Super Simple, Super Cheap Christmas Garland!

I decided to get a head start on the Christmas season (shhhh, don't tell the Husband lest I want to have the entire house decorated, both Christmas trees up, and presents wrapped and ready all before Thanksgiving...no thanks). Essentially I wished to add a little pizzazz (channeling my inner 80s child here) to our mantel prior to the addition of stockings and our little village homes, which will adorn the shelf portion.

I thunky-thunk and sent little singles between synapses trying to figure out what to do. Should I sew something? Nah, I no good at that. Should I make a tissue garland? No, the fireplace may prove to be a dangerous place for that. Hrrrrrmmm. Ah ha! Tiny felt hats and mittens with ribbons and dangly thinga-muh-gigs!! Doh!

Material Deets
Hot glue gun
Felt (1 green, 1 red, and 1 white)
Cardboard
2 different ribbons of choice
3 dangly things (go in your wreath section of any craft store and you'll find items you can attach and twist on to wreaths...these work perfectly)
5 feet of twine

1. Trace 2 mittens onto the cardboard (I used my daughter's tiny mitten where her tiny hand is kept to keep it warm), but if you don't have a tiny mitten that houses tiny hands, you can just draw one. Cut out said tiny mittens and use that as a guideline to trace/cut out 1 red and 1 green felt mitten. Attach the felt to the cardboard mitten with hot glue.

2. Draw a tiny hat with a pom pom on top. I used the Husband for this part...just because. Do the same as you did with the tiny mittens, 1 green and 1 red.

3. With the white felt decorate your green hat and mitten (see photos above)

4. With extra green felt decorate your red hat and mitten.

5. On the back of each mitten and hat glue a tiny loop made out of felt to the upper portion of the object. This is so you can run your twine through the backs without it being seen.

6. Run the twine through and hang on mantel in loops. On each loop add a bow (every other color of choice of ribbon). On every other loop add a dangly thing - this is so you can place your stockings within the loop openings without dangly things getting all messy with the cool stuff your parents (or Husband) will be stuffing into them!

I'm sure my directions are super unclear, so take your little eyeballs and look at the photos above!

This project cost me less than $6 (unless you don't own a glue gun, so it may cost ya another $7-8). It's fun to do with school age kiddies and 30-something year old Husbands alike...so have at it and make some tiny Christmas decor!