Summary:
This article describes an enjoyable family Christmas project, and includes everything you need to know about stringing popcorn and cranberry garlands.

Details or Sample:
An Old Fashioned Christmas Trim the Tree with Cranberry Popcorn Garlands.

Are you looking for a special Christmas project to do with your children? Are you hoping to create a homier, more traditional holiday look this year? Maybe you are growing tired of tinsel and flashing lights. If so, consider making cranberry popcorn garlands. They might be the perfect Christmas project for your family.

Picture an afternoon around the fireplace or at the kitchen table. Your kids have cocoa and Christmas cookies. You’ve set out bowls of fresh cranberries and popped corn. And everyone is busy threading popcorn and cranberry, laughing over friendly competitions to see who can make the most progress.

Sound good? It’s so easy to do. Cranberry popcorn garlands are simple to make. However they are a bit time consuming. Plan on taking an hour or two to construct a three foot garland. This is a fun job for kids who are big enough to handle a sewing needle. Even very little kids can help move the berries and corn along down the length of thread.

Here’s what you’ll need. Get one sewing needle for each person who will be making a garland. You want a needle that is sturdy but on the slim side. A needle that’s too thick will be more likely to break your popcorn open. Get heavy thread, no delicate stuff. Buy a bag or two of fresh cranberries from the produce aisle. And stock in some popcorn. Pop your own if you like, or bagged popcorn will also work, as long as the texture is not too dry. If you are working with children you might want to buy a couple of bags.

Thread the needle with a long length of thread. You will have to find a length that is workable for you. A shorter length is easier to handle without getting it tangled up. A longer length often drapes better on a tree. Keep kids down to lengths of two and half feet. Longer thread for little kids is likely to be frustrating. You need to double thread the needle, so cut twice the length that you need for the garland. Pull until the two ends are even and then tie a sturdy large knot at the end.

Have your cranberries and popcorn ready to go in bowls. Start with popcorn and gently thread the needle through it. Thread a cranberry, then more popcorn, each time pushing the fruit or corn down the length of the needle onto the thread. When you get an inch of the berries and corn beaded, gently thread them down until they get to the knot. You can alternate berries and popcorn, or create your own individual pattern.

Be especially careful when moving the berries and popcorn along the thread. If you go too quickly you may break them off the thread. This is particularly annoying if you are trying to follow a pattern. Don’t get too worried about a few missing pieces of popcorn along your pattern. No matter how careful you are, some berries and popcorn will break off. It will still look charming on your tree even if it’s not perfect.

The good thing is that the more fruit and popcorn you thread the less distance there is to push. For youngsters, it’s probably a good idea to help them get started, and let them take over halfway through the garland, as the last part of threading is the easiest. Leave at least three inches of thread at the end so you have room to tie another sturdy knot.

That’s all there is to it. Drape the garlands around your tree and enjoy the old fashioned charm of homemade Christmas decorations.

And when it is time to take the Christmas tree down, don’t throw away those garlands! They have another wonderful use. Take them outside and hang them from trees and bushes in your yard. The birds will be delighted with the delicious wintertime treat.

So go ahead and slow down this year. Take a break from the mall. Spend a holiday afternoon or evening with your family, creating old fashioned Christmas decorations, and warm Christmas memories too.

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Written by: C.R. Donovan
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