15 DIY Garland Ideas For Christmas Decor That's Full Of Cosy Charm

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Garlands are one of the most simple but eye-catching ways to add holiday cheer to a space. Wrapped around a tree, draped across a mantel, or twined around a stair railing, they can instantly make a home feel more festive. While store-bought options can be beautiful, there's something special about making your own. Even better, there are so many garland ideas you can DIY for a more affordable, low-waste, and personalized Christmas season.

You can find DIY ideas for all styles, from a homespun, cozy cottage Christmas to over-the-top store-worthy displays. DIY decor is one of the Christmas trends dominating this season, so we've compiled some of our favorite DIY garland ideas for the holidays. Perfect for Christmas decorating on a budget, they all use affordable materials, some of which you might already have at home, like wrapping paper, cardboard, or oranges. These ideas are easy for beginner crafters to do, and most are a fun activity for kids too. Keep reading for some DIY garland ideas to inspire your Christmas crafting session.

A tassel garland is very simple to make out of yarn, so it's perfect for using up any balls you have in your craft stash. Tassel garlands are fun for Christmas and beyond: They have a jolly feel to them that's great for any celebration. Making the tassels yourself means you can choose your color scheme. For extra Christmas cheer, green yarn can be transformed into an adorable DIY Christmas tree garland by stacking three tassels together and adding some pom-pom ornaments. To make the tassels, wind yarn around a small piece of cardboard, tie it off at the top, snip the yarn at the bottom, and do one more tie to create the head of the tassel. 

You might think you need to buy an extra-full garland to create a lushly decorated stair railing, but that's not the case. It's possible to create a voluminous and thick wrapped look without splurging on premium garlands. This hack uses a pool noodle to create a stunning railing garland. The pool noodle is essentially the base, providing a surface to poke or glue ornaments, flowers, and bells onto. It also gives the decoration some extra volume. Insert greenery sprigs of your choice after sticking on other decorations to fill in the gaps and completely cover the pool noodle.

Popcorn garlands are cheap, simple, and have lots of historical charm. Considering the reigning Christmas decor trend of 2025 is all about nostalgia, popcorn garlands are perfect for adding a traditional element to your holiday decor. They're very straightforward to make: You just thread popped popcorn with a needle and string, and you can alternate with other bits like cranberries. Using a larger needle and thicker thread will make it more durable. The Mr. Pen Large Eye Needles and Smart&Casual Cotton Twine are a good place to start. Also, pop your own kernels instead of using popcorn from a microwave bag. You don't want it to have any additives like butter or salt, which can contribute to smell or spoilage.

If you've seen dried orange garlands on your feed this year, you've probably noticed how cozy and rustic they look. The orange color brings a warm amber tone that is the perfect complement to dark evergreens and candlelight. This garland DIY is a bit more labor-intensive, since you need to dehydrate the orange slices in the oven at a low heat for a few hours. But it's hard to beat the charming homespun look they offer. For more dimension, you can alternate orange slices with pine or rosemary sprigs, cranberries, star anise, cinnamon, or pine cones. Also, to get a dark color like in this photo, use blood oranges: Regular oranges will come out a lighter shade.

It doesn't really get much simpler than this craft, and it's a good reminder that you can easily make festive decor with items you already have in the house. This all-ages project involves cutting out festive shapes from any patterned paper. Shape examples include Christmas trees, stars, gingerbread men, stockings, and holly leaves. There are just as many options for paper types too, including craft paper, wrapping paper, old sheet music or book pages, or you can even make your own by drawing or painting onto printer paper. Attach the shapes to the string using a dab of hot glue or use a paper punch to create a neat hole to thread through.

Paper chain garlands are another charming DIY project popular this year. They really lean into the feeling of a nostalgic, childhood Christmas, and again, they are very simple to make. Use colorful craft paper or patterned paper for visual interest. Mixing patterns like gingham, plaid, floral, and holiday-themed art paper makes a garland look extra adorable, but you also can't go wrong with alternating red and green construction paper if that's what you have on hand. You can even use this idea to turn leftover wallpaper into stylish holiday decor. If you're going after a winter wonderland or all-white theme, even plain printer paper can do the trick!

