How to Make an Easy DIY Christmas Garland with Dried Fruit and Herbs

Materials Needed for Sustainable Christmas Garland

First, many of the items are optional. You can choose from several fruits and herbs and the ornaments you want to add. However, here is what I used.

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Supplies

• Heavy jute rope
• Dried Oranges – see how to dry oranges and other fruits here.
• 3 Vintage ornaments
• 2 Snowflake-shaped ornaments
• 6 – Old Book or Music Pages Folded
• 11 – 1 inch Wooden Beads – 1 inch painted red or your choice of color.
• Large eye needle
• Small Jute String
• Herbs of your choice – Rosemary and sage can be substituted with Boxwood, pine, cedar, or other herbs from your garden.

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Determine The Length Of Your Christmas Garland

Now that your materials are gathered for your dried fruit Christmas garland, you should cut your heavy jute rope to the desired length.

In addition, you will want to allow extra length to form a tassel at the ends of the garland. I recommend allowing more length than you think you’ll need because you can always cut off the excess.

Note: It’s better to have extra length than to cut the rope too short.

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You will want to unravel the ends and then tie the frayed ends into a knot. Once the knot is secure, continue to unravel to form a tassel-like appearance for each end of your Christmas Garland.

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Combine Your Herbs or Greenery

For each step, you will need your needle threaded with a small jute string.

Note: If the string wants to unravel, preventing you from threading the needle, wrap the string with tape and slide through the opening, similar to the method used here for the ticking tassels.

Begin by attaching the herb stems together with the jute string, approximately 10 inches long. Then, thread the needle into one end of the string to attach the orange slices. I used two stems of Rosemary and one stem of Sage in the center.

Bring the jute string in from the back of the herbs and then through the dried orange slices. Be sure to pull the string gently because you can pull completely through the oranges and leave a hole.

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Ball Ornament for Dried Fruit Garland

This next step allows you to be creative and make any combination you choose. I personally used dried fruit, herbs, wooden beads, and music note pages in addition to the ball ornament.

Once again, begin by threading the needle with the jute string. Tie one end to the ornament hanger and start loading the additional items by threading them onto the jute string.

Here is the order I used to make this segment of the garland.

1. Music page
2. Wooden bead
3. Small piece of fresh sage
4. Three orange slices
5. Wooden bead
6. Music page
7. Wooden bead

Snowflake Ornaments

The snowflake ornaments can be attached as they are. However, I added a wooden bead to the jute string.

Tie All The Sections Together To Form A Garland

Finally, you want to lay your large jute rope out and align the different sections. Once you have them in a desirable arrangement, securely tie them to the large rope.

How To Hang Dried Fruit & Herb Christmas Garland

I have hung a garland over my kitchen window for several years; therefore, I have a couple of simple nails at each end with a small cup hook in the center.

Place your garland in the desired area, and if the tassels need trimming, cut them at that time. Mine needs a trim. LOL

It’s hard to get a good photo because of the glare from the outside.

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See Video Tutorial

I love the whimsical look of this garland, and with a few adjustments, it could be used year-round. See this easy garden garland tutorial for more inspiration.

Year Two – How to Reuse This Garland

First, when I stored the garland after Christmas, I removed all the fresh herbs because they had dried to a crisp. LOL. I stored all the remaining pieces in a plastic bag with Silica Packets. Now, it’s time to refresh and reuse the garland.

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How To Refresh Christmas Garland This Year

Begin by cutting a few fresh herbs. Using a hot glue gun, attach the herbs to the spot where they were located last year.

Recreate the herb swags with twine or jute string and hot glue the dried oranges back to the herbs.

The cordless Ryobi Hot Glue Gun was so convenient for attaching all the fruit and herbs.

Tie all the pieces back onto the jute rope and hang. The dried fruit Christmas garland looks fresh and new again.

Ready for another holiday season?

Watch Video – Refreshing Last Year’s Christmas Garland

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