supplies you will need to get started:
Hot Glue Gun, optional
Cinnamon Sticks
Pinecones
Evergreen Sprigs
Fresh Bay Leaves
Cranberries
Popcorn
Acorns
Dried Magnolia Leaves
Dried Flowers
How to Make an Evergreen Garland:
Making up a garland is rather simple, though there are a few tricks to simplify the process. While you can plainly string up your garland as we have done in these photos, you can also create some really gorgeous greenery pieces with floral arranging techniques.
Step One: Take 3 to 4 sprigs of greenery and tie one end with floral wire. Repeat this process until you have several bunches of greens.
Step Two: Then tie the bunches together; it’s okay if this isn’t pretty at first! When all of the bunches are tied together, string a piece of floral wire around the length of your garland to hold it all together and give it some shape.
Step Three: Gently tug at the sprigs of greenery to give it some fluff and adjust the shape of the garland as needed.
*If you are struggling with this concept, it’s helpful to stop by your local nursery or grocery store where fresh garlands are being sold. Simply examine how the garland is put together to give yourself an idea of how you can mimic the process at home.
How to Make a Salt Dough & Dried ORange Garland:
Step One: Begin with a piece of twine, cut to a bit longer than the length of your final garland, tying a slip knot at one end.
Step Two: Begin stringing on your first element on the garland, such as a salt dough ornament or orange slice. Once you have placed the ornament where you want it to go, tie a knot right next to the ornament.
Step Three: String on the next ornament and space it appropriately next to your first ornament. Tie another knot. The knots will prevent the ornaments from slipping down the garland when you hang it up. The salt dough ornaments in particular can be heavy! Another helpful trick to prevent sliding is to add two holes to your ornaments and orange slides, rather than one, so that the ornaments don’t slide.
Step Four. Continue adding your ornaments down the length of the garland until you have reached the opposite end. Tie off the opposite end with another slip knot.
Final Thoughts:
It can be quite lovely to adorn your winter home with naturally made decorations. It is no wonder why these types of decorations have been used for hundreds if not thousands of years in the winter time. I can always feel myself becoming happier and more joyful when we decorate with evergreens in the winter time. It just makes me feel calm and content! I love making old-fashioned garlands to decorate my primitive style home, but I also love how they are a little bit kinder to the environment, too. I hope you enjoy making your own homemade Christmas garland ideas!
xoxo Kayla