A fabric chain garland has a similar look to a paper chain, but it can bring even more texture and charm. Plus, it's more reusable than the paper version since it's straightforward to store without damage. There are different ways to make a fabric chain garland, ranging in difficulty. The simplest option is just to cut strips of fabric and glue it into interconnected loops. However, you might be able to see the back side of fabrics, and when you hang this version, it can have trouble keeping the circular shape. To make fabric loops double-sided and give them a little more structure, try a no-sew method using something like HeatnBond UltraHold Iron-On Adhesive to double-up the fabric and give it that extra layer of thickness. For the most flexibility, consider using Velcro dots to hold each loop together. Using a product like VELCRO Brand Dots allows you to completely take apart and reassemble the chain to alter its length and pattern. 

Bows have always been a mainstay at Christmas, but more creative versions are popping up to rival the traditional holiday versions. Bow garlands are one fabulous example, which come in all sorts of fun styles. Choose your colors, ranging from the usual Christmas red, green, and white, to trendy jewel tones, or pastel shades for a cheery kitschmas. For a similar look to the photo, you can use the Zourglow Mini Velvet Christmas Bows and use a dab of hot glue to attach each bow to the next. Of course, remember you can tie your own bows for even more flexibility.

A string of pom-poms makes a festive garland for any celebration, including Christmas. Of course, you can buy bobbles (for example, the Gemscream Christmas Yarn Pom Poms come in wonderfully festive colors) and then use a needle and thread to string them up. Or, for more personalization, pom-poms are very simple to make with yarn. For the most uniform sizing, you can get a pom-pom maker, like the Clover Set Pom Maker. Alternatively, you can very easily use household items like a strip of cardboard folded over, or a fork to create some mini pom-poms.

Gingerbread houses are quintessentially Christmas, making them the perfect inspiration for a garland. With a bit of drawing creativity, you can make them out of cardboard or brown paper bags, a white marker and a pair of scissors. For more prominent white lines, use a paint marker like the Artistro White Acrylic Paint Markers. Another option for a raised texture is to use Tulip Puff Fabric Paint. Pictured is a version that uses brown paper bags instead of cardboard, which allows you to stuff the houses with lightweight items, great if you want a 3D look or if you want to use it as a garland advent calendar.

There's very little reason to buy a bell garland when it's so easy to make your own. You just need the bells and a length of string thin enough to thread through the holes on the top of the bells. The bell type can really make a big difference in how the garland looks. A very festive choice is a small, round bell like the BigOtters Jingle Bells. Vintage-style bells offer a more rustic look: Two examples are the BigOtters Bronze Vintage Bells and Carfar Vintage Rustic Tin Bells.

Using air-dry clay opens up a world of DIY decor options. You can use store-bought air-dry clay, or create a homemade recipe with baking soda, cornstarch, and water. After boiling the mixture until thick and allowing to cool, simply roll it out and a star cookie cutter can give you perfect shapes. Of course, there's a whole lot more you can use this clay for. You can make a garland with all sorts of festive designs with something like this Christmas Cookie Cutter Set.

This craft idea is another easy one that just requires a pair of scissors, some felt, and some creativity. You can buy cheap multi-color felt packs, like the flic-flac 42pcs Felt Fabric Sheet for under $7. The simplest way to do this DIY is to print out a template and use it to trace and cut out shapes on the felt. Then, secure them to your string with a dot of hot glue. But if you have the time, a little bit of embroidery can really take this project to the next level. For instance, some stitches around the edge of each shape can make the garland feel store-bought. If you have even more crafting know-how, you can choose to stuff the felt ornaments for a 3D effect. 

The gorgeous ribbon garland is so easy to make by looping or tying various types and lengths of ribbon onto a piece of string — you don't even need glue. The end project is a ribbon fringe that has a playful boho look. It's really the colour scheme that can turn this garland idea festive. For Christmas, use a pack of red, green, and white ribbon, like the Vitalizart Christmas Velvet Ribbon Set or Vitalizart Christmas Handmade Chiffon Silk Ribbon Fringe. Ribbon material really influences the style, for example, the velvet ribbon will look more luxe and traditional, while the chiffon silk feels more relaxed and rustic. To ramp up the festive feels, consider adding bits of gold or patterned ribbon, like this Champagne Gold Satin Ribbon or nutcracker-printed LaRibbons Nutcracker Velvet Ribbon. There are really so many ways to personalize this craft!

If you have some string or twine in your craft stash and have spied pine cones around your neighborhood, you can make this pine cone garland without spending a dime. Forage pine cones that catch your eye and brush off any dirt from them before crafting. You can add a bit of paint to the pine cone if you want more color: FolkArt Enamel Glitter and Metallic Paint is a fun one that adds a bit of sparkle. You don't even need glue for this DIY project; you can simply twist the twine through the pine cones to string them up!