2 Looks for Your Christmas Tree, With DIY Garlands

December 13,2017 Jim McLeod 0comments

Find out how to make a paper feather garland trimmed in gold and a typography garland with a seasonal greeting

When trimming your Christmas tree this year, consider a nature-inspired design with a golden glow, right, or a mod design in a jewel-toned palette.

Whatever look you go with, read on to find out how to make an easy DIY garland to adorn your tree.

Design Fixation [Faith Towers]

Nature-Inspired Tree With a Golden Glow

This design uses a light-colored artificial tree. Decorate your tree with twinkle lights and then encircle with a wide ribbon in a sparkly gold. Decorate the branches with natural elements like collected twigs and small pine cones, securing them to the tree with natural-colored twine. If you like, add paper snowflakes that you make or buy.

As a final touch, add this paper feather garland with gold glitter edges.

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DIY Paper Feather Garland

This paper garland will add some golden shine to your tree.

Design Fixation [Faith Towers]

Materials and tools:

Scrap cardboard
White card stock
Pencil
Scissors
Hole punch
Liquid gold leaf
Paintbrush
Gold glitter
Gold and white baker’s twine

Design Fixation [Faith Towers]

1. Draw a basic feather shape on a piece of cardboard. This will be your template for the paper feathers.

Design Fixation [Faith Towers]

2. Cut out the template and then trace around it multiple times on white card stock. Repeat until you have 15 to 20 feathers.

Design Fixation [Faith Towers]

3. Cut out all of your feathers and cut slits along the edges. Punch a hole in the end of each feather, and fold each piece gently in half so it has a bit of dimension.

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4. Paint liquid gold leaf on the edges of each feather, and then quickly pour gold glitter on top before the paint dries.

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5. Let the leaves dry for about an hour and then string them on a piece of baker’s twine. Tie a knot at the top of each feather so that they don’t slide around on the twine. Space them about 12 inches apart.

Design Fixation [Faith Towers]

The glitter on the feathers shimmers in the light. With the lights on, the garland will cast a warm glow on the rest of the room.

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The final look is elegantly understated, with a beautiful mix of gold, white and brown.

Holiday DIY: Charming Wooden Tabletop Christmas Tree

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Mod Jewel-Toned Tree

Try a bold, colorfully decorated tree with a fun typography garland that you can make yourself. Here I used a white artificial tree.

Design Fixation [Faith Towers]

DIY Typography Garland

Materials and tools:

Letter printouts
Scissors
Pencil
Foam-core board
Utility knife with a sharp blade
Spray paint
Twine
Hot-glue gun

Design Fixation [Faith Towers]

1. Print out letters in your favorite font. On each page, I put two letters in the Helvetica Neue font at a 600-point size and printed them out in black. Cut your letters out and trace them using a pencil on foam-core board.

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2. Use a sharp utility knife to cut out each letter on the foam-core board. Letters with curves are much more difficult to cut out than those with straight lines. It helps to score the outline lightly first, then push down harder the second time around. Then spray-paint the letters black, using two light coats of paint.

Design Fixation [Faith Towers]

3. Turn the letters over so they are backward, and use the hot-glue gun to attach the twine to them. Do each word on a separate piece of twine, and leave about a foot of loose twine on each end.