Celebrate summer with this easy-to-make garland
Garlands/banners are all the rage these days for decorating parties with a theme on a shoestring.
I hopped on board last Halloween when I made this one:
It was such a hit that I thought I’d repeat the idea for a summer version. But instead of making the containers out of paper, I decorated toilet paper tubes:
These couldn’t be easier to make and the garlands can be as long or as short as you like.
In my Halloween version, the tubes are pushed together while for summer, they’re spread apart. Either way works just fine.
At Halloween you can put in treats and kids can take an individual one home from the party (with a reminder to compost). I’ve filled my summer garland with sprigs of lavender. You can use any fresh flowers that don’t mind being out of water for awhile.
And of course you can hold on to these for as long as you like, turning them into family heirlooms.
Here’s the simple how-to.
Materials
String or ribbon measuring distance you want to hang plus a few inches.
Cardboard toilet paper tubes
Recycled papers (TIP-I have lots of old scrapbook papers. I let the grandkids draw on the backs when they know they don’t want to keep the drawings, then reuse the fronts on projects like this.) Other papers like magazine or newspaper pages, wrapping paper, tissue etc. work fine too.
Heavy duty white glue (or lighter weight depending on the papers you choose)
Stapler
Variety of embellishments like stamps, glue on “jewels,” stickers, ribbon, buttons
One wooden clothes pin per toilet paper roll
How-to
1. Cut paper to exact length of tube and width plus 1/2″. (TIP: I have a difficult time measuring the tubes exactly so the paper will cover the entire thing. Instead, I cut two pieces of paper, glue one on and overlap the other, putting one side exactly along the opposite edge. Bingo! Perfect coverage every time.)
2. Spread glue on paper, then starting at one end, roll and press the paper around the tube. (Repeat with second piece if you’re using two as I did.) Secure with two clothes pins until dry.
3. With your thumb and forefinger, squeeze whatever end you designate as the bottom and flatten the curved edges, then place 1-3 staples along the bottom. The number depends on what you plan to put in the tube after it’s finished. One will hold find as long as what you plan to place in it won’t slip out.
4. Glue on embellishments.
5. Cut strips of paper to width of clothes pins. Glue on.
6. Tie up string or ribbon. Insert flowers into each tube, then hang using clothes pins.
Have you made a banner? Share it with us.
This post is part of the Upcycled Crafting Challenge (#freefromtrash) hosted by Calley, The Eco Chic, and is part of a one month challenge to create from trash. This challenge hopefully will open your eyes to the number of items we still end up trashing every day that could be used by ourselves or our kids ot create fun and useful items. To find out more about the challenge and to see other projects, click on over to Calley’s announcement page.
Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are mother and daughter and authors of Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family, and founders of Green Halloween®.
