I have some great cardboard garland Ideas for you. You can alter these and make it work for any occasion or special holiday decorations.
Using cardboard you already have at home makes crafts super cheap for you to make. This can also be fun for the whole family. Festive garlands don’t have to cost you a lot of money especially if they may be thrown away after using it.
20 Cardboard Garland Ideas For Special Occasions
1. Patriotic Celebration Cardboard Garland Ideas
- Cardboard stars, fireworks, Happy 4th Of July – Happy Independence Day – Happy Memorial Day – or Happy Veterans Day.
2. Christmas Cardboard Garland Ideas
- Cardboard stars, Christmas ornaments, Christmas trees, candy canes, gingerbread houses, and gingerbread men, or Merry Christmas with cardboard letters. As an extra idea use cardboard to make a gingerbread house template to create some gingerbread houses to go along with your gingerbread garland.
3. New Year Cardboard Garland Ideas
- Happy New Year with cardboard letters and cardboard stars.
4. Valentine’s Day Cardboard Garland Ideas
- Cardboard hearts or Happy Valentine’s Day – I love you – Love is in the air – or Be Mine.
5. St. Patrick’s Day Cardboard Garland Ideas
- Lucky like the Irish – Happy St. Patrick’s Day, or cardboard 4-leaf clovers, gold coins, or rainbows.
6. Easter Cardboard Garland Ideas
- Cardboard eggs, bunnies, Happy Easter, or He is Risen.
7. Mother’s Day Cardboard Garland Ideas
- Cardboard flowers, Happy Mother’s Day, or Best Mom Ever.
8. Father’s Day Cardboard Garland Ideas
- Happy Father’s Day or Best Dad Ever!
9. Halloween Cardboard Garland Ideas
- Happy Halloween, Boo, Trick Or Treat, or cardboard bats, black cats, haunted houses, pumpkins, or ghosts.
10. Thanksgiving Cardboard Garland Ideas
- Thankful and Grateful – Happy Thanksgiving, cardboard pumpkins or turkeys.
11. Fiesta Cardboard Garland Ideas
- Happy Cinco de Mayo, Fiesta all day – siesta all night, Let’s Fiesta, cardboard tacos, margarita glasses, cactus, sombrero hats, or flowers in bright colors.
12. Pool Party Cardboard Garland Ideas
- Life is better at the pool, chillin’ at the pool, fun in the sun, cardboard flip flops, or beach balls.
13. Summer Time Cardboard Garland Ideas
- Hello Summer, Summer vibes only, cardboard popsicles, ice cream cones, or suns.
14. Graduation Cardboard Garland Ideas
- Congratulations, Way To Go, You Did It, Class of ____, cardboard diplomas, or graduation caps.
15. Hawaiian Luau Cardboard Garland Ideas
- Time to Tiki, On Island Time, Aloha, cardboard hibiscus flowers, palm trees, pineapples, or surfboards.
16. Baby Shower Cardboard Garland Ideas
- It’s a Boy/Girl, Boy oh boy, baby princess/prince, Oh baby, coming soon, arriving soon, cardboard diapers, baby bottles, pacifiers, rubber duck, or baby footprints.
17. Wedding/bridal Shower Cardboard Garland Ideas
- She said yes, Mr and Mrs, Bride to be, cardboard wedding cake, wedding ring, or champagne glasses.
18. Bachelor/Bachelorette Party Cardboard Garland Ideas
- Bride to be, Groom to be, Congratulations, cardboard wedding band, wedding cake, champagne glasses.
19. New Job or Retirement Cardboard Garland Ideas
- Congratulations, Cheers to a new start in life or Happy Retirement.
20. New School Year Cardboard Garland Ideas
- Cheers to a new school year, or Good luck in ____ grade. It can be fun to celebrate a new school year with your kids to get them excited.
Craft Supplies needed to make any of these 20 cardboard garland ideas
- Cardboard
- The first thing of course is gathering your thin or thick cardboard (whatever your preference is). This will be used to cut out the different shapes or handmade pieces.
- Paint and paintbrush, spray paint, or markers
- Use any type of medium to give your cardboard that special look.
- Any themed gift bag, store gift bag, or other item with letters printed on it.
- This is optional and is a great way to upcycle other items and give your garland a unique look.
- Jute cord, string/yarn or fishing line
- Use some type of twine to string up your garland.
- Hot Glue gun/glue stick or regular glue
- This is needed if you plan to stick on letters or pictures to your garland. Also it can be used to attach the cardboard directly onto the twine if you don’t want to poke holes and string it.
- Scissors or craft knife
- To cut out your cardboard you will need something sharp. I prefer a razor blade knife.
- Pencil
- Using a pencil to trace or draw your cardboard shape works well and can be used to poke holes through the cardboard too.
- Pieces of paper
- If making a template, paper or card stock works well (white paper or any color would work).
- Or print off any free printable templates online to use.
- Cookie cutters
- cookie cutters shaped like a star, Christmas tree, pumpkin, etc… or another item for a template is handy.
- Material to cut into strips
- This is optional. Adding material strips can add a fun look to your garland.
- Hole punch
- This is another optional item. If the cardboard is thin enough it can work well, however if the cardboard is really thick it may not work.
Steps To Make Your Cardboard Garland Diy Project
- Draw or trace your figure using a cookie cutter or paper template onto your cardboard.
- Cut out all your figures.
- Paint the cardboard figures you made to make a colorful garland or leave them the natural brown color if wanted. If leaving them brown it could give it a rustic look or a gingerbread garland look.
- Make a hole with a pencil or hole punch in the top right and left side of the figure.
- Or skip this step if just hot gluing onto the jute.
- Cut a piece of jute or yarn/string to the desired length leaving enough on both ends for tying.
- Thread on a cardboard figure or letter followed by another and so on.
- If wanting to use material for an extra cute look. Cut your material into 1 inch wide by 10 inches long strips. You will want at least 5 to 10 of those strips depending on garland length and how many figures you have. For other material/cloth garland check out that blog.
- Next you will tie on your fabric strips in between your figures. Look at the picture for reference.
- When you have your garland to your liking just tie a knot on each end leaving a loop for hanging.
If making a garland with letters
- Cut out a big square or rectangle and then write your letter on that cardboard shape. You can do so with a marker or paint.
- Another way is to cut letters off of a gift bag and then glue it to your cardboard shape. You can easily upcycle gift bags in a fun way. See the picture for reference. Printing off letters you type out works as well.
This is a great craft for kids to do for fun and to work on their fine motor skills. The more that kids use their fine motor muscles the easier it will be for them to write and execute those fine motor skills. Making their own garland will be a great way to express themselves and see what they can accomplish.
Making diy garland like these are great opportunity for family bonding. It can be easy to spend time with your kids making decorations for an upcoming holiday season, cool special events, or just for fun decorations throughout their room, living room, fireplace mantel, door frame, and anywhere in the house that needs a festive look.
Be sure to check out my other fun wood, cloth, and popsicle stick garland ideas.