How To Make A Simple Cranberry Garland

HOW TO MAKE A SIMPLE CRANBERRY GARLAND WITH FAUX-SUGARED FRESH CRANBERRIES

Are you looking for simple and inexpensive ways to decorate your home for the holidays? Stringing fresh cranberries is a fun Christmas craft to do together as a family or while watching holiday movies.



Its simple style adds that nostalgic old-fashioned Christmas charm and a festive pop of red on the Christmas tree or fireplace mantel. But if you want a little sparkle, I'll show you how easy it is to get the look of sugared cranberries without sugar!



How to make a simple cranberry garland with faux sugar dipped berries for inexpensive holiday decor with nostalgic old fashioned Christmas charm for a fireplace mantel or Christmas tree.

Easy Faux Sugared Cranberry Garland

I hung the cranberry garland on the small fireplace in our basement media room. Last week I shared how I decorated it with a quick, easy, and cheap Christmas mantel decorating idea. I love how the fresh cranberries add a festive pop of red to the faux evergreen garland.



How to make a simple cranberry garland with faux sugar dipped berries for inexpensive holiday decor with nostalgic old fashioned Christmas charm for a fireplace mantel or Christmas tree.

This is what the fireplace looked like with the simple lighted evergreen garland only.



How to make a simple cranberry garland with faux sugar dipped berries for inexpensive holiday decor with nostalgic old fashioned Christmas charm for a fireplace mantel or Christmas tree.

And here it is with the faux sugar-dipped cranberry garland. So pretty, right!



How to make a simple cranberry garland with faux sugar dipped berries for inexpensive holiday decor with nostalgic old fashioned Christmas charm for a fireplace mantel or Christmas tree.

Did I mention that it smells good too? I share a trick for how to scent it further down in the post. If you sugared too many cranberries and have leftovers, no worries, they look so pretty on display in a glass vessel on a coffee table tray.



How to make a simple cranberry garland with faux sugar dipped berries for inexpensive holiday decor with nostalgic old fashioned Christmas charm for a fireplace mantel or Christmas tree.

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of how to make the faux sugared cranberry garland, almost all of the DIY projects shared here at Interior Frugalista have step-by-step tutorials so why not get your budget DIY on and subscribe. You can also follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.



How to make a simple cranberry garland with faux sugar dipped berries for inexpensive holiday decor with nostalgic old fashioned Christmas charm for a fireplace mantel or Christmas tree.

How long will the cranberry garland last?

The glue used to dip the faux sugared cranberries acts like a sealant and helps preserve them so they last through the holidays. They are not permanently preserved and will need to be thrown away after the holidays.



What You'll Need To Make A Cranberry Garland

This post contains affiliate links so you can see what products I used or recommended for this project. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.


2 Bags fresh cranberries (for garland)
Baker's Twine
Embroidery Needle with large eye
Mod Podge or White School Glue
Unscented or Scented Epsom Salts 
Fine or Extra Fine Crystal Clear Glitter



How To Make A Faux-Sugared Cranberry Garland

You will only need two bags of fresh cranberries to make the garland and you should have leftovers. At the time I wasn't sure if I was going to make a tree or fireplace garland and bought more than I needed. Normally I wouldn't buy organic cranberries to use for holiday decor but that was all that was available.



How to make a simple cranberry garland with faux sugar dipped berries for inexpensive holiday decor with nostalgic old fashioned Christmas charm for a fireplace mantel or Christmas tree.

Spread the fresh cranberries in a single layer on paper towel-lined cookie sheets and let them dry for a few hours. Sort through the soft and rotting cranberries and set them aside in a small bowl.



"No cranberries were wasted in the making of this garland!" 😉

How to make a simple cranberry garland with faux sugar dipped berries for inexpensive holiday decor with nostalgic old fashioned Christmas charm for a fireplace mantel or Christmas tree.

Simmering Fresh Cranberry Potpourri

Use the rejected cranberries to make a simmering cranberry potpourri. I use a mini slow cooker rather than a pot on the stove to make mine. Fill it with water, fresh cranberries, orange slices, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and whole allspice.



There is always a pot simmering in the kitchen during the holidays that fill our home with the wonderful scent of Christmas.



But of course, you could cook the rejected cranberries too. Here are a couple of Christmas breakfast recipes for the leftover cranberries that you may like. These make-ahead eggnog crepes with cranberry Grand Marnier compote are so delicious.



The compote would be delicious served with pancakes, waffles, or this decadent Swedish Aeggekage Christmas breakfast, a holiday favorite with my husband's family. Or you can bake these mini cranberry eggnog loaves and give them as gifts.



How To Make Faux Sugar For Cranberry Garland

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Set aside two plastic take-out containers (or large food-saver bags). Fill one container with thinned white school glue or Mod Podge but it's important that you thin it first with water.



