I really love garlands - they're just so celebratory. They remind me of village fetes, street parties and other memorable events. I also love them because they're perfect for weddings - easy to make, cost effective large scale decorations. They're also very adaptable - any colour, any material, any style, size or shape. Now, don't they just sound like the ideal wedding guest?!
My tips for garlands are - measure measure measure (the area you want to cover and the paper or material you're chopping up to make the garland!), check how you're going to hang them (some venues might not like you attaching garlands to their walls to confirm it's ok before you spend time putting them together), consider scale (a garland with a delicate motif will be lost in a large space) and as with all DIY projects, leave yourself plenty of time to make them. But have fun with garlands - look around for interesting fabrics or papers, hang them in unexpected places (string of dangling garlands make wonderful backdrops for photos for example) and get creative with the shapes you use.
So, join me feeling the love for paper garlands...
Above - I love these bright paper garlands. Just chop pretty papers into triangle, attach them to some ribbon or twine and string around as you wish. Such a great way to inject lots of colour without a lot of cost and you can use these anywhere, just brilliant. Image - Always Planned
Above - Using fabric printed in the style of postcards as the garland here looks really great. You can get the fabric pre-printed by the metre at some stockist then all you need do is chop it up. This works really well with lots of patterned fabrics so have a good scout around and then get busy with your scissors! It's also worth noting those lace wraps around the terracotta pots, it just softens them up a bit. Image - Lobster & Swan
Above - the fluffy balls of pretty here are just died coffee filters! How fabulous is that! Full instructions on Martha Stewart's website but trust me, they're not at all tricky to make and you can obviously create them to fit any colour scheme you like. Great for ceilings or covering other large areas and the texture is great. Image - Martha Stewart
Above - you know me and my love of doilies but look how great they are as garlands. Such a pretty and delicate lacy look at a fraction of the cost of fabric. Thread them carefully onto ribbon or thin twine and hang the finished garland wherever you like but keep in mind, these garlands aren't terribly robust so be gentle! Image - Martha Stewart
Above - perfect 'easy as you like' garlands here. Strips of paper are glued over some twine or string and then have a heart punched from them. Of course, you could use any colour paper and any shape punch but this is possibly one of the easiest garlands you could make for your big day. Image - Paper Doll Romance
Above - here these little rosettes have the twine straight through the middle of them which gives a very different look to the garland. Again, this would work with any relatively stiff paper that will hold the shape of the concertina fold. Image - Swanky Chicks
Above - I really like this delicate garland. Again, just use shaped punches or create some templates and then set to work with the scissors to give yourselves piles of shapes. Pierce little holes with a needle and thread cotton or very thin twine (embroidery thread would be perfect). Easy to customise and easy to achieve - ideal wedding DIY. Image - The Slightly Obsessive Bride
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