Make This Party-Worthy Beaded Garland

This post was originally published on DIY Network’s blog Made + Remade in November 2014.

Decorative garlands are an easy and impacting addition to any decor or event, and the Made + Remade Crew has come up with some really creative ideas in the past. My love of clean, modern lines and soft, pretty scallops blended together to form this simple DIY garland idea, which is hung as a modern accent in our home.

(The effect is pretty when its made with clear fishing line instead of pink embroidery thread, but it did not photograph well for the tutorial!)

Step 1

Plain wooden beads are one of my favorite crafting products, but you can always choose to paint them before starting your project, or choose to work with colorful beads from the start.

I used 120 16mm beads to create this 6-foot long garland with a scalloped effect.

Step 2 

The effect of the scallops in the garland is really pretty and cool when you use a clear thread or clear fishing line in your project instead of a colorful embroidery thread, but it didn’t photograph well for the sake of the tutorial.

String all of the beads onto the thread in one long length.

Step 3 

Lay your length of beads flat on a work surface, and take another length of thread and string it through every 15th bead, pulling that thread through a little bit further to cinch the below beads into an arching, scalloped effect. Tie the string into a knot around each 15th bead to lock it in place.

Step 4 

Once you reach the end, knot the string securely around the end beads, and hang it on the wall using cute push pins (like these geometric push pins made of clay). It looks great hanging across a shelving unit, or delicately draping over wall art.