Things You'll Need:
- Fresh, raw cranberries
- Sewing needle
- Heavy nylon thread
- Push pin
- Drill
- Drill bit size 77 to 80
- Heavy work gloves
- Safety goggles
- Acrylic sealer spray (optional)
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Step 1
Calculate how much garland you will need for your tree. To cover a tree, you’ll need approximately 8 feet of garland multiplied by the height of the tree. For example, if you have a 6-foot-tall tree, multiply 6 times 8, which means you would need approximately 48 feet of garland.
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Step 2
Calculate how many cranberries you will need to make the amount of garland you want. A 1-lb. bag of cranberries will make approximately 5 feet of garland. Thus, if you want to cover a whole 6-foot-tall tree with cranberry garland, you would need 9 to 10 lbs. of cranberries. If you wanted to use half cranberry garland and half silver tinsel, you would need about 5 lbs. of cranberries.
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Step 3
Sort your cranberries into bowls by sizes if you like. You can just grab cranberries at random, but it is more aesthetically pleasing when the objects are all close in size, such as mixing a string of small cranberries with a string of big ones on your tree. If you want to mix size, at least repeat a pattern, such as: small, small, small, big, small, small, small, big. Sorting will make it easier to find what size you want when you’re making your garland.
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Step 4
Drill a hole through your cranberry using the skinniest drill bit you can find. Make sure you are wearing your work gloves and safety goggles as you do this. Also make sure the cranberries are dry so that they are not too slippery.
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Step 5
If you are having trouble keeping the drill steady when breaking through the skin, use a push pin to make a “pilot hole” for the drill. Try to drill right through the center of the cranberry. If you go too off-center, it could crack.
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Step 6
If you have a very sturdy needle and strong hands, you can skip the drilling part altogether and go straight to stringing the cranberries. Without a drill hole, it will be difficult to get the needle through, but if you can it does reduce cranberry breakage. Try poking it through part way, then pressing the back of the needle against a table as you push the cranberry down. Protect the table’s surface before you do this or the needle could ruin the surface.
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Step 7
Cut the thread to be at least a foot longer than the size of the garland string you plan on making. To avoid tangles and making the garland difficult to handle, don’t make each increment any more than 10 feet in length. You can make several strings of garland to equal the amount you will need to cover your tree, but working with a 50-foot unbroken length of strung cranberries weighing 100 lbs. is awkward.
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Step 8
Tie the first cranberry on the thread. A simple knot at the end of the thread will not stop the cranberries from passing over it and falling off the edge. After threading the first cranberry, loop the bottom of the thread up and over it and tie it. This will provide a secure stopper.
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Step 9
String the rest of the cranberries onto the thread. Finish by tying the last piece on the same way you did the first cranberry. Cut away any extra thread. Your cranberry garland is ready to be draped on your tree.
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Step 10
If you like, take your cranberry garland outdoors or in a well-ventilated area such as a garage if it is too wet outside. Hang it over a clothes line or from a hook. Spray it with a clear acrylic sealer and allow it to dry overnight before hanging it on the tree. This will keep the cranberries fresher for much longer and add a lustrous shine that will capture the lights on your tree.
