Recreate this celestial Christmas bead garland with just a few supplies!
I saw this garland on Oliver Bonas, fell in love with the idea of it but knew that I could make my own more minimal and rustic version. I was tempted to spray my moons and stars in a metallic spray paint but in the end I really liked the white clay against the copper and wood and so I kept it as it was. You could definitely jazz this up further if you wanted; you could not only paint the clay stars and moons in various colours to go with your Christmas theme, but you could also add beads and tassels to the bottom of them. I find neutral and natural colours, really soothing at the moment, and so this ticked all the boxes for me. If you fancy making one of these yourself, keep reading for the step by step tutorial…
1.
First of all, measure your macrame cord and cut it to your desired length. I cut mine to about 60 inches long as this was the length of the garland I saw on Oliver Bonas that inspired this project.
2.
Add tape to one end of your length of cord and wrap it around creating a point. This will make adding the beads so much easier. At the other end of the cord, create an overhand loop.
3.
Start threading on beads and continue until reach a couple of inches before the end of the cord.
4.
When you get to the end, tuck the end with the tape on back through the centre of the beads and then create another overhang loop.
5.
Next, roll out some clay and use card or wood either side of your roller to ensure a consistent thickness.
6.
Use a star-shaped cutter to create four clay stars in total. One one point of each, use a pen or straw to create a hole for it to hang from. Leave to dry thoroughly.
7.
Use a glass or circular cutter to create three circular shapes of a similar size to the stars. Use the same cutter or glass to then remove around 2/3 of the circle to create a crescent moon shape. Again, create a small hole at the top of these so they can hang. Leave to dry.
8.
Once completely dry, use sandpaper or a nail file to smooth the edges of the clay pieces.
9.
Count how many beads are on your garland and then divide this number by 8. This is the number of beads you’ll have between each hanging star/moon. At this points, add on a paperclip.
10.
Open up the paperclip to hang the clay ornament on, and then close it again to secure it. Repeat this along the garland until you have added all the stars and moons.
