DIY Painted Wood Bead Garland

When it comes to home decor, DIY is my middle name! I think it's because so often when I was younger, my mom and I would be shopping and she'd always say to me, "you could make that"! {Side note, also one of the worst things you can mention out loud at a craft fair to the vendor.} I always liked the challenge of creating something and making it my own. This mostly came out of being thrifty but it also comes out of some weird calming effect the art of mass-producing things gives me. I've seen these painted wood bead garlands all over the place, from the shelves at Magnolia Market, to the baskets at the local hobby shops. I thought I'd try my hand at making them and am sharing how you can do it too! Let's go and make some DIY painted wood bead garland!

Speaking of Magnolia Market, here are 5 things you need to know before you visit!

DIY Painted Wood Bead Garland

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 

Wooden beads in assorted sizes 

cream or white acrylic paint {I love this chalk paint from FolkArt and this kit will have all the colors you need}

medium and dark gray acrylic paint

paintbrush

utility wire

jute twine

hemp twine

scissors

 

Sort beads and decide which sizes you want in which color.

Mix 1 part white/cream paint with 1 part water in a large bowl {or you can use a paper bowl or a paper plate that has higher edges}. Pour in all of the beads that you want to make white and roll them around until they’re completely coated in paint.

Cut a 12” piece of tie wire and make a couple of bends at one end. The first bend will stop the beads from sliding off the end and the second bend will be your hook.

One by one, pick the painted beads up with the straight end of the tie wire and thread them onto the wire. Stop when you have about 1-2” left on the straight end and bend it to make a hook. Hook the beaded wire between two sturdy drinking glasses to dry.

Repeat steps 2-4 with each new color of paint and its corresponding beads.

Allow the beads to dry completely. {A blow dryer helps if you just can’t wait!}

To make your jute tassels, start winding the jute around your hand, over and over. The wider you spread out your fingers, the longer your tassel will be. {I wound the jute around my hand 14 times.}

Remove the jute loop from your hand and tie a 24” piece of hemp around it by sticking one end of the hemp piece inside the circle and tying it into a very tight knot around all of the jute strands. Leave a tail of hemp about 1 1/2” long.

Cut the loop end opposite of where you tied the hemp, trim any uneven threads.

Then take another 12” piece of jute and wrap it around the top of the tassel over and over {about ½” from where you tied the hemp} and secure with a knot.

Paint the 12” wrapped around jute piece with your medium gray paint; let dry.

Make a second tassel but don’t stick it into the end of the circle and tie it into a knot, you will tie it onto the hemp after all of your beads are on.

String painted beads on in whatever color pattern you like. 

Tip: to avoid unraveling, smooth a little school glue on the end of your hemp stringer before you start!

Once you have the garland to your desired length, tie the extra hemp end onto your second tassel. Leave about an inch of slack so you can make gaps in your garland for draping over things. 

PIN THIS FOR LATER:

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