You don't want the consistency to be too watery nor do you want it thick. Somewhere in the middle, like half and half cream, is perfect (as pictured below).



Fill the second food container (or plastic food-saver bag) with Epsom salts. Here's where the scented cranberry garland comes in. I used eucalyptus and spearmint-scented Epsom salts and it fills the room with a lovely wintery scent that clears the sinus' too. 😉



How to make a simple cranberry garland with faux sugar dipped berries for inexpensive holiday decor with nostalgic old fashioned Christmas charm for a fireplace mantel or Christmas tree.

In small batches roll (or shake) the fresh cranberries in the Mod Podge mixture until well coated. Remove them with a slotted spoon and place them into the Epsom salt container (bag). Gently stir (or shake) the cranberries until they are fully coated and sprinkle them with fine or extra-fine clear glitter to add some sparkle.

How to make a simple cranberry garland with faux sugar dipped berries for inexpensive holiday decor with nostalgic old fashioned Christmas charm for a fireplace mantel or Christmas tree.

Set the sugared cranberries in a single layer on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet. Turn the cranberries every so often as they are drying. They will dry clear as pictured in the bottom cookie sheet below.



How to make a simple cranberry garland with faux sugar dipped berries for inexpensive holiday decor with nostalgic old fashioned Christmas charm for a fireplace mantel or Christmas tree.

Stringing The Sugared Cranberries

Measure your fireplace mantel or wherever you plan on using the garland to see how long you'll need to cut a piece of baker's twine. Decide whether you'll have the garland drape on both sides and add that length for both sides to the measurement. Add an extra 6-12 inches for knotting the ends and to cut away the stain around the needle.



Before stringing the cranberries you'll want to protect your work surface because it will get dyed red. You'll also want to wear rubber/latex gloves to protect your hands.



Once the cranberries are completely dry, thread an embroidery needle with the twine and tie a large knot on one end so the cranberries don't go sliding off. String the cranberries until you've reached the desired length for your fireplace or Christmas tree.



If you plan on hanging the cranberry garland on a Christmas tree, increase the amount of fruit, the length of twine, and eliminate the tassels on the ends. It's easier to make the cranberry tree garland in 36-inch lengths and butt the ends together when wrapping it around the tree.



How to make a simple cranberry garland with faux sugar dipped berries for inexpensive holiday decor with nostalgic old fashioned Christmas charm for a fireplace mantel or Christmas tree.

You can leave the ends as is or add a small tassel made with the same twine like I did. Here's a DIY Tassel tassel tutorial you may find helpful if you've never made them before.



Here's another simple fruit garland idea that I'm sure you'll love. I'm collaborating with my friend Joanne from The Salty Pot, a talented food blogger. She made such a pretty dried orange garland to hang on her stunning Mid-Century Modern cabinet.



Festive DIY Dried Orange Garland from The Salty Pot.

Both of these festive DIY fruit garlands are a budget-friendly idea for decorating a fireplace mantel, cabinet, dining sideboard, top of a bookcase, staircase, or tree with a simple old-fashioned Christmas charm!



There's a funny story behind how Joanne and I met. For a few years, we were both members of the same Facebook group. One day during a live video, group members shared where they were located.



I noticed reading down the scroll Joanne mentioned she was from Canada. Excited to see another Canadian in the group I quickly typed that I was also from Canada.



Then she mentioned she was from the Province of Alberta and I responded that I was also from Alberta. She then went on to say that she was from a small community called Sherwood Park. What are the chances that two gals from Sherwood Park would be in the same Facebook group hosted from Tennessee?



But when she mentioned what neighborhood she lived in, we discovered that we live two blocks from one another!  We arranged to meet in person days later and became instant friends. This is our first time collaborating together and it's been such fun.



There you have it, two simple, festive, and budget-friendly fruit garland ideas to decorate your home for the holidays.



Thanks for stopping by the Interior Frugalista today! I hope you were inspired to make a simple cranberry garland for your fireplace mantel or Christmas tree. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comment section below or the Contact Me tab at the top to drop me an email. I love hearing from you!



If you enjoyed this simple faux-sugared cranberry garland idea, I'd be so thankful if you shared it with a friend and pinned it to your favorite board on Pinterest.




Making Cranberry Garland with faux sugar dipped fresh cranberries is an easy and inexpensive idea for decorating a Christmas Mantel or Christmas Tree with nostalgic old fashioned Christmas charm. #cranberrygarland #cranberrydecor

Featured In:

Our simple faux sugared cranberry garland is featured in the November 2022 issue of Country Sample Farmhouse Style Magazine.

I share my projects at these inspiring link parties.



