Paper Straw and Wood Bead Garland

There's never a shortage of paper straws in this household...I always grab a pack whenever I see them go on clearance at the local craft store, TJ Maxx, or Homegoods.  So, when I saw a paper straw and wood bead garland featured in Better Homes and Gardens magazine I was rearing and ready to go!

This was a super easy craft to do, and it would even be do-able with little ones.  Simply lace cut paper straws (I cut them into thirds) and wooden beads onto yarn or heavy nylon string, then tie up the ends and you're done.

To make the "ends" easier to work with (and avoid having to tie a knot the size of your head), I cut about an 18-foot length of string and tied the ends together to form a large loop, thus "doubling" the string over into a 9-foot length.  Then I strung a bead onto one end of the loop,  tucked the bead in-between the two strings and pulled the bead tautly to the end.  This allowed the wood bead to be the end of the garland, allowing me to easily string the other pieces on without having to worry about tying a knot large enough to keep the beads/straw pieces on the string.

Clear as mud?  Hopefully this photo helps...see how the bead is holding the garland together without having to tie a knot?  I did this to finish off the other end as well.

That's the only complex part, the rest is just stringing the pieces on in whatever pattern you like.

This garland is a festive addition to our big 'ol Texas star but it would look really cute strung around a Christmas tree as well.  Happy decorating!