There’s something warm and cosy about stringing popcorn and cranberries onto thread around the kitchen table at Christmas. Maybe it’s the smell of freshly popped corn, or the shine of those crimson berries…but it is engrossing, creative, and encourages conversation about Christmases past, present and future.

Start your own tradition this holiday season by making these gorgeous garlands with your family for your home. They look stunning against the backdrop of a fresh green tree, or hung like bunting in any room of the house.

You will need:

• Fresh cranberries (available from any supermarket)
• Popcorn (fresh is best – you can buy the kernels from the supermarket and pop them yourself on the stove, but pre-popped work just as well)
• Needles
• Sturdy threads (i.e. buttonhole or quilting thread)
• Bowls for the cranberries and popcorn
• Scissors

…and we recommend a thimble if you have one!

How to make:

1. Pour the cranberries into a bowl and throw away soft or brown ones.
2. Pop the corn and pour into a separate bowl.
3. Thread needles with heavy duty thread and pull until doubled.
4. Thread a cranberry down to the end and knot the thread around it to make an anchor.
5. Alternate threading pieces of popcorn and cranberries until the thread is full – take care as it can be easy to split the popcorn (and prick yourself!)
6. Leave room at the end of the garland to tie another cranberry knot when you have finished.

Tips:

Cranberries are bitter and can be a choking hazard to infants and toddlers, so supervise with care or leave this activity to older children.
There are various arts and crafts sprays you can use to preserve the life of the popcorn and berries. You can also use fake berries and slightly stale popcorn to keep your garland for more than one season: simply store in a sealable plastic bag (i.e. freezer bag) and keep in a cool, dry place.

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