This is my last Fall project of the season!
At least one that I will be sharing with you online. I must switch over to Christmas project mode as much as possible.
So today, I am sharing an upcycle project of sorts.
I am converting a garland that I made for a baby shower theme of “We are expecting a Lil’ Cutie” where the pom poms were made to look like little Cutie mandarin oranges. Little oranges and pumpkins can be interchangeable as pom poms right?
I am reusing what I have instead of starting over, or throwing this garland out, and upcycling the pom poms for a Fall themed beaded garland.
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This post is part of the Creative Craft Blog Hop hosted Each Month by Sara from Birdz of a Feather.
If you are visiting from Sara’s site, Birds Of A Feather then welcome! I know you will enjoy her Hamsa Wall Decor project this month. At the very bottom of this post, I will direct you to the next stop on this blog hop venture, but I can assure you that you don’t want to miss all of the other talented bloggers participating this month.
I am still enjoying some down time in the evenings cross stitching some Fall designs and pumpkins. But if I don’t start seriously working on my Christmas projects they will never get done! I finished a few of my Christmas projects earlier in the summer and I will be sharing those starting next week.
I have had this garland leftover from a baby shower in a bag since early last year. It just seemed such a shame to throw it out after making all of those pom poms.
Like a lot of my supplies or projects for a specific purpose, I just can’t get myself to throw them out without at least giving it time to become something new. While working through the overcrowded stash in my craft room, I came across them again and realized I had a stash of wood beads that would be perfect to make as a painted wood bead garland with pumpkin poms poms at the ends.
Since I had never painted wood beads before, I wanted to find an easy solution to paint them quickly. Pinterest to the rescue again as usual. I found such a clever solution on how to easily paint a lot of wood beads at the same time.
I took several leftover small dowel rod sticks and laid them across the opening of a cardboard box with the wood beads slid over the dowel sticks. This made it so very easy to apply paint to many beads at one time. Two coats of paint and a final coat of clear Polycrylic sealant in Semi-Gloss was so easy to apply this way and took just a few hours of drying time.
Thankfully when I made the original garland for the baby shower I didn’t glue the pom poms to the jute twine and just tied them on. It was easy to remove the pom poms to remake as the pumpkins and reuse the jute twine as well.
The next steps were pretty easy. I just strung the painted wood beads, and some natural wood beads, on the jute twine in a pattern.
To me the pom poms still looked like mandarin oranges and not pumpkins so I quick went outside, picked up a few small sticks from my yard. I know not everyone is blessed with a back yard that gives such natural crafting supplies so a snippet of jute twine could also work for the twig for the pumpkins.
So I cut two small little pieces off the sticks and used hot glue to attach them to the top of the pom poms to create my pumpkins.
The painted wood beaded garland with the pom pom pumpkins make an adorable accent to my Fall themed tiered tray. I am glad I decided to reuse these orange pom poms instead of throwing them out.
Be sure to visit all of the other talented bloggers who participated in this month’s Creative Craft hop. Starting with Niki from LIfe as a LEO Wife with her project for Halloween Porch Sign with Free Designs.
Minimalist Evafoam Oak Leaf Wreath
How to Craft Velvet Mushrooms (That Smell Like Christmas!)
Santa Mugs and Bottle Brush Trees
Wood Bead Garland With Pom Pom Pumpkins
Halloween Porch Sign with Free Designs
How to Make an Easy Christmas Swag
How to Make Wood Block Pumpkins
Hugs,
Hebrews 12:14 “Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness – without it no one will see the Lord.”
FABULOUS upcycle Donna! We will be featuring you starting Wednesday at the Creative Crafts Linky Party!
Creatively, Beth
That is awesome! Thanks Beth.
Donna, I love the colors you painted your beads; they look great together. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Terre!
I love handmade pom-poms and your bead garland is so cute! Blessings, Cecilia @My Thrift Store Addiction
Thank you
From baby shower to Fall – how clever of you, Donna! I have a pom pom maker that I really need to use more…I’m inspired!
Thanks Ann. I should use mine more too.
How cute is this? I love poms and wood beads sot this is the perfect project! So cute! Thanks for sharing such a colorful and fun project.
Thanks Tammy
Very cute Donna! I love your pom pom pumpkins and the added twig stems are perfect! Brilliant how you painted the wood beads too! Super cute and fun decoration, it looks great draped on your fall tray!
Thank you!
This is so lovely, Donna! And a great recycle/upcycle project! It’s always fun re-using items from a previous project! You get a real sense of accomplishment when I do it and I know you do, too!
This is very true. Thanks for the sweet comments.
I’m glad you decided to reuse the garland too Donna; it looks fantastic reimagined on your tiered tray. The pom pom pumpkins are adorable. BTW, I’ve also wondered what the best way to paint beads is and can’t wait to try this!
Thanks Sara. I had wondered about that too so I was glad to find the great idea on Pinterest.