Old-Fashioned Christmas Decorations Are Making a Comeback, and This DIY Garland Shows Why

People seem to be feeling nostalgic about the holidays of their childhood lately. Almost everywhere you look, folks are posting on social media about how much they miss the way the holidays used to feel.

For some, that means the time they were able to spend with their family when they were younger, while others miss the decorations from their childhood. However, vintage and whimsical holiday decor seems to be especially popular right now.

And what better way to recreate those memories from childhood than by creating some decorations by hand? That’s what At Home with Ashley says on TikTok, at least. She’s showing her followers how they can use a few inexpensive materials to make a nostalgic holiday garland that will leave them feeling like a kid again.

The project also requires relatively few supplies, making it a good DIY for anyone on a budget.

DIY Ribbon Garland Brings Vintage Holiday Charm

@athomewithashleyIf you’re starting to think about holiday decor, may I present you with the most whimsical combo?! -ribbon chain garland ⛓️ -star garland ⭐️ -bows 🎀 -and an ornament! (House shaped preferred) 🏡 Last year I inherited a bunch of the Hallmark nostalgic house ornaments and I had no clue what to do with them. So this year I hung them on the stair banister! It’s so cute! For making the velvet ribbon chain garland, I cut each strip to 6.5” long and then hot glued each piece. Super easy and the velvet texture is amazing! You could hang the chain garland from the ceiling, put on stairs, or drape over a mantle. What would you do? Use an odd number of colors to see all colors from all sides. I didn’t do this, but wish I had! 🌈♬ original sound – Sydney Leigh | Cozy Home

Ashley’s tutorial shows her followers how they can make their own ribbon garland to mix with a few other items they may already have on hand. She started off by creating the chain garland using various pieces of colored cloth (ribbon works well too), each of them cut to size and then connected with hot glue. 

Next, she layered a few more things that she already had at home, including a collection of vintage house ornaments and a strand of star garland. She then tied some bows along the banister as a finishing touch.

According to Ashley, the most important part of the garland is the layering, so people don’t need to use the exact accessories she did (for example, the star garland can be replaced with something else, like a strand of fairy lights).

People Were Obsessed 

The comments were full of people who wanted to try the DIY for themselves. “Oh my god! I thrifted a huge bag of ribbons last week, and now I know what to do with them,” one person wrote. “Thanks for inspiring me to look past the red and green.”

“I love this. I’m so glad to see paper/fabric garland come back,” another person wrote, adding that they made something similar in the 1970s with their sister.

For anyone curious about where to find the supplies for a project like this, several of the commenters mentioned thrift stores. Shopping secondhand could help budget-conscious DIYers save even more while creating their own garlands.