In my humble opinion, Christmas decor feels even more special when it’s handmade.  The time and care that goes into making the decor elevates it to a new level.  One of the simplest and most festive pieces of handmade Christmas decor you can make is a garland, and this Jingle Bell Wood Bead Garland is a versatile piece that can be used anywhere! 

Wood bead garlands are a decor staple these days, but the addition of jingle bells and festive holiday ribbon to a regular garland makes this wood bead garland extra special for Christmas! 

Plus, it is oh-so-easy to put together, and it’s a great project to get your children to help with.  It’s really that simple!

Materials Needed for a Wood Bead Jingle Bell Garland

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• Multipack of wood beads in varying sizes
• Jingle bells in varying sizes
• Bakers twine
• Needle with large eye
• Christmas ribbon
• Scissors

How to Make a Wood Bead Jingle Bell Garland

Begin folding a long piece of bakers twine in half and threading it through a needle with a large eye.  (You want to fold the bakers twine in half to give it more strength once you start stringing the wood beads and jingle bells.)  I chose red and white bakers twine because it is so Christmasy! 

Once the needle is threaded, tie a knot at the opposite end of the twine to hold the pieces together.

Next, begin stringing wooden beads onto the twine.  I chose to use a mix of sizes of wood beads, and I alternated them. 

Using a needle was essential for getting the twine through the beads.  I don’t honestly think you could make a wood bead garland without a needle!

Then, I also added in different sizes of jingle bells to the garland.  For my garland I strung four wood beads, then a bell, and alternated that pattern all the way down the length of the twine. 

When I got to the end of the twine, I tied off that end.  Then I got to work making ribbon tassels to add to the ends of the wood bead garland.

Making the ribbon tassels was so easy!  Just cut four pieces of ribbon, stack them on top of one another, fold in half, and tie a piece of bakers twine around them near the top to secure and form a tassel. 

Once the tassels are made, loop the ends of the bakers twine through the loops in the tassels, and tie to secure. 

 

After that, the garland is complete!  

Depending on how long you make it, it would look beautiful on a Christmas tree or Christmas mantel!  If you opt for a shorter version, you could put it around a vase, on a tiered tray decorated for Christmas, or simply laid on a table as part of a Christmas vignette. 

The wood bead garland I made has 40 wood beads, 10 bells, and measures 34″ excluding the tassels.  Those figures might help you calculate how many of each supply you need to make a shorter or longer wood bead garland.

So what are you waiting for?  Grab the supplies you need and get to stringing!  And make sure you pin this image on Pinterest so you can easily find this tutorial again when you need it.  

You May Also Like These Upcycled Tile Christmas Ornaments

Before you get mad and tell me it’s not even Halloween yet, let me explain why I’m sharing a Christmas craft in October.  I am moving (you can read more about that here), and as a result, a lot of my craft supplies are boxed up AND I can’t decorate my house for fall or Halloween because of showings, etc. 

Because of that, I’m limited in what creative muscles I can flex right now, and this easy Christmas craft was just right!  It’s a transformation of Dollar Tree printed chipboard tag ornaments into darling buffalo check decor tags that add a special touch to Christmas decorations!

Large scale decor tags have been popping up all over the stores, and this project gave me a chance to put my own twist on the trend.  Everything I used can be purchased at Dollar Tree, so you know it’s also extremely budget-friendly! 

Where To Use Large Decor Tags

Before I give you all the details on how to make your own decor tags, you might be wondering WHY you’d make these tags.  What do you use decor tags for?  The answer is – just about anything!  They’re actually really versatile and add a pop of interest anywhere you put them.  Some favorite uses for decor tags are:

• added to wreaths for a seasonal touch
• in a tiered tray (these are all the rage over on Instagram and Pinterest. I might be the only person who doesn’t have a tiered tray to decorate.)
• hanging on a doorknob
• hanging from a vase or planter
• tied together as standalone door decor
• grouped in a basket as part of a larger vignette

Hopefully those ideas spark an idea for you of where you could use similar decor tags in your own home!

Supplies Used to Make Large Decor Tags

Now, let’s get down to business!  Here’s what you need to make these cute Christmas decor tags.

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• Decorative chipboard tag ornaments (not currently available online, but the large size chipboard tags are available online)
• Buffalo check wrapping paper (not currently available online)
• Matte Mod Podge
• Scissors
• Paint brush
• Poster sticker letters
• Red truck mini ornaments (4 pack) (not currently available online)
• Jingle bells
• Twine
• Black and silver acrylic paint
• Fine grain sandpaper

How to Make Christmas Tags for Decor

To help you find in store the exact tags I used for this project, here they are!

Flip them over to the flat backside (the fronts have some raised glitter on them), and cut wrapping paper to be slightly larger than the tags.  Then, trace the tags onto the back of the wrapping paper.

Cut out the tag shapes from the wrapping paper.  Then, place a thin coat of Mod Podge over the entire chipboard tag.

Carefully place the wrapping paper that you cut to the shape of a tag on top of the Mod Podge chipboard tag.

Carefully smooth out any wrinkles and make sure that the wrapping paper is flattened all over.  Set the tag aside to dry.  This will take about 20 minutes.

Once the tag seems dry, gently rub the edges of the wrapping paper with sandpaper.  This will remove any wrapping paper that’s sticking over the edge of the chipboard tag.  

Next, apply a thin layer of Mod Podge over the top of the wrapping paper.  This will help seal the wrapping paper onto the tag, and it will remove the shiny finish of the wrapping paper.  

Set it aside to dry.  As it dries, you will notice that the hazy finish disappears.  Yay!  

Once it’s dry, gently brush a bit of black paint around the edges of the tag to give it an aged look. 

Then, apply the poster stickers to write out words that fit on the tags.  I think four letters are the max that will fit with these poster stickers on these tags. 

Use a pencil to poke a hole through the wrapping paper at the top, and then, for an added touch of authenticity, paint a silver circle around the hole. 

String twine through the hole, and add decorative elements to the twine.  I used the cutest little red truck ornaments from Dollar Tree and silver jingle bells.  But, you could get creative and add whatever embellishments you like!

See how easy it is to upgrade the look of these Dollar Tree tags with just a few simple tweaks?  You get a totally adorable look for hardly any money at all.  I just love when decor works out that way!

-Bre

Here’s Another Great Dollar Tree Christmas Craft! Check Out This Dollar Tree Christmas Cloche!