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Comments

  1. Oh this is so pretty Marie! I love that it has some longevity too, I must try!
    Jenna

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  2. I love this, Marie! It is lovely and very nostalgic! Thanks for sharing! Pinned!

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    1. Thank you so much, Tee! I love the festive touch it added to our simple evergreen garland and it still smells good too!

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  3. Your cranberry garland is so pretty, Marie! I love how it looks on your fireplace and also in the glass jar. How fun that you found a blogging friend who lives in your neighborhood!

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    1. Thanks Paula, I'm glad you like it! I was so excited to learn we lived within blocks of each other. Now we have a tradition of meeting once a month for blogging over breakfast meetings at our favorite neighborhood restaurant.

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  4. How beautiful! Thank you for sharing your talent!

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    1. You're so sweet, Michele, thank you for stopping by for a visit!

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  5. This is so pretty! I love that no cranberries were wasted...Ha! I always think that Christmas decor needs a pop of red, this does the trick! Thank you as always for taking the time to share your budget friendly and creative decor with us at Embracing Home and Family!

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    1. Thank you Jenn! Red is my favorite color so when the holidays roll around, I'm a red loving happy lady! LOL

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  6. Hello Marie, the garland is beautiful, I also like the idea of the simmering potpourri. Thank you for sharing that recipe idea as well as the lovely garland tutorial.

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    1. Glad you enjoyed the garland and the potpourri recipe idea, Jasmine!

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  7. Simple and so nice Marie. I have done sugared cranberries for baking with egg white, but this is a much more stable solution. The cranberries are gorgeous.

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    1. These are definitely not for eating but they will sure help make those cranberries last until after the holidays. They still look fresh hanging on the mantle two weeks later.

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  8. You are one lucky lady to have a bestie in your neighborhood like that! I'm so jealous but excited for you! Love your cranberry garland and have pinned it for next year. It really is gorgeous! Wish I lived close to you too so I could come over for some crafting fun! Merry Christmas

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    1. Thanks Cindy, I'm glad you like the garland idea - appreciate the pin too! You have a great sense of humor and I know we'd have a blast crafting together. Merry Christmas!

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    2. We WOULD have the best time. Just popping back into let you know we are featuring you over at the FFLP tomorrow! :)

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  9. Your fresh cranberry garland is so pretty Marie. Pinned. Thank you for sharing with us at Charming Homes and Gardens.

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  10. Your fresh cranberry garland is simply stunning Marie and a project I would love to try! I'm so excited to feature your post this week at the Tuesday Turn About Link Party!

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    1. I'm glad you like the cranberry garland idea, Michelle, and thrilled to hear you'll be featuring it this week. Thank you and Merry Christmas! xo

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  11. Marie,
    I love this idea and I’m definitely saving for next year.
    Rachel

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    1. Awesome Rachel, I'm glad you like it! My garland is still going strong three weeks later.

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  12. These are a great idea. Love the faux sugar. I can't wait to try it myself. Merry Christmas.

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    1. I'm glad you like it Michele, the fresh cranberries are still looking great on the fireplace mantle three weeks later. Merry Christmas!

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  13. I just had to come see this beautiful creation for myself. So Cool, Marie. No wonder it was featured in Country Sampler. I've pinned the tutorial because I know I'm going to want to do something with faux sugar.

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    1. Thanks so much for popping by to see the Country Sampler feature, Michelle, and I'm thrilled that you pinned the tutorial for making faux sugar!

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  14. Love this 'sweet and tart' cranberry garland for Christmas! So easy and just lovely!!! Pinned, and I'm delighted to be featuring your post at Tuesday Turn About today!

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    1. You made my day, Julie, thank you so much for the feature! xo

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  15. Gorgeous! I'll be featuring your post on tomorrow's Crafty Creators. Thanks for sharing!

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  16. Theresa, you made my day 😀 Thank you for the blessings and the feature! xo

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  17. Hi Marie, Thank you for posting this wonderful and creative cranberry garland craft! I've given up on searching for the one I had bought years ago, went online to search where I can buy another and POOF! Here I am :-). I have a few bags of cranberries in the fridge, look forward to making this and appreciate the added scented idea. I do have a question. Do you recommend we toss out after Christmas festivities, or do you have a creative way to store/preserve them till next year? I look forward to your reply! PS How fun to meet a new friend from your old town in your new town, happy for you both.

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    1. I'm so glad your google search brought you here, Amanda! I wish I knew of a way to preserve the cranberry garland but unfortunately, it will only last 4-6 weeks. Have fun making your garland!

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  18. Hi again! I found my answer, so no need to publish about post Christmas question. I look forward to making this! Thank you and have a very Merry Christmas!

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    1. Enjoy your faux sugared cranberry garland, Amanda. Merry Christmas!

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