How To Make A Christmas Garland With Pictures

You probably have a collection of unused photographs and Christmas cards from Christmases past. It may be sitting somewhere in a shoebox in one of the closets of your home. Maybe there were too many for scrapbooking or maybe you don’t scrapbook. Either way, there’s no reason to let these precious Christmas memories languish any longer. This eco craft is a great way to reuse those photos and cards. It is also a fun chance to go over stories with your kids about their ancestors and family history. This tutorial for how to make Christmas garland with pictures is a perfect Christmas craft for the whole family. This DIY Christmas garland can double as a festive, seasonal decoration for your mantelpiece or for the tree!

Christmas Garland For Your Fireplace or Staircase :

DIY Christmas Garland Materials:

Extra family Christmas photos or Christmas Cards
Christmas-themed scrapbooking paper (reusing wrapping paper or old Christmas cards will make it an eco-friendly version)
Raffia or Ribbon
Scissors
An acid-free glue stick
A hole punch

Directions For How To Make Christmas Garland

If your photographs aren’t all close to the same size, crop them. Now, have your kids cut squares or rectangles out of the scrapbook paper to be the backing for the photos. Explain to them that you want the photos to have a border of about an inch all the way around. Put out a cut photo so they can have an idea of how big the squares ought to be.
As your kids cut the paper, take each cut piece and determine which part will be the top of the photo backing. In other words, in which direction you want the design to be oriented. Now, approximately 1/8 inch from the top edge, punch two holes (one in each of the two corners). These will be the holes you eventually string the raffia through to make the garland.
Using the glue stick, glue one photo onto the patterned side of each piece of paper. If you like, the children can help you with this step. If you’re worried about getting fingerprints on the photos, you can push the photos down onto the paper with a piece of scrap paper separating your fingertips from the photo.
Now have the children decorate each photograph’s border with Christmas stickers, 2-3 stickers per sheet. Be sure they don’t cover up the faces in the photographs. A gentle reminder not to do so is a great way of pointing out who is in each photo.
Now arrange the photos (and if desired, your extra items) in the pattern you want them to appear. For example for your finished garland, you may want to alternate photos with Christmas card images. Have your children help you decide the orders and patterns.
Once you’ve decided what order you want the photos in, string the photos and extra items on the garland. A little clear fishing line will secure your little seasonal extras, and a dab of craft glue should hold a wandering piece of paper in place.
Once everything is spaced and secured on the garland to your satisfaction, call the children in to see what they think. If they, too, are satisfied with the finished product, tie a looped knot on each end and pick a spot for your garland of memories.

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial for how to make Christmas garland. It is also know as Christmas swag because it is so useful to swag across doorways or other areas of your home that need a little Christmas cheer. The best part of this is that with a base like raffia, you can tie on more photos onto your Christmas Garland With Pictures as you make even more Christmas memories!

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