Your Cardboard Is Never Trash: How To Turn It Into A Gingerbread Garland

During the holiday season, you probably have a lot of packages coming your way, leaving you with a mountain of cardboard boxes that need to be dealt with. One option is to simply break the boxes down and place them in the recycling bin. But why throw them out when there are so many cardboard DIYs that'll add style and decor to any room in your home? For holiday-specific cardboard decor, you can create a charming gingerbread garland that transforms your trash into treasure.

For this craft, all you need is some old cardboard, a pair of scissors, a white marker or paint to decorate the houses with, some string, and a hot glue gun. If you're an avid crafter, then odds are you already have these items lying around, which means this DIY project is virtually free. You can also take this garland to the next level with some affordable additions like beautiful holiday bows, dried orange slices, and other cute festive elements. So if you've been looking to DIY a stunning Christmas garland on a budget, then this craft is perfect.

To assemble your gingerbread garland, start by cutting house shapes out of your scrap cardboard. You can do identical-shaped houses for a more uniform look or mix it up with various-sized houses for something more eclectic. Once you have your cutouts, it's time to start adding the gingerbread house details. An easy way to do this is with a white acrylic paint marker. These Overseas White Paint Pens from Amazon work great. If you like, you can lightly sketch the designs with a pencil first.

If all-white isn't your aesthetic, you can also add some of the Christmas colors that are on trend for 2025. You can do this with different colored markers or add some more traditional gingerbread house elements like mini pom-pom gumballs or pipe-cleaner Christmas trees. Once you're happy with the houses, simply hot glue them onto your string to complete the garland. Alternatively, you can use mini clothespins to attach the houses to your string so that you can use the houses for other projects later on. You don't have to stick to just houses, though. Add some other gingerbread elements like little people, hearts, or trees. You can also add visual interest with bows, dried oranges, real or faux greenery, pinecones, holly, or a string of twinkle lights.