20 Creative Thanksgiving Garlands and Banners

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As the leaves change and the air turns crisp, our thoughts turn to cozy gatherings and the spirit of gratitude. Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on our blessings, and what better way to set a warm, welcoming atmosphere than with handmade decorations? DIY garlands and banners are the perfect way to infuse your home with personal charm and holiday cheer.

Why Craft Your Own Thanksgiving Decor?

Personal Expression: A handmade banner or garland reflects your unique style and tells a story.
Family Fun: These projects are perfect for involving children and creating lasting holiday memories.
Eco-Friendly: Many ideas use natural or upcycled materials, making them a sustainable choice.
Cost-Effective: Achieve a high-end look without the high-end price tag.

Garlands and Banners: 20 Creative Ideas for Your Thanksgiving Table and Home

In this guide, we’ll share 20 creative garland and banner ideas with mini tutorials. Find answer to the most common questions, and highlight trending keywords people search for this holiday season.

Nature-Inspired Garlands

Bring the beauty of the outdoors inside with these organic and rustic projects.

1. Waxed Leaf Garland:

Preserve the vibrant colors of autumn leaves by dipping them in melted beeswax or paraffin wax. String them together for a stunning and long-lasting decoration.

2. Dried Orange and Cinnamon Stick Garland:

Slice oranges and bake them until they are dried. Thread them onto twine with whole cinnamon sticks for a fragrant and festive garland that also serves as a beautiful centerpiece.

3. Rustic Pinecone and Acorn Garland:

Gather pinecones and acorns from your yard or a local park. Attach them to jute twine with hot glue for a simple, earthy, and elegant look.

4. Popcorn and Cranberry Garland:

A classic and fun project for all ages. String air-popped popcorn and fresh cranberries on a needle and thread for a traditional, old-fashioned holiday feel.

5. Corn Husk Banner:

Upcycle dried corn husks into a unique and textured banner. Cut them into flag shapes or roll them into rosettes and attach them to a ribbon for a farm-to-table aesthetic.

6. “Gather” Acorn Banner:

Collect acorns and paint them in metallic gold or copper. String them between painted wooden or cardboard letters spelling out “GATHER” for a sophisticated and modern banner.

Paper and Cardstock Creations

Paper crafts are versatile, easy to customize, and perfect for quick and impactful decorations.

7. “Thankful” Gratitude Banner:

Cut out leaf or pennant shapes from colored cardstock. Have each family member write something they are thankful for on a shape, then string them together to create a gratitude notes banner of blessings.

8. Paper Pumpkin Garland:

Cut out different-sized pumpkin shapes from orange, white, and gold cardstock. Layer them or fold them to create a 3D effect before stringing them up. You can also make Turkey cutouts banner.

9. Book Page Banner:

Give old books new life! Cut out letters or shapes from the pages to form a vintage-style banner. The aged paper adds a warm, timeless quality.

10. DIY Leaf Bunting with Printable Template:

Find free leaf templates and print them on autumnal-colored paper. Cut out the shapes and attach them to twine or string for a fast and beautiful bunting to make paper leaf galrand.

11. Paper Fan Garland:

Create accordion-style folded paper fans in fall colors like burgundy, mustard yellow, and deep green. Secure them with hot glue and connect them to form a festive, textural garland.

12. Gilded Leaf Banner

Apply gold leaf sheets to paper cutouts to make gilded leaf banner.

Learn more about this technique: Gilding glass with gold leaf sheets

Textile and Yarn Projects

These soft-textured decorations can be made to last and are perfect for adding a cozy feel.

13. Felt Leaf Garland:

Felt is a non-fraying material, making it ideal for crafting. Cut out felt leaves in various fall shades and sew or glue them onto a piece of ribbon.

14. Yarn Pom-Pom and Tassel Garland:

Make pom-poms from yarn in fall colors (think rust, cream, and olive green). Mix them with homemade yarn tassels for a playful and trendy garland.

15. Fabric Scraps Bunting:

A fantastic way to use up leftover fabric. Tear or cut strips of fabric in plaid, burlap, and other rustic patterns. Tie them onto a length of rope for a charming, country-chic look.

16. Embroidery Hoop “Give Thanks” Banner:

Use small embroidery hoops as frames for a creative banner. Stretch patterned fabric inside each hoop and use felt letters to spell out “GIVE THANKS.”

Unique and Modern Ideas

These projects offer a fresh take on traditional Thanksgiving decor.

