Cranberries are the perfect Christmas red so it’s no wonder they’ve been used for Christmas decor for ages. So while these ideas are not new, I think my twists on these classic cranberry decorations illustrate how you can elevate the humble cranberry into really chic decorations. I hope they inspire you to also make your own cranberry garland, votive candle or Christmas centerpiece.
1: Classic Cranberry Garland
This is quintessentially Christmas, but I’d never made a cranberry garland before. Yet every Christmas movie seems to show people stringing cranberries and popcorn for their trees so I decided I finally wanted to make one myself. Well, I ended up making three and I LOVE them!
You might be thinking, why didn’t she just use red beads—they would last for years to come? However, beads would not provide the charm of cranberries. Cranberries make the garland perfectly imperfect because they come in a various shades of red and a variety of shapes and sizes. My pictures don’t even do them justice, you simply have to see it in person so you’ll just have to make one yourself to see what I mean (wink). My twist to elevate them to chic is I grouped three garlands together to make a statement when draped on my boxwood wreaths. This treatment would also look dynamite on a mantel, don’t you think?
Making them proved extremely easy. I read a lot of tips that I ended up ignoring. For example, even Martha Stewart’s website suggested using dental floss for easy stringing, but I used bakers twine and had zero issues. So do not fret, whatever string you have will probably work just fine. I used about a bag of cranberries for each garland. I made all three in less time than it took to finish a Hallmark Christmas movie. So this is so doable!
What You’ll Need
- Cranberries (Approximately 1 Bag per Garland)
- Bakers Twine
- Large Needle
- Ribbon
The Simple How-To
Cut your bakers twine a little longer than how long you want your garland. Thread your needle with your twine and tie a knot at the opposite end. String your cranberries. Only use the firm cranberries and discard the mushy ones. (You can use the mushy ones in Christmas Stovetop Potpourri.) Once your garland is the length you want, finish with another knot. In order to get your knot right up against your last cranberry, insert your needle inside the knot before it is completely tight and then use your needle to guide the knot right up against the last cranberry. For a finishing touch, tie ribbon in a knot on both ends of your garland to cover the bakers twine. Cut off any excess twine.
2: Cranberry & Dried Orange Votive Candles
These are a great way to bring a touch of Christmas to your kitchen. I used a Weck canning jar, but you could do this with any glass jar, vase or hurricane. What I like about the Weck jar is its unique shape (everyone uses Ball jars) and canning jars simply belong in the kitchen. However, if I was doing this for the living room or dining table, I might elevate the design by using a pretty clear vase or hurricane.
What You’ll Need
- 1 Liter Weck Glass Jar or Other Clear Glass Jar/Vase/Hurricane
- Glass Votive Candle
- Cranberries
- Dried Orange Slices (I purchased mine at Trader Joe’s)
The Simple How-To
Place your glass votive candle inside your jar or vase. Layer in cranberries and dried orange slices. It’s really that easy!
3: Cranberry Vase Filler
Isn’t this so pretty? If I do say so myself. Haha. Anyways, this is still one of my favorite creations. You can get the simple how-to and see another vase I used by visiting my post Easy Christmas Centerpiece: DIY Cranberry Vase.
I also used the cranberries as a filler to cover one of my amaryllis bulbs. And to change it up a bit, I used green moss for the other bulb. I can’t wait for them to bloom! You can usually find amaryllis bulbs this time of year at Trader Joe’s. This year, they sold them with the bulb covered in wax and the tag said they require no watering. Can you believe that? No maintenance… sign me up! We shall see if they actually grow.
I hope you enjoyed these ideas. For one last cranberry use, I also love them in stovetop potpourri. For the simple how-to, visit my post DIY Christmas Stovetop Potpourri, it includes instructions as well as a free print-it-yourself gift tag.
