Glass bead garlands are a beautiful addition to Christmas trees and very fun to make, especially with so many possible color combinations.  Below are simple instructions for how to string your own garlands, complete with string recommendations and three different color ideas to guide you.

Supplies: Beading Cord, Blown Glass Beads, Hooks, Dresden Stars or Medallions, Scissors

Step 1: Unwind silk cord from card.  One end will have an attached needle for stringing.

Step 2: Tie sturdy knot through hook at end opposite the needle.  Fold Dresden Stars together with foil sides out and thread through the center of both onto cord.  You may wish to use pointed scissors to poke small holes in the Dresdens first.

Step 3: String glass beads onto cord.

Step 4: Thread the remaining Dresden stars onto your cord.  Tie a sturdy knot leaving at least 1" slack in your cord to allow the garland to drape nicely on the tree boughs.  Guide needle back down through the Dresden stars so cord is on the underside, between Dresdens and bead. 

Step 5: Cut needle off leaving 1/2" to 3/4" of cord. Use needle to push cord tail through the Dresden stars at beginning end of garland.  Trim cord leaving 1/2" to 3/4".

Tips: If you're uncertain of how many beads you'll need or what colors to choose, we've included three different looks below to guide you, including needed bead quantities.  Make as shown, or substitute bead colors and styles to customize ~ there are literally tens of thousands of different color combination possibilities!

Including less-costly spacer beads is a great way to "stretch" out your design.  Below, the Classic Christmas pattern shows this technique using amber colored spacers while Multi-Color Mix uses clear spacers.

It's very important to leave at least 1" of slack in the cord so the beads have room to move.  If beads are too tight they could break or your garland will look stiff and not drape properly.

Hooks are optional but do make it easy to attach the garland ends to your tree when decorating. They can be fashioned out of 24 or 26 gauge wire by bending a small piece in half and then further bending it into a hook shape.  If you choose to go hook-less, simply tie the cord gently but securely around the first and last bead.

A word about string types: We prefer to string garlands on silk beading cord -- the attached needle makes adding beads super easy, plus the cord is strong, elegant and doesn't stretch out over time.  We have made quite a few garlands in the past using thick upholstery/carpet thread with pleasing results.  Unwaxed dental floss can work for shorter, lighter weight garlands but, in our experience, the knots have a tendency to slide out over time and most floss nowadays is waxed.  Waxed linen thread is a great option if you wish to make a long garland with extra large beads, as it allows for tying very strong knots (it is on the thicker side though, so make sure it will pass through the bead holes).

If you wish to secure your knots extra well, consider adding a tiny drop of fabric glue (like Aleene's Tacky Glue) and gently working it into the cord fibers.

5 additional garland designs are linked here: 5 Retro and Festive Glass Beaded Garland Patterns

Classic Christmas features glossy shades of green, burgundy and silver separated by golden amber spacer beads.

This is the beading pattern to follow:

Pattern #1: A B C B A B E B A B C B A 

Pattern #2: B D B C B F B C B D B

Your garland will begin and end with pattern #1.  String pattern #1 onto your cord, followed by pattern #2 and repeat this sequence, ending in pattern #1.  Your garland will have 10 sections of pattern #1 and 9 sections of pattern #2.  Completed length is approximately 75" which is 6 ft. 3 in.

This is the bead code:

A = 8mm burgundy GBR8BU  ~ 40 beads needed

B = Amber spacers GBC03A ~ 114 beads needed

C = 10mm dark green GBR10DKG ~ 38 beads needed

D = Pale green petal GB019PCG ~ 18 beads needed

E = Silver spiral tube GB083S ~ 10 beads needed

F = Faceted burgundy ball GB080BU~ 9 beads needed