17. Photo Garland of Loved Ones:

A sentimental and personal decoration. Print out favorite photos of family and friends and hang them with mini clothespins along a string.

18. Metallic Spray-Painted Gourd Garland:

Purchase small faux gourds or pumpkins. Spray paint them with metallic colors like gold, bronze, or copper. Attach them to twine for a modern, elegant display.

19. Letter Board Garland:

For a modern minimalist look, use a long, customizable felt letter board to spell out a thoughtful Thanksgiving message.

20. DIY Wheat Sheaf Banner:

Create small bundles of dried wheat and secure them with twine. Attach the bundles to a main piece of twine, spacing them evenly, for a simple and sophisticated rustic banner.

21. Mini Clothespin and Card Garland:

Use a long piece of twine or ribbon and a set of mini wooden clothespins to display Thanksgiving cards, family photos, or small paper cutouts.

Gratitude garlands for Thanksgiving

Find creative picture inspiration for making Thanksgiving banners and garlands to get your creativity going:

1. Thanksgiving Gratitude Garland

Print, write what you are Thankful for and hang on a thread or twine.

2. Thanksgiving pocket garland

Another fun idea is to make a pocket garland. And add a task with a small gift for everyday. A very creative idea for teaching kids to be thankful.

3. Thankful cone garland

Make paper cones to hold thankful messages for a month. This garland gives you a reason to be thankful every day for a month and practice thankfulness.

4. Thankful rag garland

Tie Fall and Thanksgiving fabric scraps on a rope to make a garland.

5. Gratitude garland

Cut fall leaves out of paper. And write what you are thankful for on it. String through a ribbon and you are done!

Thanksgiving Banners

6. Give thanks thanksgiving garland

Make paper fans with brown paper and hang circle scallop cut paper cutouts with lettering to give thanks.

7. Happy Thanksgiving Garland

Make a cute felt garland with Fall colors. Use freezer paper to print and cut letters on felt, sew and hang on a thread with clothespins. A very easy to follow tutorial!

8. Thankful garland

Another cute thanksgiving garland idea with fabric bows.

9. Thankful and blessed banner

Distress using ink pad and sponge to make your letters look vintage for thanksgiving garland.

10. Happy thanksgiving garland

Make a simple garland using letters and paper cutouts stringed through to hang on your mantel.

11. Gobble Gobble Thanksgiving Banner

Make a thanksgiving banner with burlap squares. And stick paper cut letters on it.

12. Maple leaves garland

Give thanks banner made with leaf cutouts and paper lettering.

Thanksgiving Garlands

13. Thanksgiving silhouette banner

Cutout harvest related silhouettes to make a garland with brown paper.

14. Rustic thanksgiving garland

Cutouts you can find at dollar store to string for thanksgiving decor.

15. Felt Balls Fall Garland

Use fall colors pom pom to string through a thread to make a simple garland.

16. Felt leaf garland

Cut and glue felt cutouts and stitch veins to make a Fall garland.

17. Give Thanks garland

Use Fall dried items to make an unique and natural garland.

18. Corn husk garland

Easy to make corn husk garland. Use eye hook to hang cobs and loop corn husk on a piece of twine.

Commonly Asked Questions about DIY Thanksgiving Decor

1. Where is the best place to hang a Thanksgiving garland or banner?

A garland looks beautiful draped across a fireplace mantel, a doorway, a staircase railing, or along the edge of a dining room buffet or console table. Banners are perfect for hanging on a wall above your main gathering area or a dessert bar.

2. How can you make your natural garlands last longer?

To preserve natural materials like leaves, you can coat them in a sealant like Mod Podge or wax. For a temporary display, simply enjoy their natural beauty and discard them after the holiday.

3. What are the best colors for a Thanksgiving theme?

Classic Thanksgiving colors include deep reds, burnt oranges, mustard yellows, and rich browns. You can also incorporate neutrals like cream, ivory, and tan, or metallic accents like gold and copper for a modern twist.

4. Can you get your kids to help with these projects?

Absolutely! Projects like the “Thankful” banner, popcorn and cranberry garland, or a simple leaf bunting are great for children. They can help with gathering materials, cutting out shapes, and stringing items.

5. What is the most budget-friendly DIY Thanksgiving decoration?

The most cost-effective projects often use materials you already have. The “Thankful” banner using scrap paper or the pinecone garland from foraged materials are excellent options that require minimal supplies and can be made for free.