Well friends, here we are just one week away from Thanksgiving and the start of the holiday season! I have been working on my Thanksgiving tablescape and adding lots of festive touches that will easily transition from Thanksgiving to Christmas. Last night I was thinking that I wanted to use cranberries and sage in my holiday decor, so I decided to make a beautiful, fresh and fragrant garland for my chandelier in the dining room.
I was so excited to get started on this project! Before I went to the store I did a quick online search to see other examples of cranberry and sage garlands to figure out how many cranberries and herb bundles I would need, but I could not find one single photo or blog post! Is it possible I came up with this original idea?
It’s possible, although people have been crafting with fruits, berries, leaves and nuts since primitive times. Incorporating berries and herbs in wreath making is also very popular, but I believe I might be the first to make a garland using combining these particular herbs and cranberries together! My inspiration for this garland came from my love of fresh herbs and the colonial holiday traditions of decorating with natural elements and fresh fruits that were considered a Christmas luxury during those times.
The garland was so easy to make! It took less than 45 minutes. At first I was only going to use sage and cranberries, but when I got to the store I noticed the bay leaves and I thought they would be nice for adding a deeper green tone and different texture to the garland. The bay leaves are also sturdier so they help keep the sage in place.
All you need to make this lovely garland is one package of fresh cranberries, and one package of fresh sage from the grocery store, usually located in the refrigerated section of the produce department. If you are still able to harvest your own sage, even better. Just gather up a large bundle! You can also find the bay in the produce section. These ingredients are probably on your Thanksgiving shopping list anyway!
Although I have not made a fresh herb garland before, I have made several cranberry and popcorn garlands for Christmas. I always use dental floss for my garlands instead of string because it is a bit sturdier and the berries will easily slide on waxed floss. A medium sized sewing needle will work well for stringing cranberries. When I was searching for cranberry and sage garlands, I did come across this article on the Martha Stewart website where she also shares how to string cranberries using wax dental floss
How To Make A Fresh Cranberry, Sage, and Bay Leaf Garland:
Making this garland is an extremely easy process!
- Measure the area you are wanting to adorn such as a mantel or staircase and cut the floss to fit. Be sure to account for draping and swagging when measuring. Thread the floss through a medium-sized sewing needle.
- Simply string six cranberries followed by a large sage leaf and two bay leaves in any size and repeat this pattern until you have the length you want. Tie off each end in a tight knot leaving some excess string if you are going to be tying the ends together. That’s all there is to it!
(Photo: Rebekah Williams)
I especially love this garland because it adds such elegance and the theme and colors will work for both Thanksgiving and Christmas! A fresh garland will last for a couple of days as long as you use cranberries that are still firm and your herbs are healthy too. I might trying using an acrylic spray to seal my garland to make it last a bit longer. If I do I will be sure to write an update post to let you know how it worked.
Not only is this garland beautiful, but it smells wonderful too! I even used some of the leftover cranberries, sage and bay leaves mixed in with lemons and cinnamon sticks to make an all natural simmering potpourri on the stove. It was so fragrant and really put me in a holiday mood! I will be sharing my exact simmer recipe here next week.
In this post you have seen a little sneak peak of my Thanksgiving dining room tour which I will be posting this week. I am also hosting a Farewell Fall Link Party for bloggers to link up all of their favorite fall posts one last time before it’s full on Christmas in blog land, so please do come over and give fall one last hurrah with me!
I will also be participating in a wonderful Thanksgiving Tablescape tour over at Katherine’s Corner tomorrow. You can see more of my fresh garland and the rest of my dining room decorated for Thanksgiving on the tour. I hope you will join us!
Happy garland making, tablescaping, and turkey baking!
Amber
Linking up with:
Foodie Friday And Everything Else
Foodie Friday And Everything Else
Snickerdoodle Sundays: Create, Bake, Make Link Party
10 Comments
Very sweet garland, I am loving it! I might have to run to the grocery store now for supplies to make that. My kitchen chandy would look good with that garland. Thanks so much for joining the Dishing It & Digging It Link Party. I hope you had fun and made some new friends too,
November 20, 2017 at 2:08 pmI love your cranberry garland with sage. I have never thought to put it on my chandelier, but I love that look. So glad your linked up. Stop by on Sunday since you will be featured.
November 22, 2017 at 1:39 amHave a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Hugs,
Bev
Thank you so much for sharing on the Whisk It Wednesday Link Party. Make sure you stop by tomorrow and join us again! Hope that you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Carrie @ Carrie’s Home Cooking
November 22, 2017 at 2:36 amThanks Carrie! I do a lot more “foodie” crafts and cooking for Christmas so I will have some more content to link up to your party all month. Thanks for hosting!
December 2, 2017 at 2:40 amAmber, I love wreaths and garlands with natural elements! I was thinking I would make a cranberry one and add a few rag strips to add to the cupboard that I have filled with my plaid thermoses. I love yours with the herbs! Thanks for sharing with SYC. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
November 22, 2017 at 2:53 amhugs,
Jann
Your garland looks amazing Amber. Thank you for sharing it at Create, Bake, Grow & Gather this week. I’m delighted to be featuring it at tonight’s party and pinning too!
November 24, 2017 at 3:32 amHugs – Kerryanne
This is gorgeous, Amber! Thanks for sharing at Vintage Charm–pinned!
November 27, 2017 at 1:57 amHow pretty and I bet it smells nice. Thanks for sharing at Home Sweet Home!
November 27, 2017 at 8:07 pmHow long does it last ?
September 18, 2019 at 8:45 pmIts a super cute idea !
Hello Robin, the garland only lasted for a few days. It was perfect for Thankgiving though!
Thanks for visiting!
October 3, 2019 at 9:17 pm