DIY Jingle Bell Garland
A DIY jingle bell garland takes three things: rusted jingle bells, jute twine, and scissors. Wipe the rust dust off every bell, string them all on the twine before you space them out, then tie a loop at each end so it holds and you can hook it onto something.
I’ve never been able to think about Christmas without imagining jingle bells! Jingle Bells is one of my favorite Christmas carols and I love hearing the bells everywhere during the holiday season. So when I found the essentials to make a rustic jingle bell garland, I couldn’t pass it up! Not only is this DIY super affordable, it’s also great for many different decor styles. And if the vintage/rusted style bells aren’t your style, you can always switch them out for silver, gold, or copper bells. No matter what, you’ll end up with a beautiful garland you can use in so many different ways.
What You’ll Need:
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Jingle Bells & Jute Twine (both are included in this pack)
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Scissors
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Paper Towels
Step 1.
Before you start, you’ll need to wipe off most of the bells. They’ll have a “rust dust” on them and this part will definitely get messy! But taking the time to do this will keep any of that dust from ending up wherever you decided to hang your garland. It might seem a bit tedious to wipe down every bell, but it’s definitely necessary. Your hands and work area will most likely be messy after all this, but at least it won’t get all over your home!
Step 2.
Start stringing the bells on the twine. You’ll probably want to space them out how you want them as you string each one on, but I promise it takes much less time if you wait to do this! Once you have all the bells on your twine, start spacing them out where you want them so you know where to cut the twine off.
Step 3.
Once you’ve got all your bells spaced and you’ve trimmed the twine, it’s time to tie off the ends. A simple knot won’t hold, so you’ll want to do a loop (like pictured). Having a loop at each end will also give you the option to hook it on to something if needed.
Step 4.
Decorate! There are so many ways to use this garland, which is one of the reasons I’m so excited about it. Right now I have it running down these birch logs and also hanging around the log basket. But I’ll be putting up a small tree in our bedroom soon and I plan on using this as the garland for that tree. It would also look so gorgeous strung though a flocked garland. The bells would really pop against the “snow”.
As always, if you do this DIY (or some version of it) don’t forget to post on Instagram and tag me @sugardesignco because I love seeing the beautiful decor y’all make!
-Ciera
Made something with this? Tag me @sugardesignco — I love seeing them.
Questions I get asked
- Do I really have to wipe off the jingle bells first?
- Yes. They'll have a rust dust on them and this part will definitely get messy, but taking the time to do it keeps that dust from ending up wherever you hang your garland.
- Should I space the bells out as I string them?
- No. It takes much less time if you string all the bells on first, then go back and space them out so you know where to cut the twine.
- Why tie a loop instead of a knot at the ends?
- A simple knot won't hold. A loop at each end will also give you the option to hook the garland on to something if needed.
- What can I use a jingle bell garland for?
- So many things. I have mine running down birch logs and hanging around the log basket, and I'm using it as the garland on a small tree in our bedroom. It would also look gorgeous strung through a flocked garland since the bells really pop against the snow.
