12 Days of Crafting: Day 2, glitter garland

Welcome to Day 2 of the 12 Days of Crafting on Dwell Well.

Yesterday, I shared a tutorial for making star-shaped ornaments out of twigs. Today’s project is a little less earthy, a lot more bling:

Glitter garland!

This was inspired by a vintage garland I saw hanging at Chaps restaurant the other day. The concept is the same: glittery spheres and stars hanging along a string. While Chaps’ garland is connected with wire, mine has a long piece of hemp string running through it. I liked the juxtaposition of the hemp with the sparkle, but if that’s too weird for you, use wire, fishing line or plain old string.

To make the glitter garland, you’ll need:

• Styrofoam balls (available at craft stores in the floral section)
• Glitter
• White glue
• Paint brush
• Long needle with a large eye, such as a tapestry needle. Needle must be longer than diameter of styrofoam balls
• Wooden skewer, optional
  
• Hemp string, yarn, fishing wire or other type of string or flexible wire
• White cardstock paper
• Scissors and a star template for tracing or a star-shaped hole puncher

For a slideshow of these steps, go here .

1. Cut the string to the length you want your finished garland to be. Thread the needle.

2. Push the needle through one of the Styrofoam balls. If your needle isn’t long enough to make this easy, “pre-drill” the hole with a wooden skewer first. Push the ball to a spot about one foot away from the end of your string. If the ball feels loose on the string, dab some glue in the hole or tie knots on both sides to keep it from sliding around.

3. Cut or punch out two cardstock stars. Brush glue on one side of one star. About six inches from the first sphere, sandwich the two stars on either side of the string. Press together firmly.

4. Repeat the ball/star process until you’ve filled the string. Allow to dry.
Tip: The balls aren’t expensive, but they obviously cost more than the paper stars. To make this project economical, put more than one star between each ball.

5. Pour glitter into a bowl. Working with one ball or star at a time, brush glue on its entire surface then dip the ball or star into the glitter, covering it completely. Repeat until all balls and stars are glittered up.

6. Allow to dry. Hang on a tree, above a doorway, across a mantle or wherever you need a little holiday twinkle.