15 DIY Garlands for Brightening Any Space

By
Megan Graney
Megan Graney
Megan Graney
Megan Graney is a crafting expert, art teacher, and writer who shares her knowledge of DIY painting, furniture refinishing, and sewing. She has almost a decade of hands-on experience and has been writing about crafts for five years. 
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Updated on 09/26/19
Floral Garland on cart

Lovely Indeed

While a lovely framed photo or piece of unique artwork can easily liven up a plain white wall, a homemade garland is a less permanent, less expensive, and more creative decoration option. A do-it-yourself garland can lend seasonal colors to your home’s everyday decor, and they’re so simple to create that you can make one for every holiday and celebration. Try a festive paper garland for a friend's birthday, or string a set of yarn tassels together to welcome springtime. Regardless of your personal tastes and style, there’s a DIY garland idea to suit you, so glance through the list below to start creating.

  • 01 of 15

    Macrame Yarn Garland

    Macrame Garland

    A Beautiful Mess

    This simple garland can come together in an hour or less and is a great project for those leftover scraps of yarn. Select a gradient color scheme to add a dynamic sense of movement across your otherwise wanting white walls. 

    Macrame Yarn Garland from A Beautiful Mess

  • 02 of 15

    Brass Geometric Garland

    Brass Geometric Garland

    Lovely Indeed

    Simple and striking, this geometric garland adds a little sparkle to your everyday decor. If you can source metallic tube beads, that’s the most straightforward way to complete this strand, but you can also cut a long piece of tubing into your desired lengths using a pair of pliers or a tube cutter to achieve this final product.

    Brass Geometric Garland from Lovely Indeed

  • 03 of 15

    Bumble Bee Garland

    Bumblebee Garland

    Damask Love

    Whether you’re decorating for a baby shower or back-to-school season, this whimsical paper garland hits the spot. Keep your bumblebees super simple—a striped oval and a pair of heart-shaped wings are all you need, then string it up across your patio, living room, or kitchen for a bright, temporary accessory.

    Bumble Bee Garland from Damask Love

  • 04 of 15

    Tissue Paper Garland

    Tissue Paper Garland

    Pretty Providence

    Clear out your gift wrap drawer to create this colorful tissue paper garland. This cheery decoration couldn’t come together quicker, so you’ll have time to create multiples in coordinating colors--perfect for a joyful baby shower or festive quinceanera. 

    Tissue Paper Garland from Pretty Providence

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  • 05 of 15

    Glitter Feather Garland

    Gold Dipped Feather Garland

    Sarah Hearts

    Glitter-dipped feather cutouts look super chic when strung together and taped across a mantle. This garland works especially well for fall, but shift the glitter to brighter hues and it absolutely works for a special anniversary or spirited holiday as well. 

    Glitter Feather Garland from Sarah Hearts

  • 06 of 15

    Floral Garland

    Floral Garland

    Lovely Indeed

    This garland provides a great alternate use for fresh blooms: instead of gathering them into a vase, string flowers together into a garland with wire and floral tape. Flowers and greenery with sturdy stems work best for this piece, so select plants that will hold up through a bit of manipulating.

    Floral Garland from Lovely Indeed

  • 07 of 15

    Pom-Pom Monster Garland

    Pom-Pom Garland

    Make It & Love It

    Decorate for Halloween or a kids’ birthday party with this cute DIY monster garland, or use it year-round as permanent decor in a brightly-painted playroom. Create your own pom-poms for a completely homemade garland. But, while you can absolutely do that by hand, a small plastic pom-pom maker (available at most craft stores) will help this one come together a lot quicker. 

    Pom-Pom Monster Garland from Make It & Love It

  • 08 of 15

    Popsicle Garland

    Popsicle Garland

    Make Life Lovely

    Ring in summer (the official season of popsicles and ice cream bars) with a colorful, festive paper garland. Actual wooden craft sticks finish this craft and add a clever three-dimensional aspect to the garland. Hang it outside all summer long for a DIYed alternative to string lights.

    Popsicle Garland from Make Life Lovely

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  • 09 of 15

    Felted Macaron Garland

    Macaron Garland

    A Beautiful Mess

    Satiate your sweet tooth in an unexpected way with this saccharine macaron garland. Create colorful French cookies through felting and string them all together for a playful garland that’ll look perfect in the dining room or strung across a bar cart. 

    Felted Macaron Garland from A Beautiful Mess

  • 10 of 15

    Fabric Garland

    Fabric Garland

    Project Nursery

    Looking for a great way to reuse for your fabric and ribbon scraps? This fully DIYed garland is perfect for that and brings a lovely sense of whimsy to a kid’s room or nursery. For a craft that grows with your little one, consider retiring special articles of clothing or blankets and adding them to the strand. The color scheme will evolve with your child for a dynamic, personal piece of wall art. 

    Fabric Garland from Project Nursery

  • 11 of 15

    Rainstorm Garland

    Rainstorm Garland

     Make Life Lovely

    Turn a rainy day into a craft afternoon with this pretty foam project. This garland flips the switch and takes things vertical, making it an unexpected and creative decoration. Looking to add more color to your rainstorm garland? Pop in a yellow lightning bolt or an orange sun to brighten things up a bit.

    Rainstorm Garland from Make Life Lovely

  • 12 of 15

    Candy Garland

    Candy Garlands

    DIY Candy

    Kids will definitely want to join in on the construction of this sweet garland—it uses actual candy as the crafting medium! Adults should handle poking holes through the gumballs, jawbreakers, and gummies, but little ones can practice patterns by stringing alternating candies together into colorful garlands. 

    Candy Garland from DIY Candy

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  • 13 of 15

    Fabric Heart Garland

    Fabric Heart Garland

    Crafts by Amanda

    The perfect project for beginning seamstresses, these little stuffed fabric hearts challenge you to stitch around a couple of curves and points, but as multiple hearts are needed, you have the immediate chance to practice your skills again and again. Try using coordinating patterned fabrics for an interesting, eye-catching garland.

    Fabric Heart Garland from Crafts by Amanda

  • 14 of 15

    Bubbly Balloon Garland

    Balloon Garland

    Pretty Providence

    Don’t be intimidated by a balloon-based craft, this one is super simple and doesn’t even require a helium tank. You can adjust your garland to fit your space exactly. When working with balloons you can inflate and combine to your tastes easily and quickly. Fill in any empty spaces with paper spheres or faux flowers for a truly professional finish.

    Balloon Garland from Pretty Providence

  • 15 of 15

    Ombre Felt Ball Garland

    Ombre Felt Ball Garland

    The Happy Housie

    Skip a step and source pre-made felt spheres for a truly easy and quick garland project a la The Happy Housie. Keep things monochromatic for a sleek look that you can easily coordinate with your home’s interior, then hang across the mantel or a pretty styled shelf.

    Ombre Felt Ball Garland from The Happy Housie