How To Make An Easy Pumpkin & Wood Bead Garland For Fall

Step 1 – Disassemble the Wood Bead Garland

I wanted to add the pumpkins to the garland, so I disassembled the ready-made garland first. It was easy to cut the tassels from the ends of the garland and remove all the wood beads.

Step 2 – Stain Wood Beads (optional)

I wanted to stain the wood beads for a rustic feel. However, you may choose to leave the beads natural. If so, you can skip this step.

I only wanted a light stain, so I added the beads to a large bowl and soaked them in coffee. I stirred the beads several times and let them soak for approximately 30 minutes.

Once the beads are stained to your satisfaction, remove them from the coffee and sit on paper towels to dry.

Step 3 – Create Pumpkin & Wood Bead Garland

Once the beads have dried, begin to create the pumpkin and wood bead garland.

First, thread a large needle with the jute twine. Ensure that you have a length of twine more than double the length of your finished garland. My original bead garland was 58″ and I knew that I would be adding the pumpkins to create a 72″ garland. Therefore, I used approximately 170 inches of twine to allow for two strands of twine.

I added a piece of tape to the jute to prevent it from unraveling while threading the needle. You can also use a needle threader.

Pull the twine through the needle until you are at the halfway point. This will give you two strands of twine for your beads.

Next, I began by reattaching one of the tassels to the end of the twine. Pull the twine through the center of the tassel and tie the ends to secure. You will now have a needle at one end and the tassel at the other end of your two strands of jute.

Now, begin to add the stained wood beads and small pumpkins to the jute twine via the large needle.

I added two beads next to the tassel, followed by a pumpkin. Then I added three beads, then a pumpkin, and repeated this pattern until I was almost to the end of the garland.

As I was running out of beads, I added two beads, then my last pumpkin, and finally my last bead at the end of the garland. To complete the garland, I reattached the last tassel at the end.

DIY Pumpkin & Wood Bead Garland For Fall

The garland turned out perfect for our mantel. It measures 72″, which is the size of the Pottery Barn version.

The stained beads and soft texture of the pumpkins create a stunning visual display for fall.

How To Hang Garland Without Damaging Your Mantel

What did we do with command strips? These clear command hooks were easy to attach to the mantel and hold the garland in place. Just follow the instructions on the package, and it’s easy peasy. Best of all, there is no damage to our Shabby Chic Mantel. You can see the link for the ones I used under Supplies at the beginning of the post.

Optional Uses For Fall Garlands

Although I plan to use the wood bead and pumpkin garland on my mantel this fall, there are several ways to decorate with fall garlands.

In addition to mantels, add garlands to decorate these areas of your home.

• Drape over your doorways.
• Hang a garland from a pegboard shelf.
• Add a garland as a table centerpiece or runner for a festive tablescape.
• Decorate above a window.
• Hang a garland on a wall or over a painting.
• Drape from the edge of a shelf.
• Over a porch swing.