Homemade Garland | Family Economics

By Cathe

Pennant bunting garland is festive, simple to create and virtually free! With spring and summer outdoor entertaining approaching, it’s a good time to begin making handmade garland to string outdoors around your patio for parties and gatherings.

You can make disposable pennant bunting garland from colorful clips of junk mail, newspaper comics, catalog images, homework or leftover paper, magazine subscription cards and more. I’ve even made pennant bunting garland from throw-away scraps of old paper!

How to Make Homemade Garland:

1. Collect pieces of random paper until you have a significant pile.

2. Begin cutting the papers into long triangles, focusing on the most colorful section of each piece.

3. Freehand the first one, then use that as your template pattern. The thinner the paper, the smaller the final pieces as large thin sections become more fragile and tend to curl outdoors. A good size all around is that of a 3-inch by 5-inch index card.

4. Use a simple stitch on your sewing machine and stitch the tops of your pennants together one by one leaving about a 1-inch seam allowance between each. Make garland sections of any length.

5. If you don’t sew or have a machine, simply glue the pieces to inexpensive, narrow ribbon.

6. Hang the garland with sewing straight pins, or something similar.

7. String from trees, from the edges of buffet tables, along your backyard fence or almost anywhere!

8. The life of your garland may depend on moisture and sun exposure.

Homemade garland not only adds whimsy to your festivities but are fun conversation pieces!

Do you do anything clever with your junk mail or school paper scraps?