DIY Wood Bead Garland

Crafts

Jan 3

Happy New Year Friends!

I don’t know when you’re reading this, but over here, it’s the New Year! We’ve had a great time celebrating Christmas and the start of the New Year, and now I’m looking forward to a fresh beginning.

I’m not really a New Year’s resolution person - I’ve made them in the past, but I always seem to ditch my resolve by mid-January. And let’s be real, sometimes I don’t even make it to January 3rd, haha. But while I don’t really make resolutions, I do like to look at the New Year as a time to reflect on the past year and make goals for the coming year.

With that in mind, I’m all about home organization and décor refresh. We have some big plans for renovations this year, which are upcoming on the blog, but for today, I have a boho/farmhouse décor item that is quick, cheap, and easy to make. This DIY wood bead garland is so cute, and it can be customized in so many ways to match your home’s personal décor style.

DIY Wood Bead Garland... Jennifer Zimmerman | DIY & Lifestyle

This quick project only needs a few supplies to make. I personally like the look of the natural beads, so I chose not to paint mine, but if you prefer, you can paint your beads before you begin. If you are painting your design first, make sure you have a general idea of the pattern you’ll be creating to ensure your design looks the way you want it to.

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Step 1: Make your first tassel

The garland I made has two tassels - one on each end. If you aren’t painting your beads, start by making your tassels.
Wrap your twine/string around the palm of your hand about 15-20 times (less if you want a smaller tassel/more if you want a fuller tassel). Cut your twine to length and place your twine circle on your work area. I made two circles at this time, but I only attached the first tassel.
For the first tassel, I connected it directly to the full length of garland I’d be using. So decide how long of a garland you’d like to make, and add a few inches for good measure and cut from your ball of twine.

With one end, tie the end piece of your tassel through the middle of the circle, securely attaching it to what will be your first tassel.

Then use another length of twine to tightly wrap around the top of your circle as many times as you’d like and securely tie the ends together. This secures your circle pieces together.

Lastly, cut out the bottom of your circle and trim the pieces to create a uniform length. Your first tassel should now be connected to your garland string.

Step 2: String your beads

After your first tassel is attached, it’s time to string your beads. To keep my twine from unraveling as I strung the beads, I wrapped the end with a piece of Scotch tape and cut the end into a point. If your beads are too small for a piece of tape, you can also use a bit of school glue at the end of your string. This creates a nice point and keeps the twine together while beading.

I used tape for this garland, but for most purposes, I prefer the school glue trick. Just avoid using too much glue along the length of your string because it can weaken the string and cause it to break off (for thinner pieces of twine).

When stringing the beads, I created a pattern as I went, but you can decide on your overall design beforehand if you prefer.

Step 3: Attach your end tassel

To finish off your garland, attach your second tassel.
To ensure your garland will drape well, you want to leave yourself some slack at the end. I left about two inches of twine at the end before I attached my second circle, but I think that this ended up being too much slack. I would recommend leaving about an inch of twine between your last bead and your tassel. You want it to drape, but mine leaves some pretty big gaps, which don’t look as nice, in my opinion.

Following the same process as above, securely tie the end of your garland string through the middle of your circle piece. Then wrap another piece of twine around the top of your circle and cut the bottom of your circle to create your tassel. Trim any excess to create a uniform length.