Holiday

Learn how to make a paper Christmas tree garland. This Christmas paper craft is a great craft for all ages!

I don’t know about you, but Christmastime brings out my desire to craft like no other time of year!  Whether it’s making decor for my house or gifts for someone else, I just want to make make make!

Unfortunately the added time constraints of this season can leave little time for crafting, but as creative people, WE MUST MAKE!

So, let’s take time to indulge our inner craft gods and goddesses and create something special – even if it’s a super quick craft like this adorable Paper Christmas Tree Garland.

(And check out my other Christmas and Winter Crafts in the linked project gallery!)

Taking a little bit of time to create will help you feel more fulfilled and less stressed – trust me.

Supplies Needed for a Paper Christmas Tree Garland

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• Colored cardstock (make sure to buy cardstock that’s colored on both sides – unlike scrapbook paper, which is usually white on the back.)
• Paper cutter (or scissors and a ruler)
• Glue Dots (optional: you could also use a hot glue gun for this part!)
• Glitter stars
• Hot glue gun and glue
• Twine or string

How to Make a Paper Christmas Tree Garland

Okay, I was creatively uninspired and sorting through my craft supplies to see what I could make for a Christmas craft.  I found a whole bunch of 8.5″ x 11″ rainbow cardstock that I bought for who knows what reason.

I grabbed it and my paper cutter and started messing around.  A little while later, I figured out how to make these adorable paper Christmas trees and I decided to make this garland.  It’s so easy!

Step One: Cut Cardstock Strips

Begin by cutting four, 11″ long and 1″ wide strips of cardstock.  If you have a paper cutter, this is SUPER easy!

If you don’t have a paper cutter, you need to get one!  I bought mine back in 2005 when I was wedding planning and I have used it so much since then!  If you don’t have a paper cutter, you can either measure with a ruler and cut with scissors, or just eyeball it and cut freehand.

Next, shorten these strips of paper as follows:

For larger paper Christmas trees: keep one strip 11″ long, cut one down to 9″, cut another down to 7″, and cut the last one down to 5″.

For smaller paper Christmas trees:  cut one strip down to 9″, cut one down to 7″, cut another down to 5″, and cut the last one down to 3″.  

Step Two: Create Paper Rings

Next, use the Glue Dots or double-sided tape to attach each strip together at the ends to form rings.  Alternatively, use hot glue to create the paper rings.

Then, take the largest ring and press it down in half, so that the folds are crisp.

Place more of the Glue Dots, double-sided tape, or hot glue in the middle.

Repeat this process with the other rings and stack them one on top of the other.  For the smallest ring, push it into a point at the top so that it looks like the top of a Christmas tree!

Repeat this process until you have a forest of paper Christmas trees.

Step Three: Embellish the Paper Trees

At this point, adorn the tops of the trees with chipboard stars, add glitter to the edges to look like snow, glue on sequins to look like ornaments – whatever you want!

Step Four: Tie Together with Twine

After the trees are complete, tie them together with twine or string to create a darling paper Christmas tree garland.  

This garland is so unique!  I haven’t seen any like it online, and I love the festive touch it adds in my kitchen.  

This simple project did not take much time at all, and I’m so glad I made it a priority because crafting is what lessens my stress!  

Taking time to do things I enjoy is part of what helps me keep my head on straight during the hectic holiday season.  I hope you will do the same for yourself!  

These days it’s almost unheard of to send a holiday card that is not a family photo, whatever your family consists of.  Whether it’s a whole group of people, just you, or your best furry friend, the holidays are a time to re-connect and share a snapshot of you and/or your loved ones with others! 

With the photography tools available to ALL of us these days, it’s so easy to take great looking photos for your holiday cards. To help, I’m giving you tips for taking great DIY Christmas Card Photos on your own, without hiring a professional photographer!  (And guess what – these tips will work for ANY family photos you want to take in the future; not just holiday card photos!) 

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DIY Holiday Card Photo Tip 1: Plan Ahead

Instead of snapping a picture of your family in front of whatever random background is in the location you’re at, spend 10 minutes planning ahead and the results will be worth it! 

First up, plan the location of the photo.  If you have time to go to a location with pretty scenery, you’ll instantly upgrade your holiday photo game.  Whether it’s a hotel lobby with pretty Christmas trees or the woods with natural scenery, plopping your people in a scenic spot will help your photo tremendously.  

Next, think about whether you want or need any “props” for your photos.  If you’re going to the woods, for example, maybe you should bring a blanket for everyone to sit on.  If you’re taking the photo in your living room, do you want to add in a cute holiday pillow to make the photo more festive?  Take a look at this amazing Pinterest board for lots of great prop and pose ideas.

Finally, if possible, plan the outfits your family will be wearing in the photo to avoid clashing colors, graphic or “message” t-shirts, etc.  You don’t want to look unnatural with overly matching looks, but coordinating colors goes a long way for a professional-looking photo.

DIY Christmas Card Photos Tip 2: Get Them Smiling

When it comes to taking a holiday photo of a group, you’re almost guaranteed to get someone who doesn’t want to cooperate – especially a child or a pet.  Bring some treats along with you to help soften any attitude.  

Another great tip to get a really natural look in photos is to say something that makes the people being photographed laugh.  I often tell my kids that they can say a “bad” word they’re not allowed to say (before you jump on me in the comments, these “bad” words are things like “butt” and “fart.”  Not really the bad words you might be thinking of.)  This makes them crack up and I get awesome, natural faces in our photos instead of cheesy, faked smiles!

DIY Holiday Card Photo Tip 3: Technology is On Your Side

Thanks to smartphones, it is SO much easier to take a great holiday photo these days.  These tiny devices can take such nice photos, especially if you know how to use some of the most basic features that are built right in! 

Brush up on camera skills for your particular phone with a quick Google search.  You’re bound to find tutorials that will teach you things about your phone’s camera that you didn’t know before, like how to brighten the image before even taking it and how to set the timer for a group shot.

Add-on accessories for smartphone cameras can also be very useful – especially when taking group photos that you want to be part of!  I love my phone tripod and remote control, which lets me set up my phone as a camera anywhere and snap the photo wirelessly when we’re all in place.  It makes taking family photos so much easier!  

And if you’re going for super high-quality, pull out the trusty old camera to take even sharper images.  Just make sure to minimize use of the built-in flash and use natural lighting instead.  That always leads to a better image!

DIY Christmas Card Photos Tip 4:  Edit, Edit, Edit!

Finally, the best thing you can do for your DIY holiday card photos is edit them before printing!  The good news is that you don’t even need an expensive editing program to do it. 

While I use Adobe Lightroom for editing my blog photos, there are awesome online programs that you can use, too!  PicMonkey is my personal favorite. 

If you don’t want to use an external editing program, use the editing tools built in on your phone or computer.  You can’t edit as much, but something is better than nothing!

Use the editing tools to do things like crop the photo to a good proportion, brighten the photo, enhance the colors, smooth away stray hairs, etc.  Simple fixes like that will make a world of difference in your pictures!

Now that you have all these great tips for taking a wonderful holiday card photo, get out there and do it.  Then make sure to order your cards or print your photos to add into your cards.  

Do you have any DIY holiday photo tips to share?  Make sure to share them in the comments below!

-Bre